Lavenders Blue, Dilly dilly lavenders green… Does anyone know the meaning behind this song?
The sources I viewed seem to agree that the song has no hidden meaning beyond courting. Many of the songs or rhymes published or known for generations, if not for centuries, have to do with maids and courting. Examples are “Where are you going to, my pretty maid?”; “It’s once I courted as pretty a lass, as ever your eyes did see.”; and “Lavender’s blue, diddle, diddle, Lavender’s green; When I am king, diddle, diddle, you shall be queen.” “Lavender Blue”, also called “Lavender’s blue”, is a folk song dating to the 17th century. A hit version of the song, sung by Burl Ives, was featured in the Walt Disney movie “So Dear to My Heart.” It was Ives’ first hit song, and reintroduced it to popularity in the 20th century. Like any song of such antiquity, there are many variations on the lyrics. The most interesting variation, though, is that the original words to the chorus were “Lavender’s blue (dilly dilly) Rosemary’s green”, while in all modern versions the chorus has become “Lavender’s bl
