Scarborough fair
Wood Wilson Carthy Lyrics
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Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
For once she was a true love of mine
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without no seam nor needlework
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Between the salt water and the sea strand
And then she'll be a true love of mine
Tell her to plough it with a lamb's horn
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And to sow it all o'er with one peppercorn
And then she'll be a true love of mine
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And to thrash it all out with a bunch of heather
And 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
For once she was a true love of mine
The lyrics of Wood Wilson Carthy’s song Scarborough Fair are a beautiful and mysterious set of verses. The song addresses a person who is on their way to Scarborough Fair and asks them to remember the singer to an old flame who lives there. The verses that follow are a set of peculiar requests that the old flame should fulfill to show that she is still in love with the singer. These requests are all related to the elements of nature and include specific sets of instructions that need to be carried out. The request for a cambric shirt without no seam nor needlework and the instruction to “plough it with a lamb's horn, and to sow it all o'er with one peppercorn” are especially unusual and add to the overall mysterious quality of the song.
The lyrics seem to be a set of metaphors for lost love and failed relationships. The instructions given to the old flame seem impossible to fulfill, and the singer’s true intentions are not explicitly stated. The song leaves the listener to interpret its meaning, and it can be read both as a romantic ballad and as a critique of society and class structures that stand in the way of true connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Will you be going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
These herbs, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, are important and recur throughout the song
Remember me to one who lives there
When you see someone who lives there, please give them my regards
For once she was a true love of mine
I used to love her deeply at one point
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Please tell her to sew me a shirt made of cambric fabric
Without no seam nor needlework
This shirt should not have any seams or be sewn with a needle
And then she'll be a true love of mine
If she makes this shirt for me, I will consider her my true love
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Ask her to locate a plot of land for me
Between the salt water and the sea strand
This plot of land should be located between the salty sea water and the shore
And then she'll be a true love of mine
If she finds this plot of land for me, I will regard her as my true love
Tell her to plough it with a lamb's horn
In order to prepare the land for planting, she should plough it using a horn from a lamb
And to sow it all o'er with one peppercorn
She should sow the entire plot with just one peppercorn
And then she'll be a true love of mine
If she does all of this, I will love her again
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
When the time comes to harvest the crop, she should use a sickle made of leather
And to thrash it all out with a bunch of heather
The harvested crop should be threshed using a bunch of heather
And then she'll be a true love of mine
If she does all of this, I will love her again
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Will you be going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
These herbs, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, are important and recur throughout the song
Remember me to one who lives there
When you see someone who lives there, please give them my regards
For once she was a true love of mine
I used to love her deeply at one point
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Songtrust Ave
Written by: J.F. BACARDI, DP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind