The quintessential Shakespeare song, "It was a lover and his lass" first appeared in Thomas Morley's First Book of Ayres or Little Short Songs; to sing and play to the Lute with the Base Viol, published in 1600. The song comes from Act Five, Scene Three of As You Like It, where it is sung by the two pages, apparently not to the satisfaction of its auditor Touchstone, who afterwards expresses the hope that "God will mend their voices." It seems possible that Morley and Shakespeare may have had direct contact, although there is no direct evidence to support such a claim. Although it has since been set by a number of other composers, none have captured the same evocative feel of the song, which remains one of the most famous and popular settings of a Shakespeare song.

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