NO, NO, NO,
This song is a traditional English Ballad, in it's original form, "the Simon an Garfunkel version tend to water it down a bit" it's about two ex lovers who set out an impossible task for each other and if accomplished, would take each other back.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt:
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
Without no seams nor needle work,
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
How in bloody Hell can you make any shirt "without no seams nor needle work" it's impossible! But that's the point. Notice that it then says "then She'll be a true love of mine". Next,
Tell her to find me an acre of land:
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
Between the salt water and the sea strand,
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
In other words find an acre of land between water and land hmm well let's see that's right where the water meets land right? Last I checked you either got an acre of water or an acre of land. It simply can't be done! And last but not least.
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather:
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
And gather it all in a bunch of heather,
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
For those of you who don't know, a sickle is a hand held hook shaped blade used in the olden days to reap a harvest. Now he's telling her to use a sickle made of leather to reap the harvest, that's like telling someone to put steel tyres on their car and run a lap round the nurburgring! Shure theoretically it can be done but it would take forever!
As for the other stuff well it's all about self pity the way one feels after they break up with someone the care about. You know can't go back but it doesnt take away the pain this is most prevalent in this verse;
War bellows blazing in scarlet battalions.
General order their soldiers to kill.
And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten
When you've broke off with someone you love, sometimes the reasons are stronger at first but then you have a hard time remembering why you hate them "and to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten"
So to sum it up I believe this song is a mix of old time ballad and new time folk with the same message just mended slightly in the old version it was made clear that he didn't want her he didn't love her in this version we get to see between the cracks we get to see that its more of a front a tough guy face if you will. And that perhaps maybe given the right set of circumstances it may have worked out.
And on that bombshell it's time to end Goodnight!
@JeremyClarkson A bit heavily put, but agreed. The old balled segment of the song is about 2 lovers setting impossible tasks that the other cannot meet.
@JeremyClarkson A bit heavily put, but agreed. The old balled segment of the song is about 2 lovers setting impossible tasks that the other cannot meet.
NO, NO, NO, This song is a traditional English Ballad, in it's original form, "the Simon an Garfunkel version tend to water it down a bit" it's about two ex lovers who set out an impossible task for each other and if accomplished, would take each other back.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt: Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme; Without no seams nor needle work, Then she'll be a true love of mine.
How in bloody Hell can you make any shirt "without no seams nor needle work" it's impossible! But that's the point. Notice that it then says "then She'll be a true love of mine". Next,
Tell her to find me an acre of land: Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme; Between the salt water and the sea strand, Then she'll be a true love of mine.
In other words find an acre of land between water and land hmm well let's see that's right where the water meets land right? Last I checked you either got an acre of water or an acre of land. It simply can't be done! And last but not least.
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather: Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme; And gather it all in a bunch of heather, Then she'll be a true love of mine.
For those of you who don't know, a sickle is a hand held hook shaped blade used in the olden days to reap a harvest. Now he's telling her to use a sickle made of leather to reap the harvest, that's like telling someone to put steel tyres on their car and run a lap round the nurburgring! Shure theoretically it can be done but it would take forever! As for the other stuff well it's all about self pity the way one feels after they break up with someone the care about. You know can't go back but it doesnt take away the pain this is most prevalent in this verse;
War bellows blazing in scarlet battalions. General order their soldiers to kill. And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten
When you've broke off with someone you love, sometimes the reasons are stronger at first but then you have a hard time remembering why you hate them "and to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten" So to sum it up I believe this song is a mix of old time ballad and new time folk with the same message just mended slightly in the old version it was made clear that he didn't want her he didn't love her in this version we get to see between the cracks we get to see that its more of a front a tough guy face if you will. And that perhaps maybe given the right set of circumstances it may have worked out. And on that bombshell it's time to end Goodnight!
@JeremyClarkson A bit heavily put, but agreed. The old balled segment of the song is about 2 lovers setting impossible tasks that the other cannot meet.
@JeremyClarkson A bit heavily put, but agreed. The old balled segment of the song is about 2 lovers setting impossible tasks that the other cannot meet.