Sing Hey! For the Wives of King Henry
Ruby Paul Children’s song Original
The first fair maid my name is Catherine
For thirty long years will I wear your ring
My daughter Mary will one day be queen
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
Hey nonny , hey nonny , hey nonny no,
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
The second fair maid is called Anne Boleyn
You had me be killed ‘cos you wanted a son
But my daughter Elizabeth will be famous
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
Hey nonny , hey nonny , hey nonny no,
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
The third fair maid is called Jane Seymour
I bore him a son, the sickly Edward
The child king died at only sixteen
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
Hey nonny , hey nonny , hey nonny no,
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
The fourth fair maid is called Anne of Cleves
For less than a year are these two married
When Henry grew tired of the Flander’s Mare
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
Hey nonny , hey nonny , hey nonny no,
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
The fifth fair maid is called Catherine Howard
Once more she was killed with a chop of her head
She wished that she’d married a poor man instead
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
Hey nonny , hey nonny , hey nonny no,
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
The sixth fair maid was called Catherine Parr
She lived a long life but no children she bore
When Henry’s reign end then followed two queens
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
Hey nonny , hey nonny , hey nonny no,
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry
Perhaps there’s on thing you are wondering
How Henry could marry queen after queen
Well he had a big row with the catholic pope
And formed his own church as a protestant
Sing hey nonny , hey nonny , hey nonny no,
Sing hey for the wives of King Henry