Scarborough Fair/Canticle
Simon & Garfunkel Lyrics


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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

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
(On the side of a hill, in the deep forest green)
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground)
Without no seams nor needle work
(Blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call)

Tell her to find me an acre of land
(On the side of a hill, a sprinkling of leaves)
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
(Washes the grave with silvery tears)
Between the salt water and the sea strands
(A soldier cleans and polishes a gun)
Then she'll be a true love of mine

Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
(War bellows blazing in scarlet battalions)
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Generals order their soldiers to kill)
And 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

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

Overall Meaning

"Scarborough Fair/Canticle" is a song from the 1960s that combines elements of an old English folk song, "Scarborough Fair," with anti-war lyrics that connect to a contemporary American folk song, "The Side of a Hill." The lyrics are sung as a conversation between a man and a woman. The man asks the woman if she is going to Scarborough Fair and requests her to pass on a message to his former lover who lives there. He then lists several tasks that he wants her to complete such as making him a shirt without any seams, finding him an acre of land, and gathering it all in a bunch of heather. The woman responds by telling him that the tasks are impossible, and it’s clear that he is asking too much from her. The song concludes with a repeat of the chorus.


The song's lyrics have been interpreted in numerous ways. The most common interpretation suggests that the song is about lost love and impossible demands, but there is also a prevalent anti-war message. The call to make a shirt without seams can be seen as symbolic of the fight for peace without any division, and the reference to gathering bunches of heather can be seen as a reference to the fallen soldiers during the war. Moreover, this interpretation is strengthened by the combination with "The Side of a Hill," the lyrics of which talk about the sadness and futility of war.


Line by Line Meaning

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Are you going to the place where all herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme grow and memories of love still flourish?


Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
These herbs symbolize love, virtue, purification, and strength to endure that the lover requires to win his lady's heart.


Remember me to one who lives there
Kindly request the lady to remember me, the lover, who once loved her dearly and passionately.


She once was a true love of mine
Remind the lady of her past love and how he always favored her as his one and only true love.


Tell her to make me a cambric shirt (in the deep forest green)
Ask the lady to sew a cambric shirt, dyed in a deep forest green, without any seams or needlework, and it will bond them as lovers.


Without no seams nor needle work
The shirt should be made without sewing it since needlework or seams will break the bond between the lovers.


Then she'll be a true love of mine
The lady would prove as a true love of the man if she agrees to his request of sewing the perfect shirt for him.


(Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground)
The mention of a sparrow hints of a fleeting love that got lost in the winter season of despair and hopelessness, waiting to be found.


(Bedclothes the child of the mountain)
The child referred here is either an actual child or an innocent person who finds solace amongst the mountains and sleeps wrapped up in its embrace.


(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call)
The person sleeps deep without any worry or concern of the world around them, even when the world beckons with a trumpet blast.


Tell her to find me an acre of land
The man requests for an acre of land, which the lady must find and hand over to him for the sake of their love.


(A sprinkling of leaves)
The reference to leaves could symbolize death, nature, or the fleeting nature of love that fades away just like the leaves with every passing season.


(Washes the grave with silvery tears)
The use of tears to wash away the grave is a metaphorical representation of the deep love that once shared between the two.


(And polishes a gun)
The polishing of a gun, symbolic of violence and war, can be interpreted in several ways to convey that the world shapes the way we lead our lives


Between the salt water and the sea strands
The request by the man to find him an acre of land between the sea and salty waters could mean he wishes for a peaceful, secluded place to call home with his love.


Then she'll be a true love of mine
The man believes that if his lady love can commit to and fulfill his wishes, she will always be faithful and true to him.


Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
The man wants his lover to harvest the land using a sickle of leather, signifying that he expects her to work for their love and claim what is rightfully theirs.


(Blazing in scarlet battalions)
Scarlet battalions could be a reference to an army's bravado, or a prevalent idea, surrounding the world's conflict and how it bleeds into every aspect of life.


(Generals order their soldiers to kill)
The line 'generals order their soldiers to kill' could be interpreted as an act of selfishness from those in power and a commentary on how love gets caught between the world's conflicts.


(A cause they've long ago forgotten)
The line 'a cause they've long ago forgotten' suggests that soldiers blindly follow their superiors without understanding the actual reason behind the fight or where their loyalty lies.


And gather it all in a bunch of heather
The reference to heather represents passion and adventure and could be the man's way of seeking adventure and discovering what life has to offer.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Arthur Garfunkel, Paul Simon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@bernardputersznit64

Lyrics
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
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt (in the deep forest green)
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground)
Without no seams nor needle work
(Bedclothes the child of the mountain)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call)
Tell her to find me an acre of land
(A sprinkling of leaves)
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
(Washes the grave with silvery tears)
Between the salt water and the sea strands
(And polishes a gun)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
(Blazing in scarlet battalions)
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Generals order their soldiers to kill)
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
(A cause they've long ago forgotten)
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



@hopper__

[Verse 1]
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

[Verse 2]
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
On the side of a hill, in the deep forest green
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground
Without no seams nor needle work
Blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Sleeps unaware of the clarion call

[Verse 3]
Tell her to find me an acre of land
On the side of a hill, a sprinkling of leaves
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Washes the grave with silvery tears
Between the salt water and the sea strands
A soldier cleans and polishes a gun
Then she'll be a true love of mine

[Verse 4]
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
War bellows blazing in scarlet battalions
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Generals order their soldiers to kill
And 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

[Verse 5]
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



All comments from YouTube:

@jimmykjazz

When I was in Vietnam, this music helped me survive.

@jennymulhall816

I can’t imagine how surreal it must have been to listen to such beautiful music in the midst of what you lived through.

My own nation was not involved, so I don’t know anyone who was there, but what I have seen on the television leads me to be glad that you are still here, and enjoying good music.

I wish you well, Sir. ❤

@marcospadilla1793

🙏🏾💪🏽

@victorrock1997

Still listening to this very beautiful bittersweet classic as of early 2024. And will certainly continue listening to it well beyond! All the best to anyone reading this!

@GildaTabarez

The tune and lyrics date back to the Middle Ages.  The herbs were mentioned for their spiritual meaning in medieval lore.  Parsley was thought to remove bitter emotions.  Sage was a symbol of wisdom and healing.  Rosemary evoked remembrance, and was used to bless weddings with love and fidelity.  Thyme was a symbol of courage and chivalry.

@afterlate8866

Thank you; very interesting. I always thought this sounded Medieval. It is so nostalgic.

@RivetHead999

The song is from the perspective of a man who has died (or is dying) knowing he’ll never return home, he says to tell his love to complete impossible tasks for him to return, and in the end mentions Heather (a flower where none bloom white near corpses nor graves) parsley sage rosemary and thyme are herbs all associated with the deceased and sometimes burned for blessings. More so in old traditions burned for passing from life into death, and we’re also used during the plague to protect from the disease.

The song is quite dark and sad when you understand the context.

@seeadler3233

If you believe that --- then you`re smoking too many herbs .

@BangkokVoiceCoach

lovely

@KM-yn9fk

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