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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)

    





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