Scarborough fair
莎拉·布莱曼(Sarah Brightman) Lyrics
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Remember me to one who lives there
He once was a true love of mine
Tell him to make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without no seams nor needle work
Then he'll be a true love of mine
Tell him to find me an acre of land
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Between salt water and the sea strands
Then he'll be a true love of mine
Tell him to reap it with a sickle of leather
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
Then he'll be a true love of mine
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
He once was a true love of mine
The lyrics to "Scarborough Fair" by Sarah Brightman are a modified version of a traditional English folk song which dates back to the 17th century. The song consists of a series of requests made by a lover to a former love who lives in Scarborough Fair. The requests are in the form of tasks that must be completed in order for the lover to consider returning to the former love. The first set of tasks is to take a message to the former love and to make a cambric shirt without any seams or needlework. The second set of tasks involves finding an acre of land between the salt water and the sea, and reaping it with a sickle of leather and then gathering it all in a bunch of heather. The final line of the song is an invitation to the listener to attend the Scarborough Fair and to remember the lover to the former love.
Line by Line Meaning
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
These ingredients are called out to give a feeling of old, traditional romance from the Middle Ages.
Remember me to one who lives there
The singer wants a message conveyed to someone who lives in Scarborough, which is a reference to an old English folk tune.
He once was a true love of mine
The person to whom the message is sent was once the singer's true love, but they are now separated.
Tell him to make me a cambric shirt
The singer is requesting that the recipient create a high-quality, expensive type of shirt called a cambric shirt.
Without no seams nor needle work
The shirt should be made without any seams or visible stitches, making it an especially tricky garment to create.
Then he'll be a true love of mine
If the recipient fulfills this request, they will be considered a true love of the singer once again.
Tell him to find me an acre of land
The singer now requests a piece of land, measuring one acre in size.
Between salt water and the sea strands
The land should be located amidst the sea strands, which is a reference to a strip of land between high and low tide.
Then he'll be a true love of mine
Upon delivery of the requested acre of land, the recipient's status will be elevated to true love once again.
Tell him to reap it with a sickle of leather
The recipient is asked to harvest the acre of land with a sickle made of leather, which could be interpreted as a reference to a non-traditional or unique method of farming.
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
The singer requests that the harvested crop be gathered into a bundle of heather flowers, an image that evokes romance and beauty.
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
The line serves as a refrain, which is a repeated phrase that is used to punctuate the song.
Contributed by Carson N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@algs229635
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional English folk song from the Middle Ages, referring to an old fair in Scarborough, Yorkshire. As a market fair, comprising of traders, merchants and other vendors, it started sometime in the 14th century and used to take place until the 18th century. Dry herbs
Dive deeper into the story behind this English song:
The music of the folk song is characterized by extensive harmonies and rising melodic lines. The purpose here was to develop a sensitive setting, akin to the story behind it. The song opens with acute melancholy, that then turns into a wonderful association of smooth harmonies and counter-melodies.
The lyrics of Scarborough Fair puts forward the concept of unrequited love. The yearning is felt throughout the song, creating a perfect medieval love story in the process. A young man delegates certain impossible tasks to his lover with the condition that she would have to finish those to be able to come back to him. Consequently, the lady also requests equally impossible things from the man, with the condition that she would complete her tasks when he would complete his.
The popularization of Scarborough Fair today is due to Rock & Roll greats Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, who were introduced to it by Martin Cathy, a British singer. The song was then re-written with a song of theirs, ‘Canticle’ and its popularity rose due to its anti-war lyrics during the Vietnam war period. Added fame was brought by its presence in the Dustin Hoffman movie “The Graduate” in the year 1967, considered as one of the greatest films of all time. The tune is also audible in Simon & Garfunkel’s other compositions, such as "Mrs. Robinson".
The song was most certainly not composed by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel as it predates them by hundreds of years. Numerous versions of lyrics apart from the Simon and Garfunkel version, exist. One of the versions has the young man asking his lover to sew a cambric seamless shirt, which is simply not feasible because cambric was a light fabric utilized for making lace and needlework. Subsequently, we have the search for a dry well to wash the shirt. The lady’s tasks for her lover include finding an acre of land between sand and sea, to plant peppercorn in it after plowing with a ram’s horn, the crafting of a leather sickle with peacock feathers, etc. Absurd as they may sound today, such elements were well-received centuries past.
About its lyrics:
A number of theories surround the song lyrics, especially the cooking spices - rosemary, sage, thyme, & parsley. Three of the most popular ones are as follows:
Some experts theorize that the song is meant as a riddle for the composer’s lover.
The young man is actually dead as the four herbs of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme were once associated with death.
The four herbs are actually ingredients for a love potion used by witches in the medieval times.
The mention of the herbs could also be simply to accommodate a line forgotten over time, thereby not really meaning anything in particular. However, the herbs, nonetheless, had serious associations back in the day.
Parsley was a symbol of evil and sorcery. Further associations have also been made with hell. Sage is thought to bring the blessings of a long life and possible immortality. There is also a reference to it warding off the effects of the Evil Eye. Rosemary is a great element of love and relationships. As such, it is the primary ingredient of love potions and eliminates love problems. Thyme, the final herb, is of an ethereal significance, believed to get you in touch with fantastic creatures and apparitions. A solid bringer of luck and exuding good vibes, it would also assist in searching for one’s true love.
Scarborough Fair is an example of medieval outlook toward love and adventures. Though the author of the piece will never be found, we can assume that he had a penchant for all things strange and magical. Indeed, keeping with the time of its inception, such ideas were encouraged and accepted well. Moreover, the 20th century saw a globalization of this song...
@elaparemekardiamou
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
He once was a true love of mine
Tell him to make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without no seams nor needle work
Then he'll be a true love of mine
Have him wash it in yonder dry well
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Where ne'er a drop of water e'er fell
And then he'll be a true love of mine
Tell him to find me an acre of land
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Between salt water and the sea strands
Then he'll be a true love of mine
Tell him…
@user-jr4qn5xh6m
やっっっっっと見つけた！！！！
小さい頃から家にあった癒し系ソング集CDの曲！
恐らく人生一番最初に聞いたCD！
引っ越しで失くしてしまってずーっと探してた曲！！
その中で一番好きで何回も何回も何回も聞いた曲！！
一番好きだった曲！！ありがとう！！！！好き！！！！
@giuliamariadambrosio8737
Find Simon and Garfunkel's version.
@davidjensen4702
It's haunting how Sarah invites you to the fair like an ancient siren when she sings.
@gregkisinger4183
Certainly mesmerizing it is!
@colinbaker8314
They say the ancient mariner's were attracted by the voices of sirens, if they sounded anything like this I'd have been shipwrecked beautiful voice beautiful woman.
@dolganthecute
just gotto sea and milk, hope it ages well on the journey
@klytouch7515
@@dolganthecute we will.. hmmm.. we will..yup
@egivaldoangelodasilva2142
Made me tour words.
@brendakieffer9180
Well put.
@jochenborner6371
just boring Intonation and presence