It is very widely interpreted that Lady Green Sleeves is a promiscuous young woman, possibly a prostitute.
In England, the color green is long associated with prostitutes, and it could also refer to green stains caused from rolling in the grass with a lover.
The original version has many more verses that make it easier to believe that conclusion. It is very possible that Ms. Mckennitt meant to change the meaning to a simple story of a lost love by the verses that she chose to incorporate.
It is very widely interpreted that Lady Green Sleeves is a promiscuous young woman, possibly a prostitute. In England, the color green is long associated with prostitutes, and it could also refer to green stains caused from rolling in the grass with a lover. The original version has many more verses that make it easier to believe that conclusion. It is very possible that Ms. Mckennitt meant to change the meaning to a simple story of a lost love by the verses that she chose to incorporate.