Listen to the background lyrics. "A soldier cleans and polishes a gun" and "fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten". The meaning of the song is that while the population is going to fairs and dancing they are ignoring the killing going on in Vietnam.
You nailed it. "Scarborough Fair" is a medieval English folk song. The counter-melody, "Canticle" is a reworking of lyrics Simon wrote for a 1963 anti-war protest song. Believe it or not, there are only 3 instruments on this recording - acoustic guitar, bass, and harpsichord, which is a keyboard instrument that was popular in the 18th century.
There was definitely a bell like sounding instrument, whether a xylophone or a celeste or chimes also, it can be heard playing the same four note figure again and again. In the middle before the whole thing repeated itself there was either a flute or recorder.
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but the words "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" refer to four herbs that - to the medieval mind had deeper meanings, and lovers, etc would often leave various herbs out to leave messages. These four meant the following: Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage. This is such a beautiful song, performed flawlessly.
Good, I was looking for someone to comment on herbs and their symbolism. I do keep seeing them as representing slightly different things over time and to different peoples, but glad you said it.
I was thinking it was more that these were often the herbs used for embalming the dead in medieval times. So, juxtaposed with the war lyrics, it's more of a "I have to go to this pointless war. If I die, please take care of me".
This is a medieval song. 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.
One of my favorite verses from the old song is: Love imposes impossible tasks, Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. But none more so than any would ask. She once was a true love of mine. Kinda wraps up the whole song.
As unusual as this sounded to y'all, this 1966 cover of a centuries-old traditional English tune, combined with their own "Canticle," was one of their signature songs, maybe their best known one after "Bridge Over Troubled Water." It was very popular even into the seventies and everyone seemed to love it. It still gives me chills and sometimes brings a tear to my eye even today. It was cool to see Amber responding to the harpsichord and recorder.
From wikiepdia "Scarborough Fair" (Child 2, Roud 12) is a traditional English ballad.[1] The song lists a number of impossible tasks given to a former lover who lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The "Scarborough/Whittingham Fair" variant was most common in Yorkshire and Northumbria, where it was sung to various melodies, often using Dorian mode, with refrains resembling "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" and "Then she'll be a true love of mine."[2] It appears in Traditional Tunes by Frank Kidson published in 1891, who claims to have collected it from Whitby.
Another song in this vein is by Crosby, Stills and Nash in 1969, called Guinevere. It's one of those magical musical moments for me, when I would head to the basement to sneak a listen to the albums my brother bought that I wasn't old enough to acquire! I was completely entranced by that medieval sounding ballad as well this one by Simon and Garfunkel.
Folk music was still really influential in popular music in the mid to late 1960s, and S & G embodied the best of it with this song. I always heard a basic Irish folk ballad in this and the obvious medieval influences.
After watching you guys for the past six months, and not knowing your precise ages, I am convinced nonetheless that Amber may have been born 35 to 40 years too late. She definitely has that hippie chick vibe and I can easily picture her back in “our day” with her sun dress and sandals, flowers in her hair and love beads around her neck running through fields of daisies and swaying gently to the music of our lives being played. Sorry you weren’t there to live it but it’s fun watching you live it vicariously now.
This song was released at a time when the news every night listed the number of casualties in the Vietnam War for the day, usually accompanied by footage of the latest offensive taking place there. It truly was a time of contrasts, where men and women half a world away fought for something “they’d long ago forgotten.” This made this song such a deeply moving song for our times.
This song is of a girl in Scarborough who broke his heart, and the only way he’ll accept her back is if she completes these impossible tasks. And this actual song was written in like the 12th century “medieval times” and had like 13 verses.
Yes and if I'm not mistaken, the "Fair" is not like most people today would think. It was more of a day of trade where ships would come in from many different places with a lot of buying and selling, trading etc.
The full name of the song is Scarborough Fair / Canticle. As others have mentioned, the song originated as an old English ballad and that is covered by the lyrics that mentioned Scarborough Fair, the list of spices, and the various tasks the singer is asking his love to do. The Canticle parts are the other lyrics, which are actually from a completely different Paul Simon song called "The Side of the Hill" and are sung in what's called counterpoint to the 1st set of lyrics. I'm no musician so my understanding of these terms is vague. But I do know I love the way it sounds. Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on the song. "In London in 1965, Paul Simon learned the song from Martin Carthy,[28][29] who had picked up the song from the songbook by MacColl and Seeger[30] and included it on his eponymous 1965 album. Simon & Garfunkel set it in counterpoint with "Canticle", a reworking of the lyrics from Simon's 1963 anti-war song "The Side of a Hill",[31] set to a new melody composed mainly by Art Garfunkel.[30][32] "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" appeared as the lead track on the 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, and was released as a single after it had been featured on the soundtrack to The Graduate in 1968.[30] The copyright credited only Simon and Garfunkel as the authors, which upset Carthy, who felt that the "traditional" source should have been credited.[30] The rift persisted until Simon invited Carthy to perform the song with him as a duet at a London concert in 2000.[30] Simon performed the song with the Muppets when he guest-starred on The Muppet Show. Before Simon learned the song, Bob Dylan had borrowed the melody and several lines from Carthy's arrangement to create his song "Girl from the North Country",[33] which is featured on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963), Nashville Skyline (1969) (with Johnny Cash), Real Live (1984) and The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1993)."
Dunno how I've never heard of it before(maybe I've just not dived deep enough into the Repertoire), but Looked up & listened to "The Side of a Hill" just now Thanks:}
This is actually two songs melded together in a perfect harmony. The title is actually Scarborough Fair / Canticle, the first being based on medieval hit from the Middle Ages and the second and original Paul Simon piece about world peace. ✌️
This is not from the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages were from late 5th to the late 15th centuries. Many of the lyrics in this song can be traced back to the Scottish Ballad "The Elfin Knight" from 1670. That's "Clearly" After the Middle Ages. Know the topic before you comment on it, Dummy.
This is my absolute favorite Simon & Garfunkel song - I'm so glad you chose it. Their voices blend so beautifully in it. You identified it correctly - it is an Old English folk ballad from the Middle Ages. There are 2 theories about its subject. Some believe the singer is giving a former lover a list of tasks to perform in order to "be a true love of mine". The herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme - were ingredients associated with love potions & love charms during the Medieval period. Others feel the singer is dying and the requests he is making are instructions for his embalming & funeral - as the deceased's loved ones would be the ones preparing the body for burial. In this case, the herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme- were used in embalming at the time. Simon & Garfunkel were introduced to the song by English folk singer, Marty Cathy. They overlaid the traditional lyrics with the lyrics of another song they had written, "Canticle" - about the destructiveness of war. Both theories fit with S & G's version as several young men of their generation were going to war, leaving behind sweethearts, with too many of these young soldiers only returning home in flag-draped caskets. The addition of these lyrics made it a popular anti-war anthem in the early days of the Vietnam War. It is truly a haunting and ethereal song.
Those herbs were also used in embalming!? 😲 I looked it up years ago and, the spices were said to have other 'mystical' effects upon people, as I read. --I cannot recall what those properties were said to be at this time though.. 😞 You say "love charms and love potions"? --Sounds good to me! 🙂
This is a huge hit for them and it was played constantly on the radio I still know all the words! Beautiful lyrics very mellow big hit for Simon and Garfunkel❤
If you get a chance, listen to Dangling Conversation. Same lp as this beautiful song but the lyrics are perfect. Commentary on couples who are not in love
This song, along with Mrs. Robinson, were used in the nineteen sixty eight movie The Graduate, one of the most memorable and iconic movies of the sixties. You will see a very young Dustin Hoffman in what I think was his first movie role. For those of us of a certain age, it is unforgettable.
Jay & Amber, you'll love their "Sounds Of Silence", "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" and "I Am A Rock" !!! Also Paul Simon solo- "Loves Me Like A Rock", "Kodachrome" and "Late In The Evening" and many more!!!
The beauty of coming of age in the sixties and early seventies was the wde array of music we were exposed to. We didn't have play lists and we couldn't carry our records and record player around. What we did have was AM radio, and the DJs were our friends. We listened to (and danced to) all kinds of music...country, rock, instrumental...something for everyone.
This is the best way to explain our time as any. A couple of days ago I heard a younger (even younger than Jay & Amber, BTW ♥) reactor ask -- if there was no internet, how did new artists get heard. It was the DJ's. They would have been their best friends. "Word of mouth" was also used, I guess, but probably not as effective, though. I'd never heard of something called "playlists" but we all had our own favorites, of course. We all had some singles (45's) and 33 lp albums to create our Playlist of music to listen to at home or at a friend's place. And we did -- I remember taking some 45's or an album or two to a friend's place for a party or two or the years when I was a teenager in the 60's. And they would return the favor. Of course, I only had a little turntable to play my stuff on. It was my parents who had a "stereo" so if I wanted to play my music, it had to be when my parents weren't using theirs. And they played very different music than I did. Naturally. Anyway, if we wanted to listen to music much, there was the radio and there was only AM, FM was not a thing (as we say nowadays)! 😂
Scarborough Fair," popularized in the United States by the 1960s singer-songwriting duo Simon & Garfunkel, is an English folk song about a market fair that took place in the town of Scarborough in Yorkshire during medieval times.
I'm so darned proud of you two! The growth of this channel is incredible and it's because you give the people what they want! Here since the early days!
I am shocked that Amber didn't pick up on the second set of lyrics even after two listens. But it's so easy to be entranced by Art's angelic vocals and the gentle folk lyrics that you miss Paul's darker lyrics about impending war that will shatter the peace and beauty of the main part. Such a brilliant composition made even better by the almost subliminal echoes of war. Great song, great artists, great composition, great reactors, what more do want?
Honestly? I'm 42, and I've heard this song hundreds of times. But, I didn't catch the darkness of the second set of lyrics until last year when I really read the lyrics in full.
@@goldilox369 I’m 61 and I’ve just recently learned about them with some other reaction videos. We didn’t have the album, which I assume had the lyrics. We just listened when it came on the radio and did our best to follow along. No pause, no rewind. It was pretty common to not really understand the lyrics, because of my limited vocabulary or limited understanding of life and the world at large. I’m learning the real lyrics to a number of songs I grew up with. In some cases I like my inaccurate version better - but not this time. Sad but hauntingly beautiful song.
I grew up with the dual but did not have the album. I had NO IDEA until you pointed it out that there were anti-war lines in the background. I wonder how many of my peers knew.
Now that you mention it, it makes me think a bit of Rimbaud's poem "Le dormeur du val" (The Sleeper in the Valley). It describes a beautiful, sunny valley wit a river and flowers, and there's a soldier sleeping there but something progressively starts sounding a bit wrong. The last sentence is "He has two red holes in his right side" (something like that, I'm a native French speaker and don't know the literary English translation). It goes from very contemplative to shocking when you read that last sentence, and the feeling I get from this song is a bit similar.
I hate to say but I hope they don't reunite. Their voices at plus 80 years old will not be the same as in their prime. I look at Paul McCartney singing Yesterday recently and, even though hard to say, it was hard to listen to. I've seen The Moody Blues several times from the early 70's to the late 90's, Justin Hayward and John Lodge have always had very powerful voices but had to bring them some female vocalists to deal with the highs they used to be able to handle. The worst I heard was Crosby, Stills and Nash performing 'Silent Night' in I believe Washington I few years back. I honestly don't think that the musical talent that came out between the early 60's to the mid 70's will ever be duplicated. Just my opinion!
@@tomhayston9888 you may be right. The one exception to this that I have heard in a recent live appearance was the Tokens singing The Lion Sleeps tonight. The lead singer Jay Seigal I believe, his voice has not changed!! Amazing. But my thoughts here were about an emotional healing between Paul and Art. So much bitterness. Regrettable, so I still hope. 😌💜
@@BarbaraPryor-Smith They need to do that "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". I git a kick out of watching their earliest black & white video of it. Happened across. The Bird. ....is a word. lol
@@user-ii4zf5iq3t the Tokens HAVE done it recently, and they sound the same!!! Seriously! And numerous people have reacted to it. Robb Squad did too I think, but not sure if it was the older version or the more recent one. So fun!! 😊
Just one of many beautiful songs that Simon and Garfunkel recorded.They were wonderful in every respect, fantastic melodies, clever lyrics and beautiful harmonies.Their albums were phenomenal and contributed so much to the wonderful era of the 60's and 70's.
*_Ancient_* England was still in the Iron Age during the Roman Conquest, and this song certainly didn't come from back then. There wasn't even an _England,_ much less an English language back then. People spoke various forms of Gaelic and Germanic languages. The lyrics for this song were first collected in the 18th century, the references to _Scarborough Fair_ and the herbs in the 19th century, and the melody you hear on that part of it was first recorded in 1947 by Mark Anderson.
What a classic. My parents owned this album. I grew up listening to it. This is actually the first S&F song you've reacted to from that album. I recommend "Homeward Bound", "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", and "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her".
Simon and Garfunkel was my absolute favorite concert of all time. A few favorites are America, The Boxer, He Was My Brother, Hazy Shade of Winter... So many!
One of Simon and Garfunkel's most beautiful songs. It puts forth the concept of unrequited love, where the woman must perform impossible tasks to prove her love. It was featured in the movie "The Graduate" and gained popularity quickly after that. It has a medieval feel to the melody and their blended harmonies are so rich with a unequivocally masterful blend, you feel yourself being taken away. Great reaction. Buckets of Maple Syrup love from Canada ❤️
It sounds medieval because that's when it was written, using a scale called the Dorian mode, also a common musical convention. The artistry of this song is magnificent. A little disappointed in the young man's lack of appreciation.
This was an English traditional ballad, written about a fair that used to take place in the seaside town of Scarborough in Yorkshire, near where I lived as a child in the UK. We used to go on day trips to Scarborough and the nearby Whitby.
The interesting thing about this song is the point/counterpoint of the first voice (the top lyric) with its story of unrequited love and the 2nd voice (bottom lyric) which is telling the story of a soldier who was killed and is now buried on the hill. Now recall that this was released in 1964 - the height of the Vietnam war, and put the two things together. It's beautiful, yet sad and a little bit spooky.
Active US involvement in fighting the Vietnam War didn't begin until late 1964, and the album this was on was released in 1966. It was released as a single in 1968.
The line “she was once a true love of mine” takes on a very different meaning after the lines on war. I see them initially as wistful, but late in the song as looking back through a dark veil, of trauma, maybe death.
First US troops were sent into battle in Viet Nam on March 8, 1965, so 1964 was certainly not the height of the war. Those of us who were more than children back then remember well that the turmoil in America started on October 21, 1967 when the very first anti-war demonstration took place in Washington D.C. The Pentagon was breached in a full scale riot with about 50,000 protestors taking part.
If you have not reacted to their song called "America" you should put it in your list for sure! And Amber's inner flower child will love "The 59th Street Bridge Song"!!
This is an old English folk song - remember Simon & Garfunkel were considered a folk duo when they emerged. They used the Canticle to turn it into an anti-war song. Scarborough Fair was later used in the soundtrack for The Graduate and then released as a single. It's one of those songs you can mellow out to.
Amber slapped it immediately. Such a cool sound from the day. Simon and Had were together only a short time, their music was incredible. All man Brothers, Jessica. Thanks again.
Such a beautiful song. Amazing folk song from North Yorkshire about unrequited love. The celtic women do an amazing take of this song. Thanx so much, Be well, Blessings
I am 69, still rocking, and remember getting lost in the lyrics to this trippy masterpiece. I enjoy your channel. let's all keep open minds. great music is waiting to be discovered.
Always love Simon and Garfunkel music. This is one of at least three songs that was featured in the movie " The Graduate", along with "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson." These are all great songs, and they have many more songs that are up there. Thanks for your reaction on this.
A Lovely Song! Beautiful Harpsichord & other strings. A change of pace for Simon & Garfunkel. Folks from the '60s remember it well. :) Great Choice Guys!
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional Medieval British folk tune about forbidden love. Simon & Garfunkle layered it with the poem/song "Canticle" which was about the Vietnam War, to fit modern times.
I'm 58 and I love this song. My HS choir practiced this many times yet never performed it in concert. Loved it since then which was late 70s early 80s; graduated HS in '82.
Go back and listen to this again. You kind of need to listen to both parts separately and then listen a third time to see how they work together. We aren’t going as far back as medieval times, think maybe the time of the Seven Years War or American Revolution. This is the pre-industrial Revolution world. So in the dominant part, a guy asks his to make him a shirt or tunic. Simple woven fabric, no fancy seams, just a labor of love. And they dream about that little farm where they can live together in peace. There is only one little problem. The second voice is that of a soldier who sleeps on cold ground away from his love. We know he is British because of the red coats (scarlet battalions). He doesn’t know why he is fighting and his future will probably be a graveyard on a hillside. This song was released when the Vietnam War was raging. On one hand it is a love song but when you put the pieces together it is a powerful anti-war song.
Great take on this song and the times it was recorded in. Simon & Garfunkel represented the American English-traditional folk music revival (sometime called Scots-Irish plainsong) that shoe-horned-in between Beatlemania and John Sebastian/Buffalo Springfield folk-rock. They themselves were the younger generation of acts like Peter, Paul & Mary and Brothers Four and before them The Weavers featuring Pete Seeger
The problem is, all the things he asks his former love to do are impossible. You can't make a shirt without seams. You can't reap grain with a sickle of leather or gather it in heather. You can't find land between the sea and the shore. He's basically saying, no, I will *NEVER* get back together with you.
@@sourisvoleur4854 I had always heard the line as "sickle of lead", as in it would be too soft/poison the land... but apparently I've misheard that as the official lyrics to this version do say "sickle of leather".
I love, love your channel guys. And look forward to it daily. I’m a 58 year old Canadian guy so clearly am a huge fan of ‘60s and ‘70s tracks. I wish you could have lived through that era as I did, warts and all. Your musical tastes are very much aligned to mine as far as that time period goes. And it fills me immensely that this music seems to give you as much pleasure as it still does for me some five plus decades later. I wish I were as open minded about today’s music as you appear to be about mine, but I’m afraid it does little for me. As little as my parents’ music did for me. Thank you. And please don’t stop doing what you do. It probably means more to most like me than you realize. You seem a lovely and fun couple. Go Raptors go.
Simon & Garfunkel are my favorite artists on this planet (if they're terrestrial at all 😉). Their music is pure magic, what you can't assert from any newer music. This says not someone who is 80 years old and listened to it in his youth, this says a not even 20 year old boy who had already heard a lot of "modern" music. Refreshing reaction, if you want to have more information about the song check out the video by "Polyphonic". Greetings from tiny Switzerland😚
This (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme) was the first album I ever bought in 1967 when I was 9. The entire album was magical and I wore out the grooves playing it.
I fell in love with this entire album when it was released. I was 8 years old at the time and my Aunt had bought it. My brother, cousins (they were all younger) and I played it over and over that summer. I still love this album and this song in particular. Funny, at 8 years of age this song just spoke to me and capyured my heart and my imagination. I'm still fascinated with the English Midieval era of history.
I thought I heard the harpsichord in my ear especially at the end. S & G were sooooo famous when I was in high school. They had #1's for a very long time. Be blessed.
I don't know an existence without this song. It's always been there &, I love it. They performed this with Andy Williams, on his show. It's, actually, a great version, enhanced by a 3rd voice.
In my first year of college back in the late '80s, my dorm mate always played Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits to fall asleep to. To this day, anything from that album carries such a heavy nostalgia for me. Thanks for the reaction, guys. Appreciated J's honest take as always!
It's a Canticle. That's why you get the "vibes." "And to fight for a cause so long ago forgotten." The song was one of several of Simon and Garfunkel's songs used in "The Graduate." Plastics Ben. Plastics. Bottom line...a song from a different time. So, so much better than now.
I turned my twin girls (now age 37) onto Simon and Garfunkel when they were super little, watching The Concert in Central Park and, of course, when they got a bit older, The Graduate. They then went on to get their complete body of work and now know far more songs and facts about the group than I ever knew. That line from the movie... "Plastics Ben... Plastics" is one of our favorite quotes! Made me smile when I read your comment!
Paul Simon lived in England for a short while before Simon and Garfunkel became famous. He played in UK folk clubs and learned this version of Scarborough Fair from the traditional singer and pioneer of folk guitar playing, Martin Carthy. Simon even used Carthy's original guitar arrangement of the song when he recorded it later with Garfunkel. It wasn't until only a few years ago that Simon acknowledged this and came to an amicable settlement with Carthy.
The next time you listen to this, try to catch the lyrics to both levels: Simon and Garfunkel reel you in the the delicacy and the beauty, but the message of both songs is harsh and sad. That's one of the reasons this stays with you. This duo writes songs with lyrics you have to pay attention to as well as music that is mesmerizing.
This song is cathartic for me because it takes me to another place in time where love, beauty and tragedy consumed my life. I love the song because it makes me feel again.
I grew up with this song. Then I became a teenager and smoked a joint to it at exactly the right moment and it melted me. (I know that doesn't make sense but it's the best description the English language can grant me). This experience, and others like it, engaged the childlike, inquisitive part of my mind and I've been into science, philosophy and cultural history ever since. It's interesting how something as abstract as music can change the trajectory of your life.
I believe I hear a harpsichord (15th century) in this. Unlike a piano (which strikes strings with felt-covered hammers), the harpsichord has mechanical 'fingers' which pluck the strings. This gives it a very different sound. Great song. Great reaction.
This is a traditional English folk song from the Middle Ages. It's a matter of unrequited love, whereby the young man gives the girl a list of impossible tasks to become his true love. She, in turn, gives HIM a list of impossible tasks (the second thread in the song).
I loved that right away Amber used the word "Medieval" to describe the sound of the song before even seeing the visuals of art from the Renaissance period. Nailed it! Such a gorgeous song that I haven't heard in so long. Thank you!!
A truly incredible song. Other ones from Simon & Garfunkel you have to hit: "THE DANGLING CONVERSATION," "POEM ON THE UNDERGROUND WALL," "The Sound Of Silence," "I Am A Rock," "America," "Kathy's Song," and "Homeward Bound"
One of my all-time favorite S&G tunes! They start out with 2-part harmony, then break into counterpoint/antiphony in a verse/response style (which, as J pointed out, is still a favorite presentation style in the Catholic Church.) The acoustic guitar using alternate picking finger-style has a very medieval "Renaissance" feel to it, akin to an older stringed instrument called a lute, and is doing the lion's share of the work here. There is a thin bassline, almost buried in the mix but still quite noticeable. The peculiar keyboard sound is I believe produced by a clavichord, an ancestor to both the harpsichord and piano. While similar, the clavichord produces a gentler tone than the much sharper harpsichord. Also heard is a recorder, a woodwind instrument in the family of flutes, and a small set of finger cymbals which produces that tinkling bell tone. This is a gorgeous mix, and engineers were really starting to getting a feel for fully using the whole stereo spectrum to give depth to the recordings, with pans, wipes, fades, etc. all being added to their collective bag of tricks. What results is a luscious treat for the ears that is both modern and harkens back to a far distant place and time. Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for reacting to it!
The point about the 'Scarborough Fair' part is that the tasks set are impossible, meaning that this girl he once knew can never do anything to win his love. The way it's mysteriously intertwined with the war (or anti-war) song is so great.
Impossible because he knew he would not return, hence the acre of land to rest his bones. As a veteran this song always brings me to tears for my friends who did not come home.
Spot on, Scarborough Fair is a Medieval English folk song! This version is actually a blend of that and Canticle, which Paul wrote. I love that ethereal medieval sound!
I'm glad you reacted to the LP version from The Graduate which repeats the lyrics twice with the instrumental in the middle. That's how I first heard it when I was 8 years old.
Part of what sets Paul Simon above others is his vast knowledge of different styles. Songwriters who tap into that like Sting, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Carole King, etc are the ones who have works that endure through the decades.
Movie recommendation: The Graduate. From the late sixties - one of the most iconic films of the period. Heck, one of the most iconic films of all time. Made a star of Dustin Hoffman. Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack. (Including Scarborough Fair.)
From the movie “The Graduate” where actor Dustin Hoffman longs to be with the woman he loves in college. It’s a great scene when “Scarborough Fair” plays.
I'm sure that during the 1950s and perhaps for long before that, 'Scarborough Fair' was taught to just about every school child in England. I attended normal English infant and junior schools at that time and we learnt it in Year Three. While your on a Simon and Garfunkel roll, please take a listen to '7 O'Clock News/Silent Night', the last track on that album. The contrast between the message of the Carol and what you hear in the News is astonishing!
There was a popular trend around late 60s and early 70s of traditional music adapted to modern forms and instruments. Bands like Pentangle, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. All have some great music and are worth a listen.
what makes this song so powerful is the juxtaposition of the peaceful tranquil music to the backdrop of war. It illustrates how war can tear through peace at anytime and peice requires constant diligence.
Hi guys !! Thank you for playing this !!! This duo was played everywhere in the late 60's ..Please look into more by them..They have some of the best harmonies in rock history..Have a great day !
Don't know if anyone is commented on this or not, just Googled instruments in Scarborough Fair oh, Simon & Garfunkel version. Two special items of note is delicate Chimes and harpsichord. That would explain the mood and the age of this song originally. I have always loved this song since the first time I ever heard it back in the sixties when it was released. Oh and thank you very much for this reaction I'm glad you all are still at it thank you
We sang this in our middle school chorus class, and it was glorious. I’m now 55 and thinking “That was kinda dark for pre-teens”.
Listen to the background lyrics. "A soldier cleans and polishes a gun" and "fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten". The meaning of the song is that while the population is going to fairs and dancing they are ignoring the killing going on in Vietnam.
You nailed it. "Scarborough Fair" is a medieval English folk song. The counter-melody, "Canticle" is a reworking of lyrics Simon wrote for a 1963 anti-war protest song. Believe it or not, there are only 3 instruments on this recording - acoustic guitar, bass, and harpsichord, which is a keyboard instrument that was popular in the 18th century.
There was definitely a bell like sounding instrument, whether a xylophone or a celeste or chimes also, it can be heard playing the same four note figure again and again. In the middle before the whole thing repeated itself there was either a flute or recorder.
What about the flute/recorder that comes in about 4:30 then? I think you've got your facts wrong.
@@narabdela this is the first time I’ve ever heard those instruments in this song.
@@narabdela I believe those were added in the soundtrack for the movie..."The Graduate"...
The flute is not on the the album that had the song on it.
@wyomarine The anti-war song doesn't have to have been about Vietnam. It's definitely about war though.
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but the words "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" refer to four herbs that - to the medieval mind had deeper meanings, and lovers, etc would often leave various herbs out to leave messages. These four meant the following: Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage.
This is such a beautiful song, performed flawlessly.
Good, I was looking for someone to comment on herbs and their symbolism. I do keep seeing them as representing slightly different things over time and to different peoples, but glad you said it.
They are also additives that make a meal (or relationship) more palatable.
I was thinking it was more that these were often the herbs used for embalming the dead in medieval times. So, juxtaposed with the war lyrics, it's more of a "I have to go to this pointless war. If I die, please take care of me".
Thanks Taun I never knew that!
I know it makes a perfect pork sausage seasoning combination.
My generation was introduced to this song in the movie The Graduate and it is tremendous
This is a medieval song. 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.
One of the most beautiful songs ever written.
One of my favorite verses from the old song is:
Love imposes impossible tasks,
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
But none more so than any would ask.
She once was a true love of mine.
Kinda wraps up the whole song.
As unusual as this sounded to y'all, this 1966 cover of a centuries-old traditional English tune, combined with their own "Canticle," was one of their signature songs, maybe their best known one after "Bridge Over Troubled Water." It was very popular even into the seventies and everyone seemed to love it. It still gives me chills and sometimes brings a tear to my eye even today. It was cool to see Amber responding to the harpsichord and recorder.
That instrument is a harpsichord and really gave it that medieval sound.
From wikiepdia "Scarborough Fair" (Child 2, Roud 12) is a traditional English ballad.[1] The song lists a number of impossible tasks given to a former lover who lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The "Scarborough/Whittingham Fair" variant was most common in Yorkshire and Northumbria, where it was sung to various melodies, often using Dorian mode, with refrains resembling "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" and "Then she'll be a true love of mine."[2] It appears in Traditional Tunes by Frank Kidson published in 1891, who claims to have collected it from Whitby.
It was an actual fair that started in 1253. In England. Corona stopped it in 2020, and it hasn't resumed since.
Thank you
Woof, that's news and no mistake!
@@oreally8605 Damn. So many plagues, and only one stopped it.
@@oreally8605 From what I've read, it's resuming this year.
Another song in this vein is by Crosby, Stills and Nash in 1969, called Guinevere. It's one of those magical musical moments for me, when I would head to the basement to sneak a listen to the albums my brother bought that I wasn't old enough to acquire! I was completely entranced by that medieval sounding ballad as well this one by Simon and Garfunkel.
Folk music was still really influential in popular music in the mid to late 1960s, and S & G embodied the best of it with this song. I always heard a basic Irish folk ballad in this and the obvious medieval influences.
This was playing in my car and my ten year old grandaughter heard them for the first time and said they sound like angels singing.
After watching you guys for the past six months, and not knowing your precise ages, I am convinced nonetheless that Amber may have been born 35 to 40 years too late. She definitely has that hippie chick vibe and I can easily picture her back in “our day” with her sun dress and sandals, flowers in her hair and love beads around her neck running through fields of daisies and swaying gently to the music of our lives being played. Sorry you weren’t there to live it but it’s fun watching you live it vicariously now.
I think she should dress up "hippie" for us one day and play some of our 60s psychedelic music. Maybe 5th Dimension.
@@randysandford4033 I’m thinking maybe I Love The Flower Girl by the Cowsills.
@@randysandford4033 on a recent Halloween show she did just that!
I assume she's early 40's so born about 20 years too late.
Definitely.
This song was released at a time when the news every night listed the number of casualties in the Vietnam War for the day, usually accompanied by footage of the latest offensive taking place there. It truly was a time of contrasts, where men and women half a world away fought for something “they’d long ago forgotten.” This made this song such a deeply moving song for our times.
Yes , the Vietnam war for breakfast , lunch , & dinner on tv. I was there .
This song is of a girl in Scarborough who broke his heart, and the only way he’ll accept her back is if she completes these impossible tasks. And this actual song was written in like the 12th century “medieval times” and had like 13 verses.
Wow. I never knew these things
Yes and if I'm not mistaken, the "Fair" is not like most people today would think. It was more of a day of trade where ships would come in from many different places with a lot of buying and selling, trading etc.
The full name of the song is Scarborough Fair / Canticle. As others have mentioned, the song originated as an old English ballad and that is covered by the lyrics that mentioned Scarborough Fair, the list of spices, and the various tasks the singer is asking his love to do. The Canticle parts are the other lyrics, which are actually from a completely different Paul Simon song called "The Side of the Hill" and are sung in what's called counterpoint to the 1st set of lyrics. I'm no musician so my understanding of these terms is vague. But I do know I love the way it sounds. Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on the song.
"In London in 1965, Paul Simon learned the song from Martin Carthy,[28][29] who had picked up the song from the songbook by MacColl and Seeger[30] and included it on his eponymous 1965 album. Simon & Garfunkel set it in counterpoint with "Canticle", a reworking of the lyrics from Simon's 1963 anti-war song "The Side of a Hill",[31] set to a new melody composed mainly by Art Garfunkel.[30][32] "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" appeared as the lead track on the 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, and was released as a single after it had been featured on the soundtrack to The Graduate in 1968.[30] The copyright credited only Simon and Garfunkel as the authors, which upset Carthy, who felt that the "traditional" source should have been credited.[30] The rift persisted until Simon invited Carthy to perform the song with him as a duet at a London concert in 2000.[30] Simon performed the song with the Muppets when he guest-starred on The Muppet Show.
Before Simon learned the song, Bob Dylan had borrowed the melody and several lines from Carthy's arrangement to create his song "Girl from the North Country",[33] which is featured on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963), Nashville Skyline (1969) (with Johnny Cash), Real Live (1984) and The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1993)."
Thanks, awesome info.
Dunno how I've never heard of it before(maybe I've just not dived deep enough into the Repertoire), but Looked up & listened to "The Side of a Hill" just now Thanks:}
That 'counterpoint' makes this song absolutely perfect....amazing....
This is actually two songs melded together in a perfect harmony. The title is actually Scarborough Fair / Canticle, the first being based on medieval hit from the Middle Ages and the second and original Paul Simon piece about world peace. ✌️
This is not from the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages were from late 5th to the late 15th centuries. Many of the lyrics in this song can be traced back to the Scottish Ballad "The Elfin Knight" from 1670. That's "Clearly" After the Middle Ages. Know the topic before you comment on it, Dummy.
This is my absolute favorite Simon & Garfunkel song - I'm so glad you chose it. Their voices blend so beautifully in it. You identified it correctly - it is an Old English folk ballad from the Middle Ages. There are 2 theories about its subject. Some believe the singer is giving a former lover a list of tasks to perform in order to "be a true love of mine". The herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme - were ingredients associated with love potions & love charms during the Medieval period. Others feel the singer is dying and the requests he is making are instructions for his embalming & funeral - as the deceased's loved ones would be the ones preparing the body for burial. In this case, the herbs - parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme- were used in embalming at the time. Simon & Garfunkel were introduced to the song by English folk singer, Marty Cathy. They overlaid the traditional lyrics with the lyrics of another song they had written, "Canticle" - about the destructiveness of war. Both theories fit with S & G's version as several young men of their generation were going to war, leaving behind sweethearts, with too many of these young soldiers only returning home in flag-draped caskets. The addition of these lyrics made it a popular anti-war anthem in the early days of the Vietnam War. It is truly a haunting and ethereal song.
Those herbs were also used in embalming!? 😲 I looked it up years ago and, the spices were said to have other 'mystical' effects upon people, as I read. --I cannot recall what those properties were said to be at this time though.. 😞 You say "love charms and love potions"? --Sounds good to me! 🙂
@@chivalryalive Mostly to block the smell of decomposition. Rosemary has astringent properties that may have slightly slowed the process.
Mine too.
Amazing information
Martin Carthy.
This is a huge hit for them and it was played constantly on the radio I still know all the words! Beautiful lyrics very mellow big hit for Simon and Garfunkel❤
If you get a chance, listen to Dangling Conversation. Same lp as this beautiful song but the lyrics are perfect. Commentary on couples who are not in love
This song, along with Mrs. Robinson, were used in the nineteen sixty eight movie The Graduate, one of the most memorable and iconic movies of the sixties. You will see a very young Dustin Hoffman in what I think was his first movie role.
For those of us of a certain age, it is unforgettable.
Jay & Amber, you'll love their "Sounds Of Silence", "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" and "I Am A Rock" !!!
Also Paul Simon solo- "Loves Me Like A Rock", "Kodachrome" and "Late In The Evening" and many more!!!
I love the way Paul Simon weaved an old traditional English Folk Song into his own composition. Thanks for reacting.
The beauty of coming of age in the sixties and early seventies was the wde array of music we were exposed to. We didn't have play lists and we couldn't carry our records and record player around. What we did have was AM radio, and the DJs were our friends. We listened to (and danced to) all kinds of music...country, rock, instrumental...something for everyone.
This is the best way to explain our time as any. A couple of days ago I heard a younger (even younger than Jay & Amber, BTW ♥) reactor ask -- if there was no internet, how did new artists get heard. It was the DJ's. They would have been their best friends. "Word of mouth" was also used, I guess, but probably not as effective, though. I'd never heard of something called "playlists" but we all had our own favorites, of course. We all had some singles (45's) and 33 lp albums to create our Playlist of music to listen to at home or at a friend's place. And we did -- I remember taking some 45's or an album or two to a friend's place for a party or two or the years when I was a teenager in the 60's. And they would return the favor. Of course, I only had a little turntable to play my stuff on. It was my parents who had a "stereo" so if I wanted to play my music, it had to be when my parents weren't using theirs. And they played very different music than I did. Naturally. Anyway, if we wanted to listen to music much, there was the radio and there was only AM, FM was not a thing (as we say nowadays)! 😂
Scarborough Fair," popularized in the United States by the 1960s singer-songwriting duo Simon & Garfunkel, is an English folk song about a market fair that took place in the town of Scarborough in Yorkshire during medieval times.
That's really not what the song is about. It is about the young man's death.
I'm so darned proud of you two! The growth of this channel is incredible and it's because you give the people what they want! Here since the early days!
Hear, hear!
@@carltonbakerii8274 my favourite reactors for sure.
You may be right, but, actually, to give the people what they want is not always good or...wise !
@@giuliogrifi7739 Serf.
@@giuliogrifi7739 It's just a motto on their shows. Nothing more.
I am shocked that Amber didn't pick up on the second set of lyrics even after two listens. But it's so easy to be entranced by Art's angelic vocals and the gentle folk lyrics that you miss Paul's darker lyrics about impending war that will shatter the peace and beauty of the main part. Such a brilliant composition made even better by the almost subliminal echoes of war. Great song, great artists, great composition, great reactors, what more do want?
Honestly? I'm 42, and I've heard this song hundreds of times. But, I didn't catch the darkness of the second set of lyrics until last year when I really read the lyrics in full.
@@goldilox369 I’m 61 and I’ve just recently learned about them with some other reaction videos. We didn’t have the album, which I assume had the lyrics. We just listened when it came on the radio and did our best to follow along. No pause, no rewind. It was pretty common to not really understand the lyrics, because of my limited vocabulary or limited understanding of life and the world at large. I’m learning the real lyrics to a number of songs I grew up with. In some cases I like my inaccurate version better - but not this time. Sad but hauntingly beautiful song.
I grew up with the dual but did not have the album. I had NO IDEA until you pointed it out that there were anti-war lines in the background. I wonder how many of my peers knew.
Kind of reminds of me of their 7 O'clock News / Silent Night, although that one is a little more in your face.
Now that you mention it, it makes me think a bit of Rimbaud's poem "Le dormeur du val" (The Sleeper in the Valley). It describes a beautiful, sunny valley wit a river and flowers, and there's a soldier sleeping there but something progressively starts sounding a bit wrong. The last sentence is "He has two red holes in his right side" (something like that, I'm a native French speaker and don't know the literary English translation). It goes from very contemplative to shocking when you read that last sentence, and the feeling I get from this song is a bit similar.
Love love LOVE these harmonies! Their voices blend so beautifully! They are so wonderful. Still praying they reunite. 😌💜
I hate to say but I hope they don't reunite. Their voices at plus 80 years old will not be the same as in their prime. I look at Paul McCartney singing Yesterday recently and, even though hard to say, it was hard to listen to. I've seen The Moody Blues several times from the early 70's to the late 90's, Justin Hayward and John Lodge have always had very powerful voices but had to bring them some female vocalists to deal with the highs they used to be able to handle. The worst I heard was Crosby, Stills and Nash performing 'Silent Night' in I believe Washington I few years back. I honestly don't think that the musical talent that came out between the early 60's to the mid 70's will ever be duplicated. Just my opinion!
@@tomhayston9888 you may be right. The one exception to this that I have heard in a recent live appearance was the Tokens singing The Lion Sleeps tonight. The lead singer Jay Seigal I believe, his voice has not changed!! Amazing. But my thoughts here were about an emotional healing between Paul and Art. So much bitterness. Regrettable, so I still hope. 😌💜
@@BarbaraPryor-Smith
They need to do that "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". I git a kick out of watching their earliest black & white video of it.
Happened across. The Bird.
....is a word. lol
@@user-ii4zf5iq3t the Tokens HAVE done it recently, and they sound the same!!! Seriously! And numerous people have reacted to it. Robb Squad did too I think, but not sure if it was the older version or the more recent one. So fun!! 😊
Just one of many beautiful songs that Simon and Garfunkel recorded.They were wonderful in every respect, fantastic melodies, clever lyrics and beautiful harmonies.Their albums were phenomenal and contributed so much to the
wonderful era of the 60's and 70's.
It is an ancient English folk song. You guys got it!
My high school prom song 1971
Since 1253. In England. The fair stopped in 2020 because of corona. It hasn't resumed it's 770 year old history since.
@@oreally8605 All part of the destroying established culture at every opportunity, by the Globalists.
Plus a war protest song alongside it by Paul.
*_Ancient_* England was still in the Iron Age during the Roman Conquest, and this song certainly didn't come from back then. There wasn't even an _England,_ much less an English language back then. People spoke various forms of Gaelic and Germanic languages. The lyrics for this song were first collected in the 18th century, the references to _Scarborough Fair_ and the herbs in the 19th century, and the melody you hear on that part of it was first recorded in 1947 by Mark Anderson.
What a classic. My parents owned this album. I grew up listening to it. This is actually the first S&F song you've reacted to from that album. I recommend "Homeward Bound", "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", and "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her".
Great suggestions! "Homeward Bound" especially 💙
Fun fact:
This song was featured on the soundtrack to the classic movie, "The Graduate".
Oh man The Graduate was the best movie. Love it then and now.
Great film.
"Oh no, it's completely baked."
@@OneEyedJack1970 aahhhh man*****
@@marymays8846 That's my favorite line from the movie.
Always made me think of monks chanting…. Glad you caught the same kind of feeling. Great minds! 😘
Simon and Garfunkel was my absolute favorite concert of all time. A few favorites are America, The Boxer, He Was My Brother, Hazy Shade of Winter... So many!
Amber is in her element.....two stories at one time and beautiful vocals and instrumentation.
The layering of the vocal harmonies is amazing. Dreamy and atmospheric.
I feel like I'm floating upon a cloud each time I listen to it! 😲
Great song! She's adorable and smart...could learn that kid a few points❤
One of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever written.
One of Simon and Garfunkel's most beautiful songs. It puts forth the concept of unrequited love, where the woman must perform impossible tasks to prove her love. It was featured in the movie "The Graduate" and gained popularity quickly after that.
It has a medieval feel to the melody and their blended harmonies are so rich with a unequivocally masterful blend, you feel yourself being taken away. Great reaction. Buckets of Maple Syrup love from Canada ❤️
It has a medieval feel because it's a medieval tune.
@NavvyMom Yes, I believe it originated from the 1600's. 👍✌️🎶🇨🇦
Love your comments Mary!
@Tim Gooden Thanks so much Tim.✌️👍🎶🇨🇦😊
The original had her giving him equally impossible tasks.
It is ex-lovers who can't completely leave each other behind.
It's the Harpsichord that makes it sound medieval...
Beautiful song.
Ironically, more commonly thought of as a baroque instrument, though it was featured in renaissance music and (possibly?) very late medieval.
It sounds medieval because that's when it was written, using a scale called the Dorian mode, also a common musical convention. The artistry of this song is magnificent. A little disappointed in the young man's lack of appreciation.
This was an English traditional ballad, written about a fair that used to take place in the seaside town of Scarborough in Yorkshire, near where I lived as a child in the UK. We used to go on day trips to Scarborough and the nearby Whitby.
The interesting thing about this song is the point/counterpoint of the first voice (the top lyric) with its story of unrequited love and the 2nd voice (bottom lyric) which is telling the story of a soldier who was killed and is now buried on the hill. Now recall that this was released in 1964 - the height of the Vietnam war, and put the two things together. It's beautiful, yet sad and a little bit spooky.
"7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" is another good one. Gives me chills.
Active US involvement in fighting the Vietnam War didn't begin until late 1964, and the album this was on was released in 1966. It was released as a single in 1968.
The line “she was once a true love of mine” takes on a very different meaning after the lines on war. I see them initially as wistful, but late in the song as looking back through a dark veil, of trauma, maybe death.
It is one of the most recognizable soundtrack songs from *"The Graduate" 1968.*
First US troops were sent into battle in Viet Nam on March 8, 1965, so 1964 was certainly not the height of the war. Those of us who were more than children back then remember well that the turmoil in America started on October 21, 1967 when the very first anti-war demonstration took place in Washington D.C. The Pentagon was breached in a full scale riot with about 50,000 protestors taking part.
If you have not reacted to their song called "America" you should put it in your list for sure! And Amber's inner flower child will love "The 59th Street Bridge Song"!!
First Simon & Garfunkel song I ever heard!! Back when folk music was sooo popular!!!
Yes, this is a hauntingly beautiful tune. If it comes on I ain't turning it off but I won't seek it either.
What a classic. The overlapping harmony is exquisite.
This is an old English folk song - remember Simon & Garfunkel were considered a folk duo when they emerged. They used the Canticle to turn it into an anti-war song. Scarborough Fair was later used in the soundtrack for The Graduate and then released as a single. It's one of those songs you can mellow out to.
Such a pretty song, and their harmonies are perfect. Love that medieval feeling to this. It is so relaxing.
Amber slapped it immediately. Such a cool sound from the day. Simon and Had were together only a short time, their music was incredible. All man Brothers, Jessica. Thanks again.
Such a beautiful song. Amazing folk song from North Yorkshire about unrequited love. The celtic women do an amazing take of this song. Thanx so much, Be well, Blessings
I would like to hear that. They have amazing voices.
I am 69, still rocking, and remember getting lost in the lyrics to this trippy masterpiece. I enjoy your channel. let's all keep open minds. great music is waiting to be discovered.
Always love Simon and Garfunkel music. This is one of at least three songs that was featured in the movie
" The Graduate", along with "The Sound of Silence" and "Mrs. Robinson." These are all great songs, and they have many more songs that are up there. Thanks for your reaction on this.
also april come she will and big bright green pleasure machine so 5 songs.
A Lovely Song! Beautiful Harpsichord & other strings. A change of pace for Simon & Garfunkel. Folks from the '60s remember it well. :) Great Choice Guys!
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional Medieval British folk tune about forbidden love. Simon & Garfunkle layered it with the poem/song "Canticle" which was about the Vietnam War, to fit modern times.
I'm 58 and I love this song. My HS choir practiced this many times yet never performed it in concert. Loved it since then which was late 70s early 80s; graduated HS in '82.
58? No Youngsters,please,my friend :)
Loved this song when it came out. I’ll be 60 this year and it still gets me.
@@jamessimmons1486 Great Song but only 60? No Youngsters,please,James...:)
Go back and listen to this again. You kind of need to listen to both parts separately and then listen a third time to see how they work together.
We aren’t going as far back as medieval times, think maybe the time of the Seven Years War or American Revolution. This is the pre-industrial Revolution world.
So in the dominant part, a guy asks his to make him a shirt or tunic. Simple woven fabric, no fancy seams, just a labor of love. And they dream about that little farm where they can live together in peace. There is only one little problem.
The second voice is that of a soldier who sleeps on cold ground away from his love. We know he is British because of the red coats (scarlet battalions). He doesn’t know why he is fighting and his future will probably be a graveyard on a hillside.
This song was released when the Vietnam War was raging. On one hand it is a love song but when you put the pieces together it is a powerful anti-war song.
Great take on this song and the times it was recorded in. Simon & Garfunkel represented the American English-traditional folk music revival (sometime called Scots-Irish plainsong) that shoe-horned-in between Beatlemania and John Sebastian/Buffalo Springfield folk-rock. They themselves were the younger generation of acts like Peter, Paul & Mary and Brothers Four and before them The Weavers featuring Pete Seeger
The problem is, all the things he asks his former love to do are impossible. You can't make a shirt without seams. You can't reap grain with a sickle of leather or gather it in heather. You can't find land between the sea and the shore. He's basically saying, no, I will *NEVER* get back together with you.
@@sourisvoleur4854 I had always heard the line as "sickle of lead", as in it would be too soft/poison the land... but apparently I've misheard that as the official lyrics to this version do say "sickle of leather".
I love, love your channel guys. And look forward to it daily. I’m a 58 year old Canadian guy so clearly am a huge fan of ‘60s and ‘70s tracks. I wish you could have lived through that era as I did, warts and all. Your musical tastes are very much aligned to mine as far as that time period goes. And it fills me immensely that this music seems to give you as much pleasure as it still does for me some five plus decades later. I wish I were as open minded about today’s music as you appear to be about mine, but I’m afraid it does little for me. As little as my parents’ music did for me. Thank you. And please don’t stop doing what you do. It probably means more to most like me than you realize. You seem a lovely and fun couple. Go Raptors go.
Simon & Garfunkel are my favorite artists on this planet (if they're terrestrial at all 😉). Their music is pure magic, what you can't assert from any newer music. This says not someone who is 80 years old and listened to it in his youth, this says a not even 20 year old boy who had already heard a lot of "modern" music. Refreshing reaction, if you want to have more information about the song check out the video by "Polyphonic". Greetings from tiny Switzerland😚
This (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme) was the first album I ever bought in 1967 when I was 9. The entire album was magical and I wore out the grooves playing it.
I fell in love with this entire album when it was released. I was 8 years old at the time and my Aunt had bought it. My brother, cousins (they were all younger) and I played it over and over that summer. I still love this album and this song in particular. Funny, at 8 years of age this song just spoke to me and capyured my heart and my imagination. I'm still fascinated with the English Midieval era of history.
I thought I heard the harpsichord in my ear especially at the end. S & G were sooooo famous when I was in high school. They had #1's for a very long time. Be blessed.
The musical production of this song is incredible with 2 voices sent from heaven
I don't know an existence without this song. It's always been there &, I love it.
They performed this with Andy Williams, on his show. It's, actually, a great version, enhanced by a 3rd voice.
The Andy William's Show? --I'll look that up! Thanks! 🙂
I found it! 😲 So beautiful! --Thanks for directing me to it. 🙂
In my first year of college back in the late '80s, my dorm mate always played Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits to fall asleep to. To this day, anything from that album carries such a heavy nostalgia for me. Thanks for the reaction, guys. Appreciated J's honest take as always!
The first album l ever bought about 50 years ago was Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits. Still got it.
It's a Canticle. That's why you get the "vibes." "And to fight for a cause so long ago forgotten." The song was one of several of Simon and Garfunkel's songs used in "The Graduate." Plastics Ben. Plastics. Bottom line...a song from a different time. So, so much better than now.
I turned my twin girls (now age 37) onto Simon and Garfunkel when they were super little, watching The Concert in Central Park and, of course, when they got a bit older, The Graduate. They then went on to get their complete body of work and now know far more songs and facts about the group than I ever knew. That line from the movie... "Plastics Ben... Plastics" is one of our favorite quotes! Made me smile when I read your comment!
Paul Simon lived in England for a short while before Simon and Garfunkel became famous. He played in UK folk clubs and learned this version of Scarborough Fair from the traditional singer and pioneer of folk guitar playing, Martin Carthy. Simon even used Carthy's original guitar arrangement of the song when he recorded it later with Garfunkel. It wasn't until only a few years ago that Simon acknowledged this and came to an amicable settlement with Carthy.
Oh My Lord ❤️ an Amazing, Incredible song....
The next time you listen to this, try to catch the lyrics to both levels: Simon and Garfunkel reel you in the the delicacy and the beauty, but the message of both songs is harsh and sad. That's one of the reasons this stays with you. This duo writes songs with lyrics you have to pay attention to as well as music that is mesmerizing.
Well, for one, I'm a bawling mess. I was always so floored by this song. Still am. Thanking God for beauty in the world.
This song is cathartic for me because it takes me to another place in time where love, beauty and tragedy consumed my life. I love the song because it makes me feel again.
I know. My heart immediately started to feel full. 🎶
The amazing harmonies 😮
I grew up with this song. Then I became a teenager and smoked a joint to it at exactly the right moment and it melted me. (I know that doesn't make sense but it's the best description the English language can grant me). This experience, and others like it, engaged the childlike, inquisitive part of my mind and I've been into science, philosophy and cultural history ever since. It's interesting how something as abstract as music can change the trajectory of your life.
My mom's favorite. My whole life, if anyone mentioned parsley, sage, rosemary OR thyme she started singing. She still does it lol.
I believe I hear a harpsichord (15th century) in this. Unlike a piano (which strikes strings with felt-covered hammers), the harpsichord has mechanical 'fingers' which pluck the strings. This gives it a very different sound. Great song. Great reaction.
This is a traditional English folk song from the Middle Ages. It's a matter of unrequited love, whereby the young man gives the girl a list of impossible tasks to become his true love. She, in turn, gives HIM a list of impossible tasks (the second thread in the song).
This song showcases the vocal skills of the pair. Their ability to harmonize and to layer the lyrics is amazing.
I loved that right away Amber used the word "Medieval" to describe the sound of the song before even seeing the visuals of art from the Renaissance period. Nailed it! Such a gorgeous song that I haven't heard in so long. Thank you!!
Brilliance. U just can't master. The collaboration. Masterpiece, every song
A truly incredible song. Other ones from Simon & Garfunkel you have to hit: "THE DANGLING CONVERSATION," "POEM ON THE UNDERGROUND WALL," "The Sound Of Silence," "I Am A Rock," "America," "Kathy's Song," and "Homeward Bound"
Second I Am A Rock
The song Patterns is one of the best angry/hopeless songs I have ever heard
Oh yes definitely America
I love the sound of Homeward Bound.
I thought they did Sound of Silence a while back. No?
Loved them. Saw them at a small venue at the U of WA(Seattle) in 1968. It was awesome!
One of my all-time favorite S&G tunes! They start out with 2-part harmony, then break into counterpoint/antiphony in a verse/response style (which, as J pointed out, is still a favorite presentation style in the Catholic Church.) The acoustic guitar using alternate picking finger-style has a very medieval "Renaissance" feel to it, akin to an older stringed instrument called a lute, and is doing the lion's share of the work here. There is a thin bassline, almost buried in the mix but still quite noticeable. The peculiar keyboard sound is I believe produced by a clavichord, an ancestor to both the harpsichord and piano. While similar, the clavichord produces a gentler tone than the much sharper harpsichord. Also heard is a recorder, a woodwind instrument in the family of flutes, and a small set of finger cymbals which produces that tinkling bell tone. This is a gorgeous mix, and engineers were really starting to getting a feel for fully using the whole stereo spectrum to give depth to the recordings, with pans, wipes, fades, etc. all being added to their collective bag of tricks. What results is a luscious treat for the ears that is both modern and harkens back to a far distant place and time. Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for reacting to it!
The point about the 'Scarborough Fair' part is that the tasks set are impossible, meaning that this girl he once knew can never do anything to win his love. The way it's mysteriously intertwined with the war (or anti-war) song is so great.
Yet she did them.
Impossible because he knew he would not return, hence the acre of land to rest his bones. As a veteran this song always brings me to tears for my friends who did not come home.
Spot on, Scarborough Fair is a Medieval English folk song! This version is actually a blend of that and Canticle, which Paul wrote.
I love that ethereal medieval sound!
I was only a few years old when this came out in ‘64. It was one of those songs you couldn’t escape if you lived on the planet in the 60’s!
these 2 have been my favorites for years,love simon and garfunkel,love this song
I'm glad you reacted to the LP version from The Graduate which repeats the lyrics twice with the instrumental in the middle. That's how I first heard it when I was 8 years old.
Part of what sets Paul Simon above others is his vast knowledge of different styles. Songwriters who tap into that like Sting, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Carole King, etc are the ones who have works that endure through the decades.
Another beautiful song by Simon & Garfunkel! ♥️♥️
Movie recommendation: The Graduate. From the late sixties - one of the most iconic films of the period. Heck, one of the most iconic films of all time. Made a star of Dustin Hoffman. Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack. (Including Scarborough Fair.)
2 Perfect Classics To Put Kids (& Adults) To Sleep By,, This One & Loggins & Messina "House At Pooh Corner"..TRUTH!!
From the movie “The Graduate” where actor Dustin Hoffman longs to be with the woman he loves in college. It’s a great scene when “Scarborough Fair” plays.
They singing in Rounds and this song is very Renaissance in Style. Such a beautiful song..
Sung it, played it. A staple in my life. ❤️
I'm sure that during the 1950s and perhaps for long before that, 'Scarborough Fair' was taught to just about every school child in England. I attended normal English infant and junior schools at that time and we learnt it in Year Three.
While your on a Simon and Garfunkel roll, please take a listen to '7 O'Clock News/Silent Night', the last track on that album. The contrast between the message of the Carol and what you hear in the News is astonishing!
There was a popular trend around late 60s and early 70s of traditional music adapted to modern forms and instruments. Bands like Pentangle, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. All have some great music and are worth a listen.
what makes this song so powerful is the juxtaposition of the peaceful tranquil music to the backdrop of war. It illustrates how war can tear through peace at anytime and peice requires constant diligence.
Hi guys !! Thank you for playing this !!! This duo was played everywhere in the late 60's ..Please look into more by them..They have some of the best harmonies in rock history..Have a great day !
Don't know if anyone is commented on this or not, just Googled instruments in Scarborough Fair oh, Simon & Garfunkel version. Two special items of note is delicate Chimes and harpsichord. That would explain the mood and the age of this song originally. I have always loved this song since the first time I ever heard it back in the sixties when it was released. Oh and thank you very much for this reaction I'm glad you all are still at it thank you
No way! You have heard them!! Okay yes! Beautiful guitar work! Wow and the harmonies!! You will LOVE this!❤❤