About the song
Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” isn’t quite their own song. It’s a traditional English ballad with roots dating back to at least the 17th century [Wikipedia: Scarborough Fair (ballad)]. The lyrics tell a story of unrequited love through a series of impossible tasks.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Origins: The melody they used comes from a retired miner named Mark Anderson in the mid-20th century. The lyrics themselves are part of a larger ballad tradition, with similar themes found in collections like the Child Ballads [LiveAbout: History of the Folk Song ‘Scarborough Fair’].
- Simon & Garfunkel’s Take: Paul Simon learned the song from British folk singer Martin Carthy and reworked it, combining it with another song fragment called “Canticle” [LiveAbout: History of the Folk Song ‘Scarborough Fair’]. This blend created the unique sound we know today.
Themes of Lost Love and Longing
The core theme of Simon & Garfunekel’s “Scarborough Fair” is unrequited love. The lyrics depict a young man pleading with his former lover to return. He sets her impossible tasks, like sewing a shirt without thread or seeds growing on barren ground. These tasks mirror the hopelessness he feels about their relationship.
- The Repetition of “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme” adds to the melancholic feel. The meaning of this refrain is debated, but it reinforces the sense of longing and lost love.
Video
Lyrics
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thymeRemember me to one who lives thereShe 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 thymeRemember me to one who lives thereShe once was a true love of mine