Under the Greenwood Tree is a song sung by Amiens in As You Like It, as follows:
Under the Greenwood Tree
Who loves to lie with me
And turn his merry note
Unto the sweet bird's throat
Come hither, come hither, come hither
Here shall we see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather
Who doth ambition shun
And loves to live i' the sun
Seeking the food he eats
And pleased with what he gets
Come hither, come hither, come hither
Here shall we see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather
The song encourages the kind of lifestyle lived by the exiles in the forest of Arden. They shun ambition by not living a court life, live outdoors "i' the sun", singing, lying under the trees and eating what they can find in the forest (and being "pleased with what [they] get"). In the forest there is no Duke Frederick who would kill them--all they have to worry about is the cold and wet--"winter and rough weather"
They were sort of the original hippies (without the drugs) and are sometimes played that way.
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