Views : 29,918,088
Genre: Music
Date of upload: May 17, 2011 ^^
Rating : 4.87 (6,189/184,841 LTDR)
RYD date created : 2022-04-09T20:01:24.759997Z
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Scarborough is a small town on the coast of England. The "Scarborough Fair" was a popular gathering in Medieval times, attracting traders and entertainers from all over the country. The fair lasted 45 days and started every August 15th. In the 1600s, mineral waters were found in Scarborough and it became a resort town. Today, Scarborough is a quiet town with a rich history. (thanks, Sheryl - Seal Rock, OR)
In Medieval England, this became a popular folk song as Bards would sing it when they traveled from town to town. The author of the song is unknown, and many different versions exist. The traditional version has many more lyrics.
Paul Simon learned about this song when he was on tour in England, where he heard a version by a popular folk singer named Martin Carthy. When Carthy heard Simon & Garfunkel's rendition, he accused Simon of stealing his arrangement. Carthy and Simon did not speak until 2000, when Simon asked Carthy to perform this with him at a show in London. Carthy put his differences aside and did the show.
Martin Carthy learned the song from a Ewan MacColl songbook, and had recorded it on his first album, according to BBC's Patrick Hamphries.
Paul Simon admitted to the July 2011 edition of Mojo magazine: "The version I was playing was definitely what I could remember of Martin's version, but he didn't teach it to me. Really, it was just naivety on my part that we didn't credit it as his arrangement of a traditional tune. I didn't know you had to do that. Then later on, Martin's publisher contacted me and we made a pretty substantial monetary settlement that he was supposed to split with Martin, But unbeknown to me, Martin got nothing."
The lyrics are about a man trying to attain his true love. In Medieval times, the herbs mentioned in the song represented virtues that were important to the lyrics. Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.
This was not released as a single until 1968, when it was used in the Dustin Hoffman movie The Graduate. It is on the soundtrack.
Before Simon & Garfunkel got to it, Bob Dylan used the lines, "Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine" in his 1963 song "Girl From The North Country."
"Scarborough Fair" and "Canticle" are 2 songs that are sung simultaneously to create this piece. The first and last verses are "Scarborough Fair," but lines from "Canticle" alternate after the first line of the other verses, so "On the side of a hill in a deep forest green" and "Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground" are from "Canticle."
This song is often listed as "Scarborough Fair/Canticle." On The Paul Simon Songbook, a little known 1965 UK album of Simon-solo demos, there is a song called "The Side Of a Hill." "The Side Of a Hill" was reworked into the Canticle part of "Scarborough Fair." (thanks, Jesse - Roanoke, VA)
With its implicit anti-Vietnam War message, this was used in The Wonder Years TV series in a scene where Kevin Arnold embraces Winnie Cooper while the song was played at the end of the episode. In the show, Winnie's brother had been killed in Vietnam. (thanks, Marciliano - Fortaleza, Brazil)
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I heard a Music Teacher once state that Paul Simon is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the 20th Century. This was in the early 70s. And as time ticked by, the more I listened to Simon and Garfunkel sing their songs, I have to say that I agree. Their songs never get old, even though I have.
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At almost 70, this song takes me back to my youth. My siblings and I, like so many loved this song. I wanted the shirt they sang about, and my grandmother taught me to embroider. At the time I wore light blue, long-sleeved work shirts to do construction work with my twin brother and father for dad's construction company. But, unlike the song, I wanted needle work on my shirts, so I embroidered brightly colored flowers, twisting green vines, dark leaves around my cuffs, up my sleeves, along the collar, and down the front pleat around the button holes. Colorful shirts in deep reds, golds, greens. It made my uncle smile at me on the job for his work shirts were all grey. How I wish now that I'd have offered to embroider his shirts. I wonder if he'd have taken me up on it. The girl I once loved, I still love. Married 50 years to her now. Praise God for such a blessing.
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This song is so astoundingly gorgeous that I heard a snippet of it and immediately went to search for the full version. The way the voices harmonize, even as they're singing two completely different lines is incredible. This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever had the pleasure to grace my ears with.
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@hint_of_blue
2 months ago
If youโre watching in 2024 youโre a legend
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