Who is scarborough fair by

Audio help. Carthy himself learned the song from a Ewan MacColl songbook, and had recorded it on his first album. But the ballad is believed to have been written more than two centuries before that, to commemorate a fair that had first been held in the 13th Century.

In those days, the herbs mentioned - parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme - were familiar charms, used to ward off the evil eye. Listen to Paul Simon. Can a scented breeze be captured in music? Try singing the mysterious melody of line 2, where the four herbs are incanted.

Dominic King. Moreover, they incorporated not only melodic but poetic counterpoint. Precisely, these poly harmonies are very intricate harpsichord, that is, many delicate harmonies harmonizing at the same time. The harpsichord and the bells, furthermore, add to the ancient feel of Scarborough fair. A momentous amount of information about the song lingers on the web, most of which aims to reinforce romanticized tales about its origin.

In medieval times, each spice represented ethics that contributed to the song. Parsley is comfort, sage is strength, rosemary is love and thyme is courage.

The lyrics of the song are about a man trying to obtain his true love. The yearning for the same is felt throughout the 7-minute song. Interestingly so, the man is telling his true love after separation that she will be his true love again if she does a variety of impossible tasks.

The tasks include making a seamless shirt or buying an acre of land between the beach and the sea. Some also interpreted it as a song of sorrow from the devastation of wars in general. For 4 weeks receive unlimited Premium digital access to the FT's trusted, award-winning business news. Digital Be informed with the essential news and opinion. Delivery to your home or office Monday to Saturday FT Weekend paper — a stimulating blend of news and lifestyle features ePaper access — the digital replica of the printed newspaper.

Team or Enterprise Premium FT. Pay based on use. Does my organisation subscribe? Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Kim Ruehl. She is also the Community Manager for the folk music magazine NoDepression. Updated April 09, Featured Video.

The Best Songs of the s Folk Revival.