MAGGIE MAY
(Traditional)
Also recorded by :
Lonnie Donegan & The Vipers Skiffle Group - 1957
Wally Whyton's Vipers Skiffle Group
The Beatles - 1970
This song is also believed to be the inspiration
for the American ballad "Darling Nellie Grey".
MAGGIE MAY
(Traditional 19th Century Liverpool Seamen's Song)
Now gather round you sailor boys, and listen to my plea
And when you've heard my tale you'll pity me
For I was a real damned fool in the port of Liverpool
The first time that I came home from the sea
I was paid off at the Home, from a voyage to Sierra Leone
Two pounds ten and sixpence was my pay
When I drew the tin I grinned, but I very soon got skinned
By a girl by the name of Maggie May
Oh, Maggie, Maggie May, they've taken you away
They've sent you to Van Diemen's cruel shore
For you robbed so many a sailor, and skinned so many a whaler
And you'll never shine in Paradise Street no more
I shan't forget the day when I first met Maggie May
She was cruising up and down on Canning Place
With a figure so divine, like a frigate of the line
So, being a sailor, I gave chase
Oh, Maggie, Maggie May, they've taken you away
They've sent you to Van Diemen's cruel shore
For you robbed so many a sailor, and skinned so many a whaler
And you'll never shine in Paradise Street no more
Next day I woke in bed, with a sore and aching head
No shoes, or shirt, or trousers could I find
I asked her where they were, and she answered, "My dear sir,
They're down in Kelly's knock-shop, number nine"
Oh, Maggie, Maggie May, they've taken you away
They've sent you to Van Diemen's cruel shore
For you robbed so many a sailor, and skinned so many a whaler
And you'll never shine in Paradise Street no more
Oh, you thieving Maggie May, you robbed me of my pay
When I slept with you last night ashore
And the judge he guilty found her of robbing a homeward-bounder
And she'll never roam down Paradise Street no more
Oh, Maggie, Maggie May, they've taken you away
They've sent you to Van Diemen's cruel shore
For you robbed so many a sailor, and skinned so many a whaler
And you'll never shine in Paradise Street no more
******
ALTERNATE CHORUS (1):
Oh, Maggie, Maggie May, they have taken you away
And you'll never walk down Lime Street anymore
You may search from here to China, you'll not find a girl that's finer
That is finer than my darlin' Maggie May
******
ALTERNATE CHORUS (2):
Oh, Maggie, Maggie May, they have taken her away
And she'll never walk down Lime Street any more
Oh, she robbed those lime juice sailors, and the captains of the
whalers,
That dirty robbing no-good Maggie May
******
ALTERNATE VERSION (1):
Now gather round you sailor boys, and listen to my plea
And when you've heard my tale you'll pity me
For I was a real damned fool in the port of Liverpool
The first time that I came home from the sea
We paid off at the home from the port of Sierra Leone
And four pounds ten a month that was my pay
With a pocket full of tin I was very soon taken in
By a girl with the name of Maggie May
Oh Maggie, Maggie May they have taken her away
And she'll never walk down Lime street anymore
For she robbed so many sailors and captains of the whalers
That dirty, robbin' no good Maggie May
Oh well I do remember when I first met Maggie May
She was cruising up and down old Canning Place
She'd a figure so divine, like a frigate of the line
So me being a sailor , I gave chase
Oh Maggie, Maggie May they have taken her away
And she'll never walk down Lime street anymore
For she robbed so many sailors and captains of the whalers
That dirty, robbin' no good Maggie May
Next morning when I awoke I was flat and stoney broke
No jacket, trousers, waistcoat I could find
When I asked her where they were she said "My very dear sir,
They're down in Kelly's knocker number nine"
To the pawnshop I did go but no clothes there I did find and
The policeman came and took that girl away
The judge he guilty found her, of robbing the homeward–bounder
And paid her passage back to Botany Bay
Oh Maggie, Maggie May they have taken her away
And she'll never walk down Lime street anymore
For she robbed so many sailors and captains of the whalers
That dirty, robbin' no good Maggie May
Oh Maggie, Maggie May they have taken her away
And she'll never walk down Lime street anymore
For she robbed so many sailors and captains of the whalers
That dirty, robbin' no good Maggie May
******
ALTERNATE VERSION (2):
Now you jolly sailor lads
Come listen to my tale
I'm sure you will have cause to pity me
I was a damned young fool
In the port of Liverpool
When I called there on my first port home from sea
Oh Maggie, Maggie May
They have taken her away
To slave upon Van Dieman's cruel shore
Oh, you robbed so many whalers
And dosed so many sailors
But you'll never cruise 'round Peter Street no more
I was staying at the Home
From a voyage to Sierre Leone
And two-pound-ten a month was all my pay
As I jingled with my tin
I was easy taken in
By a little girl up there called Maggie May
Oh, I'll never forget the day
When I first met Maggie May
She was standing on a corner at Canning Place
In a full-sized crin-o-line
Like a frigate of the line
And as she saw I was a sailor I gave chase
She gave me a saucy nod
And I, like a farmer's clod
Let her take me line abreast in tow
And under all plain sail
We ran before the gale
And to the Crow's Nest Tavern we did go
Next morning when I woke
I found that I was broke
No shoes or shirt or trousers could I find
When I asked her where they were
She answers "My dear sir,
They're down in Lewis' pawnshop number nine"
So to Lewis' I did go
But no clothing could I find
And the policeman took that wicked girl away
Of robbing a homeward-bounder
And now she's doing time in Botany Bay
She was chained and sent away
From Liverpool one day
The lads all cheered as she sailed down the bay
And every sailor lad
He only was too glad
They'd sent that old whore out to Botany Bay
Oh Maggie, Maggie May
They have taken her away
To slave upon Van Dieman's cruel shore
Oh, you robbed so many whalers
And dosed so many sailors
But you'll never cruise 'round Peter Street no more
******
AUSTRALIAN VERSION:
Oh come along all you sailor boys and listen to my plea
And when I am finished you'll agree
I was a goddamned fool in the port of Liverpool
The first time that I came home from sea
We was paid off at The Hove from a port called Sydney Cove
And two pound ten a month was all my pay
Oh I started drinking gin and was neatly taken in
By a little girl they all called Maggie May
Oh Maggie, Maggie May they have taken you away
To slave upon that cold Van Diemen shore
Oh you robbed so many sailors and dosed so many whalers
You'll never cruise down Lime Street any more
Twas a damned unlucky day when I first met Maggie May
She was cruising up and down old Canning Place
Oh she had a figure fine as a warship of the line
And me being a sailor I gave chase
In the morning when I woke stiff and sore and stoney broke
No trousers, coat, or waistcoat could I find
The landlady said 'Sir, I can tell you where they are
They'll be down in Stanley's hock-shop number nine'
To the bobby on his beat at the corner of the street
To him I went to him I told my tail
He asked me as if in doubt 'Does your mother know you're out?'
But agreed the lady ought to be in jail
To the hock-shop I did go but no trousers there I spied
So the bobbies came and took the girl away
The jury guilty found her for robbing a homeward bounder
And paid her passage out to Botany Bay
Oh Maggie, Maggie May they have taken you away
To slave upon that cold Van Diemen shore
Oh you robbed so many sailors and dosed so many whalers
You'll never cruise down Lime Street any more
******
AS RECORDED BY THE VIPERS SKIFFLE GROUP - 1957
Oh Maggie, Maggie May, they have taken her away
And she'll never walk down Lime street anymore
Well, that judge he guilty found her, for robbin' a homeward–bounder
You dirty, robbin' no good Maggie May
Now, I was paid off at the Pool, in the port of Liverpool
Well, three pound ten a week, that was my pay
With a pocket full of tin, I was very soon taken in
By a gal with the name of Maggie May
Now, the first time I saw Maggie, she took my breath away,
She was cruising up and down in Canning Place
She had a figure so divine, her voice was so refined
Well, being a sailor I gave chase
Now, in the morning I awoke, I was flat and stony broke
No jacket, trousers, waistcoat did I find
Oh, and when I asked her, where? She said, "My very dear sir,
They're down in Kelly's pawnshop number nine"
To the pawnshop I did go, no clothes there did I find
And the police, they took that gal away from me
And the judge he guilty found her of robbin' a homeward-bounder
She'll never walk down Lime Street anymore
Oh Maggie, Maggie May, they have taken her away
And she'll never walk down Lime street anymore
Well, that judge he guilty found her, for robbin' a homeward–bounder
You dirty, robbin' no good Maggie May
(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - July 2005)
******
AS RECORDED BY THE BEATLES - 1970
Oh dirty Maggie May they have taken her away
And she never walk down Lime Street any more
Oh the judge he guilty found her
For robbing a homeward bounder
That dirty no good robbin' Maggie May
To the port of Liverpool
They returned me to
Two pounds ten a week, that was my pay
(Contributed by Graham Gibson, Mel
Priddle, & Bill Huntley - July 2005)
*******
as rec by Judy Garland 1964
Why do they all know Maggie?
Why do they love her so?
No judy holds a candle up to her!
And mister, if you've missed
Darlin' Maggie off your list,
You're not half the man I thought you were!
Oh , Maggie Maggie May,
Now they've taken her away,
How can Liverpool be what it was before?
Some rotten homeward bounder
Has got his grip around 'er,
And she'll never walk down Lime Street any more!
So serve up half of bitter
but never bitter be,
It only gives you wrinkles on your brow!
You have been, so they say,
Quite a beauty in your day,
But your reputation's Maggie's now!
Oh , Maggie Maggie May,
Now they've taken her away,
How can Liverpool be what it was before?
Some rotten homeward bounder
Has got his grip around 'er,
And she'll never walk down Lime Street any more!
Oh , Maggie Maggie May,
Now they've taken her away,
How can Liverpool be what it was before?
Some rotten homeward bounder
Has got his grip around 'er,
And she'll never walk down Lime Street any more,
And she'll never walk down Lime Street any more!
(Transcribed by Peter Akers - March 2011)
