I’ve always liked this song—even before I heard the version that included /Canticle. It’s the kind of folk song that is enduring. The words and the music get under my skin, like a clan tattoo, indelible and a mark of whom I am, and make me want to learn to play the guitar (or fiddle). I like folk music from any type of folk; it reminds me of a time when our ancestors sang from their souls around campfires, danced with their ancestors’ feet and gave voice to the silent sound of the Divine within them. I love Celtic beats and taiko, foot-tapping American fiddles and morin khuur.

Simon and Garfunkel were a fixture of my childhood folk experience (along with John Denver). When I first heard the /Canticle version, I loved the way the harmonies wove together like a Scottish plaid. I only discovered a few days ago that the lyrics weave similarly with strands as different as blue wool and yellow.

lyrics (because I sure can’t hear the /Canticle behind the Fair that I know by heart)