Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme Songs Ranked

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme is the third studio album by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album was released on October 24, 1966, in the United States by Columbia Records. Following the success of the re-release of their debut single “The Sound of Silence”, Simon & Garfunkel regrouped after a time apart while Columbia issued their second album, a rushed collection titled Sounds of Silence. For their third album, the duo spent almost three months in the studio working on instrumentation and production. Many critics have considered it a breakthrough in recording for the duo, and one of their best efforts. “Homeward Bound” had already been a top five hit in numerous countries and “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” performed similarly. The album peaked at number four on the Billboard Pop Album Chart and was eventually certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Here are all of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme songs ranked.

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12. A Poem on the Underground Wall

“The urban setting takes us back to “The Sounds of Silence,” even if this song doesn’t have the power of the earlier one. A man writes a “four-letter poem” on the underground wall. So what is the word? Any word you want it to be. It may be a “four-letter word,” but it could just as easily be that other four-letter word the Beatles sang about.”

11. Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall

“Here the poet chooses to ignore what he had grasped in that other song. An upbeat tune about pretending that one will live forever. One of the most memorable songs in the album, it is also an underrated one.”

10. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)

“Another mellow tune, this time about taking it easy. You may have heard of the Italian expression “dolce far niente,” which translates roughly as “sweet to do nothing.” The song exalts the joys of having no obligations and just enjoying life.”

9. Patterns

“The first stanza focuses on night, with its lights and shadows. Next, he is in his room, looking at the wall, which also has its patterns. In the third stanza, he compares himself to a rat in a maze. The final verses allude to race and age. A kind of determinism is being described here. At the same time, we see patterns everywhere if we look for them. Are we reading too much into things? (This is a characteristic of some types of mental illness.) S&G often coupled depressing lyrics with pleasant melodies, and this is a great example.”

See more: Simon & Garfunkel Albums Ranked

8. A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d Into Submission)

“This tune features interesting rhymes that in a sense prefigure 80s rap and hip-hop. A fun song and a portrait of the times, it also happens to be my least favorite in the S&G corpus. Some will call it fun, but it’s too frivolous for my taste.”

7. The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine

“A brilliant satire of consumerism. The machine of the title is the solution to all of our problems. This simple song, which has excellent rhymes, summarizes the logic of advertising: you are inadequate, our product can help you, supplies are limited, order now.”

6. Cloudy

“As in much Romantic poetry, the weather reflects the poet’s mood. Like the previous song, “Cloudy” suggests that we are moved by forces beyond of our control. We are clouds being blown by the wind. A nice, mellow tune.”

5. 7 O’Clock News / Silent Night

“A textbook example of montage. S&G sing the classic Christmas carol over news broadcasts that touch upon civil rights, LBJ, drugs, MLK Jr., murder, protests, Vietnam, and Nixon. The broadcast gets louder as the song progresses. An accurate depiction of the troubled times that were the late 60s.”

4. The Dangling Conversation

“A song about two people who are together and yet are separated by an abyss. It may be the saddest song on the album. It makes me think of “The Sounds of Silence,” with its people talking without speaking and hearing without listening. Disconnection is the theme here. I was pleasantly surprised to hear this song recently in the classic documentary _High School_ (Frederick Wiseman, 1968), in which a teacher uses this song to teach poetry. Indeed, this is Simon’s poetry at its best.”

3. Homeward Bound

“Written in an English railway station, this is the ultimate song about homesickness. It is also a road song, and one of S&G’s most famous pieces. Interestingly, even though I love this song–or perhaps because of that–I find myself at a loss for words. This is one of those songs that must be listened to. It’s not complex at all, which proves that simplicity has much value. A favorite among nostalgic people like me.”

2. Scarborough Fair / Canticle

“Featuring beautiful harmonizing vocals, this song is simply sublime. A list of impossible tasks given to a former lover is mixed with anti-war message: soldiers have forgotten what they are fighting for. The overall feeling is one of futility. Every time I listen to this song, I find myself wishing it would never end. Moving. A pleasure to listen to.”

1. For Emily, Whenever I May Find her

“A gentle love song sung by Art Garfunkel. It describes the connection between two lovers through beautiful poetic images. The title adds another layer to the story: the lover is gone. Simple and touching.”