Lyr/Tune: Maggie

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune: Maggie
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 06:43 AM

We were known to occasionally play it as a somewhat upbeat and perky instrumental in our pub sessions years ago. You may be thankful that I never recorded it.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune: Maggie
From: PHJim
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 12:06 AM

Tom Rush - When You And I Were Young Maggie

Here's an instrumental version that Al Kirby and I did a decade or two ago. Al'splaying Scruggs style banjo, I'm playing clawhammer and Zeke Mazurek is playing fiddle.
Kirby & Yates - Maggie

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune: Maggie
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 22 Sep 20 - 02:59 PM

Maggie by Foster and Allen.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune: Maggie
From: PHJim
Date: 21 Sep 20 - 11:56 PM

I've often heard, "And time alone wields the pen."

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune: Maggie
From: RunrigFan
Date: 21 Sep 20 - 01:19 PM

Does Alasdair Gilles sing ancient and grey or aged and grey ?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune: Maggie
From: PHJim
Date: 21 Sep 20 - 10:30 AM

My wife, Maggie, and I first performed as a duo about 38 years ago and this is one of the tunes we played. Now that we are both senior citizens, these words are more meaningful:

They say I am feeble with age Maggie
I step not as spritely as then
My face is a well a well written page Maggie
And time alone was the pen

They say we are aged and gray, Maggie,
As spray by the wild breakers flung
But to me you're as fair as you were Maggie   
When you and I were young

Subject: RE: Lyr/Tune: Maggie
From: PHJim
Date: 21 Sep 20 - 10:21 AM

I lived in Dundas and worked in Hagersville in 1966/67. AS I passed through Mount Hope, I always noticed the blue and gold historical plaque on the highway pointing to the home of George and Maggie Johnson. The big letters at the top read "When You And I Were Young Maggie". Unfortunately the present owners of the home have asked that the sign be removed since they had too many people stopping to take photos. It is now kept in a municipal building.
Mount Hope is now part of the city of Hamilton, as is Dundas.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Maggie
From: meself
Date: 20 Sep 20 - 12:19 AM

There is another set of lyrics to the Maggie tune, titled 'Nora', I believe by Sean O'Casey. Although as a Canadian I feel a bit traitorous saying it, the Nora lyrics go more easily with the melody, outside of the piano-in-the-parlour setting. If you know what I mean.

Subject: Lyr ADD: Maggie
From: RunrigFan
Date: 19 Sep 20 - 08:42 PM

Known as When You and I Were Young, Maggie

I wandered today to the hills, Maggie
To watch the scene below
The creek and the creaking old mill, Maggie
As we used to long, long ago

The green grove has gone from the hills, Maggie
Where first the daisies sprung
The creaking old mill is still, Maggie
Since you and I were young

Oh, they say that I'm feeble with age, Maggie
My steps are much slower than then
My face is a well written page, Maggie
And time all alone was the pen

They say we have outlived our time, Maggie
As dated the song that we've sung
But to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie
When you and I were young

They say we have outlived our time, Maggie
As dated the song that we've sung
But to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie
When you and I were young
When you and I were young

Alasdair Glliles version

I wandered today to the hills, Maggie
To watch the scene below
The creek and the creaking old mill, Maggie
As we used to long, long ago

The green grove is gone from the hills, Maggie
Where first the daisies sprung
But to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie
When you and I were young.

They said you are ancient and grey, Maggie
Your steps are less brightly than then
And your face is a well written page, Maggie
But time, time alone was the pen

They said you are ancient and grey, Maggie
Like spray, by the white breakers flung
But to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie
When you and I were young

They said you are ancient and grey, Maggie
Like spray, by the white breakers flung
But to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie
When you and I were young

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Áine
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 12:58 PM

Dear Dale,

Thank you so much for providing the background of this song. I've got a new perspective on it now, though I don't know whether I'll ever be able to sing it again, the story is so terribly sad.

Excellent research on your part. Thanks again so very much.

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Dale Rose
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 11:58 AM

Can't say which is correct, but Paul Worth (follow link to earlier discussion) says the poem was written in 1864, before her death, but Fawcett-Johnston in the notes above says it was written the year she died, 1866. Worth's story makes more sense to me, not to mention the short time frame involved in her death, Johnson's writing the poem, giving it to Butterfield, Butterfield's composing the music, and publishing it, all by May of 66.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Dale Rose
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 11:27 AM

The John McCormack version from 1925 is on John McCormack in English Song, Pearl GEMM 9970, 1993. The CD was made in England, but is reasonably available in other parts of the world as well.

From the notes by Brian Fawcett-Johnston: In deciding to place When You And I Were Young, Maggie in an anthology of English song, I am well aware that it was published in America. However, the composer was an Englishman who had emigrated to America in 1856, while the lyricist and his wife, Maggie Clark (1849-66), who is the heroine of the song, were both English Canadians. There indeed was a creaking old mill on a hillside in the Ontario township where their love blossomed in 1865. George Johnson was Maggie's tutor, and also ten years her senior. They married and moved to Ohio, where Maggie died almost immediately afterwards, at the age of 16. Heartbroken, George wrote the poem the year she died, (he himself lived for a further 51 years), giving the manuscript to the Englishman James Butterfield, who published the song on 19 May 1866. It became one of the best sellers of the age. But George, who remained a bachelor, did not want the huge fortune in royalties the song brought him over so many years, he only wanted Maggie.

George Johnson's dates were 1839-1917, and James Butterfield's were 1837-1891, and as mentioned above, Maggie Clark Johnson was born in 1849 and died in 1866.

Here is a link to an earlier discussion of the song.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 08:52 PM

G'day,
Thanks to Snuffy the tune for "Maggie" can be found here at the Mudcat MIDI site.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Áine
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 07:40 PM

Thanks so much, Dale! That's a wonderful resource, isn't it? I could spend days going through all the songs and tunes.

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Dale Rose
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 06:38 PM

Actually, the song was from 1866, just the sheet music at the Library of Congress search was from 1882.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Dale Rose
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 06:30 PM

Hi there, Phil Cooper ~~ greetings from Arkansas. Yes, Maggie (the Maura O'Connell version mentioned earlier) is on a later DeDannan compilation as well as Star Spangled Molly. John McCormick did record When You And I Were Young, Maggie, a close but much older relative from 1882. I forget at the moment which albums and CDs it has been recorded on. I'll look them up later.

Branwen, you'll find the sheet music for When You And I Were Young, Maggie at the Library of Congress American Memory Collection. I don't think I have ever seen the sheet music for Maggie ~~ nor have I seen a free download anywhere. Sounds like Áine has that covered anyway.

Also check Benjamin R Tubb's excellent site http://pdmusic.org/ He has the When You And I Were Young, MaggieLyrics Here and the Midi Here So much good stuff at his site that I won't try to explain it, just go there and spend a few hours and you'll see what I mean.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: GUEST,Phil Cooper
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 05:56 PM

Maggie was also recorded by DeDannan on their album Star Spangled Molly. If I'm not mistaken it's a rewrite of "When You and I were Young Maggie" I'm not absolutely sure, but didn't John McCormick record that way back?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Áine
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 05:52 PM

Dear Branwen23,

Check your Personal Page for a message regarding a soundfile.

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Branwen23
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 05:44 PM

my problem is not that I haven't been able to find a recording available for purchase over the web... that's no big deal... I just wanted to avoid buyin a cd for this one tune... all I need is notation or some type of audio file of the melody...

thanks.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: GUEST,JMCC
Date: 27 Jun 00 - 06:30 PM

It's just come to me. "Nora" was written by poet/dramatist Sean O'Casey. It was featured on an LP released in the 80s called "The Green Crow Craws, the songs of ...". Paul Brady was the musical director and guitarist on it but the songs were sung by a actor. "Nora" was based on the earlier "Maggie". O'Casey was in the habit of borrowing from the tradition in this fashion. He has a version of "Easy and Slow" as well. more love, john.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: GUEST,JMCC
Date: 27 Jun 00 - 05:09 PM

Tom Rush has recorded "Maggie", as have the Fureys and Davie Arthur (track one on CD "Fureys and Davie Arthur"). This period of the Fureys recording is aimed at the charts and is quite different from their early Transatlantic recorings. The "Nora" variant was written by an Irish poet/songwiter who's name escapes me at the moment.If you don't get more info, I'll come back with words once I have got back to my recod collection. love, john.

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: MAGGIE / NORA
From: Snuffy
Date: 27 Jun 00 - 05:08 PM

Hi Branwen

Enter "Maggie" in the "Digitrad Lyrics Search" box at the top of the forum page to find the words. There isn't a tune in the DT, but I'm sending a midi to Alan for the mudcat midi pages. You can use MidiNotate free software to print out the midi as sheet music. There's been a thread on MidiNotate this year. Send me a Mudcat Personal Message if you want me to e-mail you the midi direct.

There is another very similar song common in Ireland (not in DT) which uses the same tune:

NORA
The [D]violets were scenting the [G]woods, [Em]Nora,
Dis[D]playing their [Bm]charms to the [Em]bee[A],
When I [D]first said I [D7]loved only [G]you, [Em]Nora,
And [D]you said you [A7]loved only [D]me.

CHORUS:
The [G]chestnut bloom gleamed through the [D]glade, Nora,
The [A]robin sang [E]out from each [A7]tree,
When I [D]first said I [D7]loved only [G]you, [Em]Nora,
And [D]you said you [A7]loved only [D]me.

The golden-dewed daffodils shone, Nora,
And danced in the breeze on the lea,
When I first said I loved only you, Nora,
And you said you loved only me.

The birds in the trees sang their songs, Nora,
Of happier transports to be,
When I first said I loved only you, Nora,
And you said you loved only me.

Our hopes they have never come true, Nora,
Our dreams they were never to be,
When I first said I loved only you, Nora,
And you said you loved only me.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: wildlone
Date: 27 Jun 00 - 04:26 PM

I think another name for this song is Nora, My Mother had a version on tape by Foster and Allen.
I hope this may help in your search. dave.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: req. recording or music for 'Maggie
From: Áine
Date: 27 Jun 00 - 04:23 PM

Dear Branwen23,

This is one of my favorite songs. You can find it performed by Maura O'Connell and De Dannan on the CD "Voices of Celtic Women - Holding Up Half The Sky" from Shanachie Records (#78011). You can also find the same song/performance on this compilation CD, from the Irish Records site.

This song is also known as "Nora" - so you might want to search the Net using that name. The lyrics are usually the same as "Maggie", just switch the names.

Good luck, Áine

Subject: req. recording or music for 'Maggie'
From: Branwen23
Date: 27 Jun 00 - 03:49 PM

Looking for a recording or a copy of sheet music for song with the following line: "When I first said I loved only you, Maggie, and you said you loved only me." I've read a couple of threads that say this tune was recorded by Maura O'Connell, but all the threads were pretty old and any links to recordings were no longer good. I haven't been able to find the Maura O'Connell recording anywhere on the web available for free download... Can anybody help me?