The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #137494   Message #3145136
Posted By: GUEST,Paul Burke
30-Apr-11 - 03:52 AM
Thread Name: Songs for May Day
Subject: RE: Songs for Mayday
I posted this back in 2002; here it is with corrections:

My Mum (1917-2000) was from Pendlebury (Agecroft Road). She used to have a May song that ran something like:

We come to greet you on the First of May
And we hope you will not turn us away
As we dance and sing round the merry, merry maypole ring
For we are-
Bright as the flowers that bloom in the spring
Light as the birds that fly in the air.

Once we had a maypole, it was a pretty sight,
For pretty Peggy Dolan* was dressed all in white,
As we danced around the maypole, we heard the angels sing-

When Charley Wink came down our snow- white chimney pot
We were gay, bright and gay, happy news I bring.
Lady, lady, bright and shady, in the midst of April showers,
The Queen of May is here today to bring us all a holiday,
A holiday,
Bells are ringing, children singing,
Here is the merry, merry month of May.

*insert name as desired

Not exactly a classic, but it was all we had. The period would be just after World War I.