For this week’s #SongLyricsSunday, it is all about herbs: Cinnamon/Mint/Parsley/Pepper/Rosemary/Sage/Salt/Thyme. The perfect song for this prompt is Simon & Garfunkel‘s rendition of the traditional ballad “Scarborough Fair”. Beside a fitting song for the prompt, I think a lot of people need the Simon & Garfunkel’s soothing, calming, and melodic songs in their lives right now.
(This is part of a #SongLyricsSunday challenge, which is hosted by Jim at An Unique Title For Me. Anyone can join! Details on how to participate are found at the end of this post!)
Remember Me to One Who Lives There
“Scarborough Fair” is a traditional English ballad that lists impossible tasks to the narrator’s former lover. According to Wikipedia. “the refrain “parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme” date to 19th-century versions and the refrain may have been borrowed from the ballad Riddles Wisely Expounded, (Child Ballad #1), which has a similar plot.”[1]
Paul Simon learned about the English ballad from Martin Cathy, who featured the song on his self-titled debut album, while in London. Simon set the tune to counterpoint with “Canticle”, which was a rework of the anti-war song “The Side of a Hill”. “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” was released on the 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme as well as a single. It was also featured on the soundtrack for the movie The Graduate.
For a while, there was a rift between Simon & Garfunkel and Martin Cathy over the song. Cathy believed that the duo should credit the original source. This was after he learned that Simon & Garfunkel were solely credited for “Scarborough Fair/Canticle”. This rift lasted for over 30 years until Cathy was invited by Simon to play the song together at Simon’s 2000 concert.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel’s rendition of the traditional ballad has been my favorite for a long time. It is such a beautiful song. I remember singing it a lot when I was a little kid because I found it so beautiful!
