Scarborough Fair

Tamaru Yamada's rendition of 'Scarborough Fair' is a hauntingly beautiful interpretation of a traditional English ballad. The song's lyrics revolve around a series of impossible tasks that the narrator asks a former lover to complete, symbolizing the unattainable nature of rekindling their past romance. The recurring mention of herbs—parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme—adds a layer of mysticism and historical context, as these herbs were often associated with love, healing, and protection in medieval times.

The song opens with a question, 'Are you going to Scarborough Fair?' This line sets the stage for a journey, both literal and metaphorical. Scarborough Fair was a popular medieval market fair in England, a place where people from various walks of life would gather. The fair serves as a backdrop for the narrator's longing and the complex emotions tied to a past love. The repeated refrain of the herbs acts as a refrain, grounding the song in a sense of timelessness and ritual.

Each verse presents a seemingly impossible task: making a cambric shirt without seams or needlework, finding an acre of land between the saltwater and the sea strand. These tasks are metaphors for the emotional labor and the unrealistic expectations that often accompany lost love. The narrator's requests are not just about the physical tasks but are symbolic of the emotional hurdles that must be overcome to rekindle a past relationship. The song's melancholic tone and poetic lyrics capture the essence of longing, loss, and the bittersweet nature of love that can never be fully reclaimed.