He began performing with his schoolfriend Art Garfunkel in 1956; together the two came to prominence in the 1960s as Simon & Garfunkel. The duo's blend of folk and rock music in hits like "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", "America", and "The Boxer" served as a soundtrack to the counterculture movement. Their career together peaked with their last album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), at one point the best-selling album of all time. Throughout his subsequent solo career, Simon has continued to explore an eclectic mixture of genres, including gospel, reggae, soul, and more. His celebrated 1970s output—comprising Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)—kept him in the public spotlight and saw critical and commercial acclaim, spawning the hits "Mother and Child Reunion", "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard", and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover".
Across his life, Simon has intermittently reunited with Garfunkel for several tours, including the famed Concert in Central Park. The widely lauded Graceland (1986) became Simon's biggest album of his career, melding his rock sound with worldbeat flavors; its single "You Can Call Me Al" became one of Simon's top hits. A sequel of sorts, The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), preceded his own successful Concert in the Park, attended by a half-million fans. That decade, Simon focused his energies on a Broadway musical The Capeman (1997), which was poorly received. In the first quarter of the next century, Simon continued to record and tour; his later albums, such as You're the One (2000), So Beautiful or So What (2011), and Stranger to Stranger (2016), have introduced him to new generations. He retired from touring in 2018. His most recent work, Seven Psalms, will see release in May 2023.
Simon is among the most acclaimed musicians and songwriters in popular music, and one of the world's best-selling music artists, both for his solo work and with Garfunkel. He is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has been the recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year. Two of his works, Sounds of Silence and Graceland, have seen induction into National Recording Registry for their cultural significance, and in 2007, the Library of Congress crowned him the inaugural winner of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. He is a co-founder of the Children's Health Fund, a nonprofit that provides medical care to children.
In an in-depth interview reprinted in American Songwriter, Simon discusses the craft of songwriting with music journalist Tom Moon. In the interview, Simon explains the basic themes in his songwriting: love, family and social commentary (as well as the overarching messages of religion, spirituality and God in his lyrics). Simon explains the process of how he goes about writing songs in the interview: "The music always precedes the words. The words often come from the sound of the music and eventually evolve into coherent thoughts. Or incoherent thoughts. Rhythm plays a crucial part in the lyric-making as well. It's like a puzzle to find the right words to express what the music is saying."
Scarborough fair
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Then she'll be a true love of mine
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 to Scarborough Fair are evocative and mysterious, with their references to folk herbs and obscure requests for clothing and land ownership. The song appears to be a conversation between two people, with the first speaker asking the second if they are going to Scarborough Fair, a popular event in medieval England. The second speaker responds with a series of requests for the first to pass along to a former lover who lives in Scarborough.
These requests are curious in their specificity – the former lover is asked to make a cambric shirt without seams or needlework, to find an acre of land between the salt water and the sea strand, and to reap the land with a sickle of leather and gather it in a bunch of heather. These requests seem to be impossible tasks, and yet they are presented as the conditions for the former lover to be considered a true love of the singer.
The song is haunting in its simplicity, and the addition of the traditional melody and harmonies make it a memorable piece of folk music. Some have interpreted the lyrics as a series of tests for the former lover to prove her devotion, while others view the requests as symbolic of different virtues or strengths. Whatever the interpretation, Scarborough Fair remains a classic piece of folk music that continues to intrigue and captivate listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Are you planning to visit the Scarborough fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
These are the ingredients of the recipe I am about to tell you.
Remember me to one who lives there
Please give my regards to someone who is living there.
She once was a true love of mine
She used to be my lover.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Ask her to sew a fine, delicate fabric shirt for me.
Without no seams nor needlework
Without any stitches, seams, or needlework.
Then she'll be a true love of mine
If she does this for me, I will love her forever.
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Ask her to find a piece of land that is one acre in size.
Between the salt water and the sea strand
Somewhere near the ocean or seashore.
Then she'll be a true love of mine
If she finds this land for me, I will love her forever.
Tell her to reap it in a sickle of leather
Instruct her to cut the crops using a sickle that has a leather handle.
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather
To collect everything in a bunch of heather plants.
Then she'll be a true love of mine
If she does this for me, I will love her forever.
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Are you planning to visit the Scarborough fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
These are the ingredients of the recipe I am about to tell you.
Remember me to one who lives there
Please give my regards to someone who is living there.
She once was a true love of mine
She used to be my lover.
Contributed by Julia P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@larry2388
Scarborough is a small town on the coast of England. The "Scarborough Fair" was a popular gathering in Medieval times, attracting traders and entertainers from all over the country. The fair lasted 45 days and started every August 15th. In the 1600s, mineral waters were found in Scarborough and it became a resort town. Today, Scarborough is a quiet town with a rich history. (thanks, Sheryl - Seal Rock, OR)
In Medieval England, this became a popular folk song as Bards would sing it when they traveled from town to town. The author of the song is unknown, and many different versions exist. The traditional version has many more lyrics.
Paul Simon learned about this song when he was on tour in England, where he heard a version by a popular folk singer named Martin Carthy. When Carthy heard Simon & Garfunkel's rendition, he accused Simon of stealing his arrangement. Carthy and Simon did not speak until 2000, when Simon asked Carthy to perform this with him at a show in London. Carthy put his differences aside and did the show.
Martin Carthy learned the song from a Ewan MacColl songbook, and had recorded it on his first album, according to BBC's Patrick Hamphries.
Paul Simon admitted to the July 2011 edition of Mojo magazine: "The version I was playing was definitely what I could remember of Martin's version, but he didn't teach it to me. Really, it was just naivety on my part that we didn't credit it as his arrangement of a traditional tune. I didn't know you had to do that. Then later on, Martin's publisher contacted me and we made a pretty substantial monetary settlement that he was supposed to split with Martin, But unbeknown to me, Martin got nothing."
The lyrics are about a man trying to attain his true love. In Medieval times, the herbs mentioned in the song represented virtues that were important to the lyrics. Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.
This was not released as a single until 1968, when it was used in the Dustin Hoffman movie The Graduate. It is on the soundtrack.
Before Simon & Garfunkel got to it, Bob Dylan used the lines, "Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine" in his 1963 song "Girl From The North Country."
"Scarborough Fair" and "Canticle" are 2 songs that are sung simultaneously to create this piece. The first and last verses are "Scarborough Fair," but lines from "Canticle" alternate after the first line of the other verses, so "On the side of a hill in a deep forest green" and "Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground" are from "Canticle."
This song is often listed as "Scarborough Fair/Canticle." On The Paul Simon Songbook, a little known 1965 UK album of Simon-solo demos, there is a song called "The Side Of a Hill." "The Side Of a Hill" was reworked into the Canticle part of "Scarborough Fair." (thanks, Jesse - Roanoke, VA)
With its implicit anti-Vietnam War message, this was used in The Wonder Years TV series in a scene where Kevin Arnold embraces Winnie Cooper while the song was played at the end of the episode. In the show, Winnie's brother had been killed in Vietnam. (thanks, Marciliano - Fortaleza, Brazil)
@ventkatczinsky
@@mattvewfindlay2228
Parsley is used in the Hebrew celebration of Passover as a symbol of spring and rebirth.
Sage signifies wisdom, and eating sage provides immortality in wisdom.
Rosemary is a universal symbol of remembrance.
Thyme represents chivalry and courage.
parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme are common herbs used to bless the deceased. have been for a long time.
lol, if you're gonna argue anything- it's probably for the 17th century aspect. Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel is literally an anti-war song:
(War bellows, blazing in scarlet battalions)
Parsely, sage, rosemary & thyme
(Generals order their soldiers to kill)
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather
(And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten)
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
it is about unrequited love but in the same vein- speaks of the atrocities of war in this incarnation. perhaps a soldier who fell in love with a woman who did not return it as he went off to war... and fell in battle as she did not fall for him.
please do remember that people have their own iterations as well. not saying that my iteration is right or yours is wrong but people interpret things differently because all people view the world differently.
i'd rather see a person get more compassionate about the things their country is doing to limit people's freedom of simply being human and to keep the dying machine called war going than what a deeply touching song represents.
have a God blessed day, matt.
@dadanzachirawanda6287
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@danielblackwell3318
parsley for comfort or to remove bitterness, sage for strength, thyme for courage, rosemary for love
@wrencormier513
Actually?
@curtchildress7160
How grand. Makes sense. I just never applied the nature of the herbs and spices to the deep meaning of the song's lyrics. Thanks for adding your comment.
@FlickanIDetKroktaRummet
flat leaf parsley and thyme are the most blessed herbs in the universe. God himself said it to me when I was cooking dinner once. believe it or not. but in the 1600's, herbs still wasn't used just to spice up food - but to kill the horrible taste of rotting vegetables and meat. hard to imagine but that was the main purpose of herbs.
@curtchildress7160
@@FlickanIDetKroktaRummet Very true as to how herbs and spices were once used to change the tastes of rotting and spoiled foods, usually meat...and that's also how the traditional stuffing we use for turkey's got created. ...I also believe God allowed you to have some insight and understanding about the parsley and thyme...the choloraphyl aspect of these are the base ingredients for survival when nothing else is available and can be digested and consumed. I know of a group of nomads who traveled far and when arriving at their new destination they literally lived off of green plants and also the charcoal after these plants were burnt. ...Very interesting comment you make.
@roothogordie1451
Rosemary is for Remembrance.
@larry2388
Scarborough is a small town on the coast of England. The "Scarborough Fair" was a popular gathering in Medieval times, attracting traders and entertainers from all over the country. The fair lasted 45 days and started every August 15th. In the 1600s, mineral waters were found in Scarborough and it became a resort town. Today, Scarborough is a quiet town with a rich history. (thanks, Sheryl - Seal Rock, OR)
In Medieval England, this became a popular folk song as Bards would sing it when they traveled from town to town. The author of the song is unknown, and many different versions exist. The traditional version has many more lyrics.
Paul Simon learned about this song when he was on tour in England, where he heard a version by a popular folk singer named Martin Carthy. When Carthy heard Simon & Garfunkel's rendition, he accused Simon of stealing his arrangement. Carthy and Simon did not speak until 2000, when Simon asked Carthy to perform this with him at a show in London. Carthy put his differences aside and did the show.
Martin Carthy learned the song from a Ewan MacColl songbook, and had recorded it on his first album, according to BBC's Patrick Hamphries.
Paul Simon admitted to the July 2011 edition of Mojo magazine: "The version I was playing was definitely what I could remember of Martin's version, but he didn't teach it to me. Really, it was just naivety on my part that we didn't credit it as his arrangement of a traditional tune. I didn't know you had to do that. Then later on, Martin's publisher contacted me and we made a pretty substantial monetary settlement that he was supposed to split with Martin, But unbeknown to me, Martin got nothing."
The lyrics are about a man trying to attain his true love. In Medieval times, the herbs mentioned in the song represented virtues that were important to the lyrics. Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.
This was not released as a single until 1968, when it was used in the Dustin Hoffman movie The Graduate. It is on the soundtrack.
Before Simon & Garfunkel got to it, Bob Dylan used the lines, "Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine" in his 1963 song "Girl From The North Country."
"Scarborough Fair" and "Canticle" are 2 songs that are sung simultaneously to create this piece. The first and last verses are "Scarborough Fair," but lines from "Canticle" alternate after the first line of the other verses, so "On the side of a hill in a deep forest green" and "Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground" are from "Canticle."
This song is often listed as "Scarborough Fair/Canticle." On The Paul Simon Songbook, a little known 1965 UK album of Simon-solo demos, there is a song called "The Side Of a Hill." "The Side Of a Hill" was reworked into the Canticle part of "Scarborough Fair." (thanks, Jesse - Roanoke, VA)
With its implicit anti-Vietnam War message, this was used in The Wonder Years TV series in a scene where Kevin Arnold embraces Winnie Cooper while the song was played at the end of the episode. In the show, Winnie's brother had been killed in Vietnam. (thanks, Marciliano - Fortaleza, Brazil)
@corneliaeleanore3215
Thank you for this wonderful explanation! <3 I finally understand the lyrics <3
@leemh3838
thanks a lot for many information
@baradortheadoor8521
my birthday is in 15th august (O.O) ..im so proud to be born in 15th august now