Scarborough fair
Coleske 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 shell be a true love of mine
Are you goin 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 Coleske's song "Scarborough Fair" seem like they are meant to be a message to a loved one, but it's not clear why they can't deliver the message directly. The opening line, "Are you going to Scarborough Fair?" may indicate that the person the message is intended for is traveling to this town for some reason. The use of the herbs parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in each of the stanzas adds an esoteric quality to the lyrics. These herbs were used in traditional medicine and as symbols in folklore and mythology, adding depth to the meaning of the song.
In the first stanza, the singer asks the person they are addressing to pass on their regards to someone who they used to love. The second stanza has the singer requesting the creation of a cambric shirt without any seams or needlework. This is a very specific request, and it's not clear why it's so important to the singer. In the third verse, the singer asks for an acre of land between the saltwater and the sea strand. This stanza has a strong environmental theme, with the idea of a small piece of land being precious and worth fighting for. Finally, in the fourth stanza, the singer requests that the person they are addressing gather a bunch of heather with a leather sickle.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you goin to scarborough fair?
Asking the listener if they are going to Scarborough Fair
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
List of herbs that help recall memories
Remember me to one who lives there,
Asking the listener to pass on the message to someone who lives in Scarborough Fair
She once was a true love of mine
The person being referred to was once the singer's true love
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Asking the listener to request someone to make the singer a cambric shirt
Without no seams nor needlework,
The shirt should be made without any seams or needlework
Then shell be a true love of mine
If the person makes the shirt as requested, they will be the singer's true love
Tell her to find me an acre of land,
Asking the listener to request someone to find an acre of land for the singer
Between the salt water and the sea strand,
The land should be located between the salt water and the sea strand
Then she'll be a true love of mine
If the person finds the land as requested, they will be the singer's true love
Tell her to reap it in a sickle of
Asking the listener to request someone to harvest the land using a sickle made of
Leather, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
A sickle made of leather, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather,
The harvest should be gathered and tied together with a bunch of heather
Then shell be a true love of mine
If the person harvests and gathers as requested, they will be the singer's true love
Are you goin to scarborough fair?
Repeating the same question as in the beginning of the song
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Repeating the herbs mentioned earlier in the song
Remember me to one who lives there,
Repeating the request to pass on the message to someone in Scarborough Fair
She once was a true love of mine
Repeating that the person being referred to was once the singer's true love
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.