Songs from The Beggar’s Opera: Air XXVII-“Green Sleeves”

John Gay 1685 – 1732



Since laws were made, for every degree,
To curb vice in others, as well as me,
I wonder we han’t better company
         Upon Tyburn tree.
But gold from law can take out the sting;
And if rich men, like us, were to swing,
’Twould thin the land, such numbers to string
         Upon Tyburn tree.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

16 sec read
49

Quick analysis:

Scheme aaaAbbbA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 299
Words 56
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 8

John Gay

John Gay, a cousin of the poet John Gay, was an English philosopher, biblical scholar and Church of England clergyman. more…

All John Gay poems | John Gay Books

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