Scarborough Fair
Sarah Brightman [莎拉布莱曼] Lyrics
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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
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
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional ballad that finds its origin in Medieval England. Sarah Brightman's version of the song carries the essence of the original version but introduces a more modern interpretation to the melody.
The opening lines of the song, "Are you going to Scarborough Fair?" refers to a well-known fair in Yorkshire, England, that lasted for 45 days during the middle ages, allowing people from all around the country to come together and trade goods. As the song continues, the lyrics mention four herbs: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. These herbs have been interpreted to have specific meanings; parsley signifies comfort, sage represents strength, rosemary symbolizes love, and thyme signifies courage.
The song goes on to tell the story of a woman who asks her lover to perform a series of impossible tasks in order to prove their love for her. She requests that he makes her a cambric shirt without any seams or needlework. A cambric shirt was a highly expensive and intricate garment in medieval England, indicating that the woman was testing the love of her partner by asking for such a rare item. The woman then asks her lover to find an acre of land between the sea and saltwater and to reap the land with a sickle of leather and gather the harvest in a bunch of heather. The song ends with the woman's request to the messenger, to remember her to the man she once loved.
Overall, the lyrics of the song carry the essence of medieval poetry, with its use of imagery and symbolism to express complex emotions. The song is a reflection of the social norms and traditions of the period it was written in, where courtship often depended on the ability to perform difficult and symbolic tasks to demonstrate love and devotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Are you heading towards Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Mentioning common herbs used in cooking
Remember me to one who lives there
Send my regards to the person living there
He once was a true love of mine
I used to love him dearly
Tell him to make me a cambric shirt
Ask him to sew me a fine piece of clothing
Without no seams nor needle work
To be sewed without any visible seams or stitches
Then he'll be a true love of mine
If he fulfills this request, he will earn my love again
Tell him to find me an acre of land
Request him to search for a plot of land
Between salt water and the sea strands
A location near the coast
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
Harvest it and tie it with a bundle of heather
Tell him to reap it with a sickle of leather
Harvest it using a sickle with a leather handle
Then he'll be a true love of mine
If he completes this task, he will regain my affection
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Are you still heading towards Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Mentioning the herbs again
Remember me to one who lives there
Remind the recipient to pass on her regards to the person living in Scarborough
He once was a true love of mine
Reiterating the previous statement of past love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KAY ARLING, ARNO FLOR, LEO LEANDROS, VICKY LEANDROS, . TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@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