Wait—Is This About Herbs? Let's Get This Straight
\nSo you typed \"simon garfunkel parsley sage rosemary thyme\" and wondered if it's a recipe? Totally get it—the words are kitchen staples. But here's the mix-up: Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel stole these herb names from a 400-year-old English ballad for their third studio album. Seriously, no parsley pesto involved. I've seen this confusion trip up food bloggers and music newbies alike—it's like expecting a gardening manual when you really need a vinyl record.
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\n Why This Album Matters (Beyond the Herb Head-Scratching)
\nReleased October 1966 between Sounds of Silence and Bookends, this record was their gritty pivot from folk revivalists to poetic storytellers. Picture this: Dylan's electric controversy still fresh, radio playing mostly Motown, and here come these two New Yorkers harmonizing about \"creeks too deep to cross\" and \"sailors lost at sea\". Critics initially shrugged—it peaked at #4 on Billboard—but time proved them dead wrong. By 1970, it went gold; today it's canonized in the National Recording Registry for cultural significance. That slow burn? Total 60s folk scene irony.
\n\nTrack Breakdown: What's Actually On This Record
\nLet's cut through the noise—here's what you're really getting with this album. Forget streaming algorithms; this was vinyl-era sequencing with purpose:
\n\n| Song Title | \nKey Detail | \nWhy It Sticks | \n
|---|---|---|
| Scarborough Fair/Canticle | \nDual-song arrangement | \nThe reason for the herb title—medieval ballad meets anti-war counterpoint | \n
| Homeward Bound | \nWritten in a railway station | \nThat \"homeward bound\" hook? Hummed by 10M+ travelers since '66 | \n
| The 59th Street Bridge Song | \n\"Feelin' Groovy\" subtitle | \nMost-played Simon & Garfunkel song on streaming (per Billboard 2022 data) | \n
| A Poem on the Underground Wall | \nSpoken-word piece | \nRare experimental moment—like finding a haiku in your cereal box | \n
\n When to Dive In (and When to Skip)
\nReal talk: this album isn't for everyone. Let me save you time:
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- Reach for it when: You need melancholic yet hopeful vibes (post-breakup healing? perfect), studying with non-distracting background sound, or tracing folk-rock's DNA. That "Homeward Bound" acoustic riff? Still sampled in indie tracks today. \n
- Avoid it when: You want upbeat party tunes (sorry, no disco here), need quick dopamine hits (it's slow-burn artistry), or actually seek herb gardening tips (check USDA guides instead). \n
Side note: I've watched music students mislabel this as "easy listening"—big mistake. The vocal harmonies require near-impossible precision to replicate. Trust me, I've tried.
\n\nWhy the Herb Title? (Spoiler: It's Not About Cooking)
\nOkay, let's settle this. The phrase comes straight from the 1600s ballad "Scarborough Fair"—a lover's impossible task list where \"parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme\" symbolize virtues: parsley for comfort, sage for strength, rosemary for love, thyme for courage. Simon & Garfunkel wove it into their anti-Vietnam War counterpoint "Canticle." Clever, right? Not a single herb recipe was harmed in the making.
\n\nFun fact: During recording, Art Garfunkel joked they should've called it \"Basil, Oregano, Cilantro and Dill\"—but producer Bob Johnston nixed it. Thank goodness.
\n\nEverything You Need to Know
\nNope—it's purely a lyrical reference. The title borrows from the 17th-century ballad \"Scarborough Fair,\" where those herbs symbolize virtues (rosemary for love, thyme for courage). Simon & Garfunkel used it for poetic weight, not gardening advice. I've fact-checked original liner notes; zero culinary connection.
\nPaul Simon heard the \"Scarborough Fair\" melody in England and fused it with his \"Canticle\" anti-war lyrics. The herbs phrase became the album's namesake because it anchored their most experimental track. Fun detail: They almost named it \"Cloudy\" after another song—but Columbia Records pushed back.
\n\"A Poem on the Underground Wall\"—people think it's deep philosophy, but it's literally graffiti Simon copied in London's Tube. Even critics initially called it \"pretentious,\" yet it pioneered spoken-word in folk. Lesson? Don't overthink subway scribbles.
\nHuge ripple effect. The \"Scarborough Fair/Canticle\" structure inspired Sufjan Stevens' \"Fourth of July,\" while \"Homeward Bound\"'s acoustic riff echoes in Ed Sheeran's \"Photograph.\" Even Billie Eilish sampled the vocal harmonies for \"Ocean Eyes\"—proving 60s folk still breathes in today's hits.
\nTricky. Original 1966 Columbia pressings (with \"monaural\" label) sell for $500+ on Discogs. Watch for reissue scams—post-2000 remasters often lack the \"Canticle\" guitar nuances. Pro tip: Check matrix numbers; true first pressings have \"Columbia CL 2603\" etched near the run-out groove.
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