“Greensleeves” was the song played during my wedding processional. Now it’s a wedding song for me.
I’ve never heard “What Child is This?” but I’m very familiar with Greensleeves.
With the lyrics of Greensleeves being what they are, aren’t you tempting fate playing it as a wedding processional? 
I first knew it as the Christmas carol, but now think of it as Greensleeves but have a hard time divesting it of Xmas connotations (but for some reason in my head I hear the two performed in different keys or something (maybe as Fachverwirrt described?). Now when I hear either, though, I am just reminded of how much I sort of like 15th c chanson but detest 16th c madrigal. Perhaps it’s because of Renaissance fair-types and Robin Hood movies?
Pagan holdover? It’s so obviously 16th century. . . wonder where that idea came from?
Isn’t the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star et al W.A. Mozart from the Well-tempered Clavier, or am I misremembering something?
It’s from Hayden’s Surprise Symphony (The same tune is also used for "Bah Bah Black Sheep and the Alphabet song).
The Well-Tempered Clavier is Bach, not Mozart.
The original tune is a French melody called “Ah ! vous dirai-je, Maman”. Mozart wrote variations on it. Haydn may have had it in mind when he wrote the Surprise Symphony (and it may be quoted in there somewhere; I’m not that familiar with the piece), but neither he nor Mozart actually wrote the melody.
Likewise.
In answer to th OP always Greensleeves. It has been my favorite tune since a music teacher played in grade school. For some strange reason the song resonates with me, from the first time I heard it. I often listen to it and my DW thinks I am an ass for listening to Christmas music out of season.
We were taught it was an old English song about a women left behind as her lover went to war. The green sleeve was a scarf worn around the arm as a token from her man. The Wikpedia has a different story. Wikpedia did mention Neil Young played the song. Anyone know which album?
thanks
BZ
Originally learned “What Child is This”, but leaning more towards “Greensleeves” the longer I play with the SCA. I’ve heard other lyrics put to the tune, including “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” (The reverse sounds cooler.)
I’ve never heard of a pagan connection. Instead, I heard that according to medieval color symbology, wearing green in art was a sign of fickleness. I’m ready to be corrected on that, though.
Greensleeves
But I don’ t know the words to Greensleeves so if I’m singing it, it’s What Child Is This.
And I did NOT know Twinkle Twinkle and the Alphabet Song were the same tune. Ignorance fought!
Yep.
It’s a fun song to filk, too, both versions.
Greensleeves for sure.
Dear heavens. That song also works with The Yellow Rose of Texas :eek: . In fact, it scans *better * with The Yellow Rose of Texas.
Tolkien will never be the same to me.
[Note: I thought of The Yellow Rose of Texas because you’re supposed to be able to sing all of Emily Dickenson’s poems to that, so it’s sort of my default “tune” when thinking of poems and music.]
Oh, yeah, and as far as *What Child is This/Greensleeves * goes, I tend to hear both overlapping, which makes for a great confusion in my brain. Ow!
I’m sure there are a bunch of verses, but the opening verse and chorus (as I know them) are:
"Alas, my love, you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
When I have loved* you so long,
Delighting in your company.
Chorus:
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight,
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my lady greensleeves."
“loved” is pronounced “luv-ed” (two syllables) here
When I first heard What Child is This, I thought “They made a Christmas song out of Greensleeves? Since when?” Born and raised Catholic, too.
Am I the only one who thinks of Family Ties whenever I hear Greensleeves? Or Kathleen Woodiweis? I think so.
Okay, I’m confused. If he was singing it, wouldn’t he have been singing the words to one or the other? Wouldn’t you have been able to tell by the words that it wasn’t the Christmas carol?
Anyway, to answer the question, I first learned “What Child Is This?” and know the lyrics to the carol but not to Greensleeves, so that would be the first thing I think of. However, I’ve known for as long as I can remember that “What Child” is “to the tune of Greensleves” and have heard the tune in non-Christmas contexts (e.g. Vaughan Williams’s “Fantasia on Greensleeves”).
I wonder if British people and/or anglophiles are more likely to associate the tune with Greensleeves, that being an English folk (?) song.
I am *really *surprised by the results of this survey, particularly from US respondents (since WCIT? is apparently an American carol). You would think that most people would be exposed at an early age to more Christmas carols than they would renaissance folk tunes…so much for this being a “culturally Christian” country, I guess.
Close, but not the same tune.
What Child every time.
Greenfleeves.
That’s a rather unlikely title… for a fong?