ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Scarborough Fair (ballad)

Scarborough Fair is a very old song that comes from England. It is a ballad which is like a story told in a song. The song talks about a young man who asks his lover to do some impossible tasks in order to prove her love for him. The tasks include finding some herbs that only grow in Scarborough, making a shirt without any seams or needlework, and washing it in a dry well.

The song is very famous and has been sung by many people. It has a very catchy tune which makes it easy to remember. The lyrics are very poetic and use lots of metaphors and symbolism. For example, the herbs from Scarborough are said to symbolize faithfulness and the shirt without any seams is said to symbolize purity.

The song has been interpreted in many different ways over the years. Some people think it is a love song, while others think it is a sad song about unrequited love. Some people think the tasks are impossible because they are meant to be, while others think they are impossible because the young man is being unreasonable.

Regardless of what the song means, it has stood the test of time and continues to be popular to this day.