1. A Dutch psychedelic r… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two acts named Brainbox:
1. A Dutch psychedelic rhythm & blues band (founded late 1960s)
2. A Canadian electronic act (founded early 1990s)
1. The Dutch Brainbox is a late 1960's/early 1970s Dutch rhythm & blues/psychedelic band that recently re-united. Star guitarist Jan Akkerman and drummer Pierre van der Linden were in Brainbox before they went on to form the internationally succesful Focus. The original Brainbox' main 'weapon', however, was the characterful, high-pitched voice of frontman, Kaz Lux.
The group's 1970 début LP, Brainbox, was a major success in The Netherlands. Down Man was also a modest hit in the United States.
Shortly after the release of the début album, Akkerman and Van der Linden left the band to form Focus. Less than a year later, in 1971, frontman Lux also left the group, which then released a second studio album, Parts (1972), with a line-up that had changed beyond recognition. The album was, therefore, not fully acknowledged as a Brainbox album by fans.
The 21st century saw two reunions of the (almost complete) original '1970 line-up': the first in 2003, the second from 2009 onwards. 2011 even saw the release of a new studio album, entitled The 3rd Flood, Brainbox' third studio album since 1970.
2. The Canadian Brainbox is Tom Third, who has worked as a professional composer for 20 years. He studied film and new media at The Ontario College of Art and Design and In 1991 signed an international recording deal with Nettwerk Records that has yielded three critically acclaimed electronica albums Transcontinental Weekend (1992), Primordia (1994) and Continuous City (2001).
As a film composer, Third’s music employs an innovative combination of traditional instruments with electronic and digitally manipulated sounds. He co-wrote songs sung by Gary Busey and rapper Ice-T for the feature 'Jacob Two Two And The Hooded Fang' in 1999, and then scored the feature 4 DAYS starring Colm Meaney the same year. An ongoing commitment to the short and experimental film community has resulted in many soundtracks for award winning films and installations that have been shown at film festivals and art galleries worldwide.
In 2000 he scored 22 episodes of the television series 'Queer as Folk' and won the MPSE Golden Reel Award for music editing. Subsequent projects have included 52 episodes of 'ReGenesis', the award winning drama produced by Shaftesbury Films in Toronto. Other recent assignments include the acclaimed six episode drama, 'Durham County', for The Movie Network, several episodes of 'The Nature Of Things' for the CBC. Tom’s newest project is the score for 'The Listener', a new series on NBC, FOX and CTV that has been released in 180 territories. In 2004 Tom won the Volkswagen Score Competition sponsored by the Berlin Film Festival, and juried by Walter Murch, David Holmes, and Martin Steyer.
Scarborough fair
Brainbox Lyrics
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Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Without no seams nor needlework
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Between the salt water and the sea strand
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Tell her to reap it in a sickle of leather
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather
Then she'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
She once was a true love of mine
The lyrics of "Scarborough Fair" by Brainbox are based on a traditional English ballad that tells the story of a young man who asks a former lover to perform a series of impossible tasks before he will consider forgiving her or renewing their relationship. The refrain of the song, "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" is repeated throughout the song, and likely refers to a medieval custom of using herbs to represent a particular sentiment or emotion.
The first stanza of the song asks if the listener is going to Scarborough Fair, a popular gathering place in the Middle Ages. The singer then requests that they "remember me to one who lives there," likely a reference to the singer's former lover. The second and third stanzas ask the lover to create a cambric shirt without seams or needlework, and to find an acre of land between the salt water and the sea strand, respectively. The final stanza requests that the lover reap the acre of land with a sickle and gather it in a bunch of heather.
Overall, the song is a melancholy reminder of the importance of keeping promises and the pain that can come from broken relationships. The repetition of the "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" refrain adds to the mystical and ritualistic nature of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Are you planning to attend the festival at Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
These herbs are meant to signify the four seasons of the year and represent the passage of time and the changes it brings.
Remember me to one who lives there
Please give my regards to someone who lives in Scarborough.
She once was a true love of mine
I used to love someone who lived in Scarborough.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Ask her to make me a shirt of fine, light fabric.
Without no seams nor needlework
The shirt should be made without any seams or stitching.
Then she'll be a true love of mine
If she makes the shirt as requested, I will consider her to be my true love.
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Ask her to find me a plot of land.
Between the salt water and the sea strand
The land should be located between the sea and the shore.
Then she'll be a true love of mine
If she finds me the land as requested, I will consider her to be my true love.
Tell her to reap it in a sickle of leather
Instruct her to harvest the land using a curved blade made of leather.
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather
After harvesting, she should gather the land's produce in a bundle of heather flowers.
Then she'll be a true love of mine
If she follows through with these tasks, I will consider her to be my true love again.
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
As before, asking if the listener will be attending Scarborough Fair.
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Repeating the four herbs again to reinforce their significance and meaning.
Remember me to one who lives there
Another request to pass on greetings to someone in Scarborough, who was once a significant person in the singer's life.
She once was a true love of mine
Confirming the same, that the singer once loved someone who lived in Scarborough.
Contributed by Savannah Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jeannetteyee3487
My fave band when I was 13 , more than 50years ago .... Still fabulous ...... Great playing and interpretation !
@robhendrikx2198
I heard this song on the radio last week and I was blown away. I think their version of the Gershwin classic Summertime is brilliant as well.
@lostinmusic5431
This great Coverversion is from the first Brainbox album made in 1969. An excellent Dutch band. Members: Jan Akkermann, guitar and Kaz Lux vocals.
@RIASSL888
for me the best interpretation BRAINBOX is underestimated!!!
@MrGarbargle
I come from holland myself, and not even old enough to have seen the best times of brainbox (I hate that) but man how great are they... jan akkermans is such a fantastic guitar player!!! holland should be VERY proud of him and the rest !!! Thx for uploading btw, never enough of this guys!!
@Salzburgerstiegl
from this song exists thousands of versions - this is one of the best!
@dickgitaar2012
One of the best Dutch bands ever.....
@garyastvatsaturian8837
Absolutely!!
@remonolij1944
One of the best dutch periods of time
@janbehaeghel1518
Great voice from Kaz Lux and excellent guitar playing from Jan Akkerman.