SCARBOROUGH  FAIR

Time signature:  3 / 4    (played in minor key)
Typical tempo:  ~ 100 bpm
Traditional 
Accordion Notation
​Dots (or equivalent) per beat = 1
 Inside row (low):    Butttons 2 to 5* (plus o3* & o6*)
 
  :o3*  .o3*     "4    ;4    .4        .2*    .3      .2*         ::o3*     
 Are    you      go - ing   to      Scar- bor - ough      Fair?     

 .4    .5       :5*     .5       "4   ;o6*   .3*       :::4    
Par-sley, sage,  rose -  ma  - ry    and      thyme. 

.5*   .5*   .5*       :5   "4   "4      .4     .3*    .3       "2* "o3*  :2   
Re-mem-ber     me   to   the    one  who lives      there,   

:o3*    .4         :3*   .3       .2*   .o3*   .2       :::o3*   
She  once     was   a      true   love   of       mine. 

​

Embedded youTube VIDEOS
Eleven videos from various diatonic collections: 
​C(Am)=2    D(Bm)=1   Eb(Cm)=1   E(C#m)=1   F(Dm)=2   Gb(Ebm)=1   G(Em)=3
Key:  Em (G diatonic collection of notes)

Tempo:  ~ 95 bpm

Singer:  Art Garfunkel & Paul Simon

​Posted by:  Dualswords1

Because of the accidental in the second line (6th note), there is a problem playing this tune on the outside (G) row of a G-C accordion.
Key: Bm (D diatonic collection of notes)

Singers:  Jadyn Rylee (Canada)
               Charlotte Zone (England)
Drummer:  Sina (Germany)

Keyboard:  Rick Benbow
Guitar:  Mike Wilbury

​Posted by: Jadyn Rylee
Key:  Dm   (F diatonic collection of notes)

Tempo: ~120 bpm

Singer:  Sarah Brightman

​Posted by:  Eiviten
Key:  Ebm  (Gb diatonic collection)

Tempo: ~ 95 bpm

Singer:  Andy Williams with Simon & Garfunkel

​Posted by:  yootami

Electronic accordions, such as the Roland, and chromatic buttons accordions, such as the Irish double-row B-C accordions, can play in any key, including Eb (the relative minor of F#).
Key:  Am (C diatonic collection of notes)

Tempo:  ~ 105 bpm

Singer:  Asher Quinn

​Posted by:  Asher Quinn
Key: Cm (Eb diatonic collection of notes)

Tempo:  ~ 125 bpm.
​
Performers:  Gothard Sisters 

​Posted by:  TheGothardSisters

Singing begins at video time 0:33.
I havn't checked the key(s) of the musical interludes.
Key:  Em  (G diatonic collection of notes)

Tempo:  ~ 90 bpm.

Singers:  Gregorian ??

Posted by:  corvo malkovick

Because of the accidental (6th note in the second line), there is a problem playing this tune on the outside G row of a G-C accordion.
Key: Dm (F diatonic collection of notes)

Tempo:  ~ 95 bpm

Singer:  Amy Nuttall

​Posted by:  sic36

Singing  begins about one minute into the video.
Key: Em (G diatonic collection of notes)

Tempo:  ~ 100 bpm

Performers:  Mike Masse &
                     Sterlilng Cottam
​
​Posted by:  Mike Masse

Because of the  accidental in the second line (6th note), there is a problem playing this tune on the outside G row of a G-C accordion.
Key:  Am (C diatonic collection of notes)
        
Tempo:  ~100 bpm

Artist:  Taryn Harbridge

Posted by:  Taryn Harbridge

Instrumental
Key:  C#m (E diatonic collection)

Tempo:  ~120 bpm

Singer:  Celia Pavey

​Posted by:  ahawnt
BACKGROUND MATERIALS, INFORMATION & LINKS

Lyrics:
Source: wikipedia

This song was popularized by Simon & Garfunkel with a version that was musically beautiful but lyrically incomplete.

In the traditional version:
  • the man sets three impossible tasks (all related traditionally to a woman's work),
  • and the woman replies with four verses of impossible tasks (all related traditionally to a man's work),
  • ​and in the final verse says that he will get his "shirt" when he has completed the tasks she has set.

The final verse of the female part brings completeness to the lyrics, but not resolution to the conflict between the two. Hence, it is played and sung in a minor key.

See the background link below for more info.
​
Male part:

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Remember me to the one who lives there,
For once she was a true love of mine.

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Without any seam or needlework,
Then she shall be a true love of mine.

Tell her to wash it in yonder well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Where never sprung water or rain ever fell,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born,
Then she shall be a true lover of mine.

Female part:

Now he has asked me questions three,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
I hope he'll answer as many for me,
Before he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to buy me an acre of land,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Between the salt water and the sea sand,
Then he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to plough it with a ram's horn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And sow it all over with one pepper corn,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to sheer't with a sickle of leather,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And bind it up with a peacock's feather,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to thrash it on yonder wall,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,
And never let one corn of it fall,
Then he shall be a true lover of mine.
​
When he has done and finished his work.
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme:
Oh, tell him to come and he'll have his shirt,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.
Background:
Click HERE for Wikipedia background information.  This opens in a separate window to make it easy to return to this site.

Click HERE for one person's explanation of what the song is about. Though the article is interesting, the site's text and background color choices make it hard to read, a common problem in early web sites.