The first time I listened to this as a child, I was lifted and floating along with the beauty - and then the bit with "order their soldiers to kill" sliced through, grabbing my attention. I think I played this song over and over again on my little phonograph, picking out the two sets of lyrics and pondering them against one another. I'm still entranced and transported to a hauntingly beautiful mindscape of love and war, and how the mixture + contrast of the two leaves such a bittersweet touch on my soul every time I hear this song.
Yes you were. I was laughing watching you. But “ethereal”, “floating” is perfect. And yes. Most of the other songs have a similar feel. Perhaps this album can be a Salvo pick?? 😘 but I’ll certainly nominate it again!
Absolutely haunting... an old English folk song, backed by a modern anti-war poem. Brilliant, and Paul Simon's spellbinding acoustic guitar interpretation.
In medieval times the herbs were a love potion, and he asks of her tasks she cannot do... Which she must if he's to take her back. After 50 years still beautiful
I was in high school 66-70. I had an English teacher who brought an S&G album to class, played it, and we discussed the lyrics. Best teacher, Miss Johnson. Great memories.
This song weaves a modern anti-war song through the lines of a traditional folk song. Simon is a songwriting genius. The folk song is a variant of Child Ballad #2, "The Elfin Knight." The earliest known version dates to the early 17th century. This particular reworking can only be dated back to the late 19th or early 20th century. Simon learned it from Martin Carthy, a giant among the London folk scene of the mid 1960s. (Simon lived in London in 1965.)
And the modern anti-war song is Simon's own "The Side of a Hill." On this same album they did a similar weave of the sublime, gentle Christmas song, "Silent Night" with the horror of a segment of the 6 O'Clock News.
@@johno1765 Yeah, Shawn, be sure to check out "Silent Night/7 O'Clock News." It's devastating. Matter of fact there are no bad tracks on this album. Well worth a whole-album review. This and "Bridge" are S&G's masterpieces.
Ah….glad to know about Martin Carthy. I’ll have to see if he was associated with Pentangle or Fairport Only British folk singer I know by name is Bert Jansch. And I learned of him in a roundabout way through Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ latest album where they did a cover. Beautiful song
I didn't know that! Martin Carthy's "The Famous Flower of Serving Men" may be the best folk song performance I've ever heard -- and I say that as a devoted fan of Steeleye Span and Peter Paul and Mary.
Scarborough Fair/Canticle is in the form of an old English madrigal, typical of the 15th to 16th century Renaissance. Madrigals were polyphonic, i.e. with two or more melodies in counterpoint to each other. They usually were sung by three to six voices - one can hear Simon and Garfunkel overdubbing the primary melody with other complimentary vocal streams.
Songs like this one and "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues being released when I was a small child are the reason why I have had a passion for music my entire life. Thank you so much for reacting to it.
I saw the Moody Blues in Pittsburgh in the early 1970's! I had a Chemistry test the next day but they were late so I had more time to study while waiting in the Civic Area! Great concert! 🤗
In the movie, "A Bronx Tale," Knights In hie Satin was playe in the scene where the Italians were beating up the black kids...I always felt Knights In White Satin was a reference to the Ku Kux Klan.
@@ORWELL_USA First of all, it's actually "Nights", not "Knights". Second, I sincerely doubt that a British 19 year old Justin Hayward had the KKK on his mind when he wrote lyrics that repeated "I love you" over and over. While the movie may have used it in a violent context, it's a love song from the eyes of a young man coming of age.
The song is not just from another world, but another time. It is a very old song, some think it may go as far back as the 17th century. I visualize a day's travel from a sleepy hamlet to the central town fair, meeting merchants and minstrels along the way, to deliver an important message from the past.
I remember this song as a kid when it came out, played it tons as a teen in the 70s.....hadnt heard it in a long time.....and part way through started crying....as it brought back memories long forgotten....of other places and people who once were true loves of mine..........
I grew up listening to Simon & Garfunkel & had a lot of their records. Absolutely loved them & their harmonies. You won't find a bad song. They had so many hits such as "Sound Of Silence", "The 59th Street Bridge Song", "Homeward Bound", "Kathy's Song", "At The Zoo", "Cecilia", "America", "I Am A Rock", "El Condor Pasa" etc. Paul Simon went on to have a huge solo career with lots of great songs.
Hearing it on the radio, I never heard the background war verses. Watching the lyrics on a reaction video let me learn something new. Thank you to all the reactors on RU-vid!
SImon and Garfunkel are part of the soundtrack of my life. I grew up hearing their beautiful harmonies and unique sound. This is an English traditional song, and because of the repetition of "Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme," I assume it's a "work song" meaning that people sang it in olden times while they worked . The modal scales in this song are typical of traditional folk music, which gives it the somewhat sad and ethereal sound. One of the most beautiful love songs of all times was written by Paul SImon around the the time of this album called Kathy's Song. The melody is amazing, but the lyrics are beyond beautiful.
I voted for it. I will suggest it again, or you can. It came so close. I asked him to please react to one song from it. So glad he did. Now HE wants to hear it all!! 😁
I remember when Paul Simon was on the Muppet Show and they did this song with Paul wandering around the fair interacting with the vendors. When he gets to the Fortune Teller tent, she says "Show me your lifeline." He does, and she replies, "Sing fast."
The lyrics roughly state "if you love me do the impossible as proof." Make me a cambric shirt without seams or needlework, find me an acre of land between the salt water and sea strand, reap it with a sickle of leather.
My favorite lyric (and there are so many as this song was sung for ages) explains the song well. I've had many friends comment that they don't understand the song and then I tell them this verse: 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.
It was really cool to watch your facial expression. It's easy to only hear the melody when you listen to this song, but if you read along with the harmony it enhances the whole experience.
One of my favorite songs is "America", written by Simon while performing in Saginaw, Michigan. It tells the two young lovers (Paul and his girlfriend Kathy Chitty) traveling the country by bus to discover America. Regarded as Paul's best song. On the album you're currently listening to is "Homeward Bound". I remember playing that song on my Guitar in 1980 while stuck overnight in an airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina (on my way home to Texas). Of course, some of their best songs are "Sound of Silence", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and "The Boxer".
I had loved this song as a kid. Then in my twenties, I was in a canoe with my girlfriend (we were trippin balls) - she started playing it on her recorder & that's when it imbedded itself in my brain... Ah, good times.
I know for a fact that after you did this reaction. You listened to again at least once! 😁. THANK YOU for doing this, Salvo! One of my favorite songs EVER.
The lyrics are a juxtaposition of the basic needs and wants of all humans, safety, love, and purpose, all that is blown away by the reality of a harsh and warring world. Blessed release.
I just realized that S&G would be one of the rare exceptions for me to listen to a greatest hits album (for someone who can't listen to all of theirs).
The Simon and Garfunkel songs were a huge relief to us teenage baby boomers who were besieged daily with the VietNam war. Our friends were dying weekly and these soothing sounds of Paul and Garfunkel were our "safe place."
This one takes me back to the early 1970s in the back of my parent's convertible driving along the parkway with the lower Niagara River on my left...this song ended once we hit old Fort Niagara with a trio of cannon welcoming me at the entrance. Crazy how a song brings back an old memory with as much detail as if you were there yesterday.
This always seemed to me an anti-war song. The traditional 'Scarborough Fair" is about a lover giving a series of impossible tasks to a girl who once was a true love of his. Tasks suck as sewing a shirt without any seams or needle work, tell her to find me an acre of land between the salt water and the sea sands, etc. 'Then she'll be a true love of mine". The Canticle is about a soldier and his experiences of battle. She will not be able complete the impossible tasks and he won't return from war. S&G delivery of the song is hauntingly sad. Just my take, others will have their own interpretation I'm sure.
Listeners today have it so much easier with lyric videos or just pulling them up. I don't know how many times we played it trying to get all that second melody, especially the first part each time.
"What a dream I had/pressed in organdy/clothed in crinoline/softer than the rain..." Of all the songs that Art Garfunkel's voice was so perfect for, this one was just flawless.
The expressions on your face as you listened to this were a joy to watch! I'm pretty sure you just emoted what each of us felt, the first time we heard this gorgeous piece of work.
Perfect reaction! I read that this song asks the singer to be remembered to his former true love, then sets tasks for her which will be difficult or impossible to complete so that she will never be able to get him back if she wants to.
When i was stationed in South Korea for the USAir Force, i discovered Simon and Garfunkle. I bought every album and box set available at the time. Scarborough Fair/Canticle is one of my favorites right behind The Boxer.
Canticle is originally a song from Paul Simon’s first solo album, The Paul Simon Songbook, originally released in the UK in 1965. The song is an anti-war anthem entitled The Side of a Hill. Here Garfunkel sings Scarborough Fair with Paul Simon singing Canticle at the same time.
Your bemusement was fun to see. :) Always loved this song - it's very medieval sounding. Keep expecting vestal virgins frolicking in the woods or something. lol
I adore this song. There's a video of them singing it on the Andy Williams show. He sings it with them. It's even more beautiful with that 3 part harmony. Andy Williams and his brothers were wonderful singers.
I had to laugh when you said "can we just double the length?" because there is a lyric video out there that does exactly that, playing it twice through with slightly different accompaniment. I understand the impulse, but... concise can be perfect, too.
This album was my intro to Simon & Garfunkel, and the minute I heard this song I was transported out of my head. I had the pleasure to sing the Scarborough Fair vocal - my best friend sang the Canticle lyrics - in high school. It’s truly a song that prides itself on bonding vocals.
Did you notice how they played with their voices in the Caticle? Each one sang the line that fit his voice best, and on the last line Arty starts "And to fight for a cause" and Paul picks up "they have long ago forgotten" and it sounds like it's done with one breath.
One of the hardest things about listening to music from the 50s and 60s is the vast majority of songs are less than 3 minutes. I still enjoy revisiting the tunes that came out when I was a kid. It's great to witness the younger generations discovering the music of the era.
I grew up on their music. I love the counter melody that was a statement against war. They don't sing the counter melody when live. I read the lyrics for the counter melody and thought OMG how did they come up with this? I used to listen to this song and dream and yearn to go to a renaissance fair. In Art Garfunkel's book he lists recording this song as one of his pride and joys.
I was told (by a man who loved this song when he was alive) that there are actually a bunch more verses to the traditional Scarborough Fair... if this is true, they could have easily made this song double the length.
Thank you for playing my favorite Simon and Garfunkel song. It also helps that it features on the soundtrack of one of my favorite films from the 60s, The Graduate (released 1967).
So beautiful, one of my all time favorites that always takes me to the same tranquil place. We visited our daughter at grad school recently and as we drove Scarborough Fair cane up on the playlist. Our daughter said "your song dad!" Because she remebered it from all the road trips in the past.
The best duo band ever. Amazing structure of music from the 60s. I'm 64 and still enjoy to this day. Thanks for sharing and exposing your young viewers to what real music is.
The first part of this is a "Child Ballad" (Google that) tune as well as a Riddle Song. The "Canticle" part is modern and not part of the original ballad. Perfect for the glorious voices of Simon and Garfunkel.
