There’s a hole in my bucket Popular Folk Song from Britain

Liza: Henry! Fetch me some water!

Henry:

1. There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,

There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

Liza:

2. Then fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

Then fix it, dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it.

Henry:

3. With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I fix it, dear Liza, with what?

Liza:

4. With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, a straw.

Henry:

5. The straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,

The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long.

Liza:

6. Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

Then cut it, dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it.

Henry:

7. With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?

Liza:

8. With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

With an axe, dear Henry, dear Henry, an axe.

Henry:

9. The axe is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza,

The axe is too dull, dear Liza, too dull.

Liza:

10. Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

Then sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, sharpen it.

Henry:

11. With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I sharpen it, dear Liza, with what?

Liza:

12. With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, a stone.

Henry:

13. The stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza,

The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.

Liza:

14. Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it.

Henry:

15. With what shall I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

With what shall I wet, dear Liza, with what?

Liza:

16. With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, with water.

Henry:

17. In what shall I get it, dear Liza, dear Liza?

In what shall I get it, dear Liza, in what?

Liza:

18. In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,

In a bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, in a bucket.

Henry:

19. There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,

There’s a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole.

12. “Greensleeves” is a traditional English folk song. It was published in the 16th century. There is a belief that “Greensleeves” was composed by Henry VIII for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn. Perhaps her rejection to King Henry’s attempts to seduce her may be referred to in the song. However, Henry did not compose “Greensleeves”, which is probably Elizabethan in origin and is based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after his death.

One possible interpretation of the lyrics is that Lady Green Sleeves was a promiscuous young woman and perhaps a bawd. At the time, the word “green” had sexual connotations, most notably in the phrase “a green gown”, a reference to the way that grass stains might be seen on a lady’s dress if she had made love outside.

In Nevill Coghill's translation of The Canterbury Tales, he explains that “green” (for Chaucer’s age) was the colour of lightness in love.