> A.L. Lloyd > Songs > Maggie May
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Maggie May

[ Roud 1757 / Song Subject MAS944 ; Ballad Index FaE030 ; Wiltshire 374 ; DT MAGGIMAY ; Mudcat 61609 ; trad.]

Mary and Nigel Hudleston: Songs of the Ridings Stan Hugill: Shanties From the Seven Seas Roy Palmer: Everyman’s Book of British Ballads Stephen Sedley: The Seeds of Love

Geoff Ling used to sing Maggie May at The Ship Inn in Blaxhall. A recording made by Peter Kennedy on 10 October 1953 was included in 2014 on the Topic anthology The Barley Mow (The Voice of the People Series Volume 26). A Keith Summers recording from 1972 was included in 2007 on the Musical Traditions anthology of Keith Summers recordings, A Story to Tell. A third recording made by Adam Skeaping on 16 November 1973 was released a year later on the Transatlantic album of songs from The Ship Inn, The Larks They Sang Melodious.

A.L. Lloyd sang Maggie May in 1956 on the Riverside album English Drinking Songs, which was reissued on CD on the Topic label in 1998. He noted:

This is perhaps the last fling of sailor balladry. It is a song that has found its way into every ship but none of the songbooks. The hardbitten text, with its reference to Botany Bay transportation, is older than the melody, which is the familiar 19^th century tear-jerker, Darling Nellie Gray, a melody well suited to singing when hearts are suddenly maudlin and beer mugs momentarily empty.

Stan Kelly sang Maggie May in 1958 on his Topic EP Liverpool Packet: Songs of the Great Seaport. This track was also included in 1971 on the anthology Sea Songs and Shanties (Topic Sampler No 7) and in 1984 on the French anthology Chants de Marins IV: Ballads, Complaintes et Shanties des Matelots Anglais. Stan Kelly and A.L. Lloyd noted:

The song is heard in many seaports , but the Liverpool variants are the best-known and widest-sung . The tune is known also to the words of Darling Nellie Gray, published as the composition of Henry Clay Work, an American songwriter, and the author of Marching Through Georgia and The Year of Jubilo. Various other sets of words have been fitted to the melody, notably Keep Your Feet Still, Geordie Hinny, and the Australian Neumerella Shore. In fact, the tune was not written by Work. Both Nellie Gray and Maggie May derive from a transportation song, Charming Nellie Ray, a version of which is quoted in the journal of Charles Picknell of the convict ship Kains, written in 1830. The present version is mainly from Maggie Swift of Wellington Grove.

Paul Clayton sang Maggie May in 1959 on his Folkways album Foc’sle Songs and Shanties. Kenneth S. Goldstein noted:

The noted English folklorist A.L. Lloyd refers to this song as one that “found its way into every ship but none of the songbooks.” This sums-up the situation pretty well, for it has appeared in print only twice, in both cases in rather esoteric publications. Dr. Cess English reports that an early version under the title Charming Nellie Ray appeared in the nautical journal, The Blue Peter (1930), quoting from a private journal of a sailor on the convict ship “Kains” and written down in 1830 . Accidents of an oral tradition have since changed this to the present title.

Listeners will recognise the tune as that to which the 19^th century tear-jerker Darling Nellie Gray was set. It now appears that this maudlin piece was simply Henry Clay Work’s parody of the older British foc’sle song.

In recent years, the song has been collected rather frequently from traditional singers in both England and Australia.

For additional texts and information, see the Australian folksong publication, Singabout, Volume 2, No. 2, September 1957, pp. 10-12.

Bob Roberts sang Maggie May on a recording made by Peter Kennedy which was published in 1960 on the HMV anthology, of British sea songs old and new, A Pinch of Salt and in 1994 on the Saydisc CD of traditional English sea songs and shanties from the last days of sail, Sea Songs and Shanties.

Brian Perrett sang Maggie May at the Towersey Village Festival on the August/September bank holiday weekend 1968. This recording was released in the following year on the Zeus album Festival at Towersey.

John Roberts and Tony Barrand sang Maggie May in 1973 on their Swallowtail album of songs of the North Atlantic sailing packets, Across the Western Ocean. They noted:

Often referred to as Liverpool’s unofficial national anthem, this rollicking song must be known to every Liverpudlian who recognises the phrase “folk music” (a fragment of it was, after all, recorded by the Beatles). Those familiar with the song maintain adamantly that there exist a number of obscene verses which serve to fill out the missing episodes of the tale; unfortunately, none of them actually know these apocryphal lyrics. The piece is much rarer in print than in oral tradition. [Stan] Hugill expresses surprise that it is not mentioned by other collectors, but redresses the imbalance somewhat by including several sets himself.

Stan Walters of Stanstead, Essex, sang Maggie May, recorded by Sam Richards and Tish Stubbs in between 1974 and 1980, on the 1981 Folkways album An English Folk Music Anthology. Sam Richards noted:

The fate of the Liverpool whore Maggie May is known throughout the navy (and elsewhere) to this day as it was when Stan Walters learnt it during the 1939-45 war. It has become something of an anthem in Liverpool in recent years, due partly to its popularisation by local folksong revival groups, notably “The Spinners”.

In fact Maggie May herself figures in two songs, often sung to the same tune. The other one is an obscene account of the “old red flannel drawers that Maggie wore”. Stan knew both songs.

Cyril Tawney sang Maggie May on his 1990 cassette of songs of seafarers and the fairer sex, Sailor’s Delight.

Hughie Jones sang Maggie May in 1999 on his Fellside CD Seascape. He noted:

First in our ‘girlie’ section is the very well known Maggie May, a story which must be re-enacted in sailortowns the world over.

The Exmouth Shanty Man sang Maggie May in 2022 on their WildGoose album Tall Ships and Tavern Tales. They noted:

There is much debate about the origins of this well known song, which was used as a shanty. It bears a resemblance to the music hall song Darling Nelly Gray—but which was a parody of which?

Lyrics

Geoff Ling sings Maggie May

Now come all you soldiers bold, come listen to my plea
When you’ve heard my tale, you’ll pity me.
For I was a darned damn fool at the port of Liverpool
The first time that I came home on leave.

I was paid out at the hold with the boys of Merrybold
Three-pound-ten a week was all my pay.
When she mingled with my tin I was very much taken in
By a little girl whose name was Maggie May.

Too well do I remember when I first met Maggie May
She was cruising up and down old Canning Town.
Oh she wore her clothes divine, like a figure on the line
So I being a soldier I gave chase.

In the morning I awoke with my heart all sore and broke
No trousers, jacket, waistcoat could I find.
When I asked her where they were, she said to me, “Kind sir,
They’re down in Stanley’s pawnshop, number nine.”

To the pawnshop I did go no trousers, jacket, waistcoat could I find
And a policeman came and took that girl away.
Oh she robbed so many a sailor and many a Yankee whaler
She won’t waltz down Lime Street anymore.

Oh Maggie, Maggie May, they have taken her away
To slave like a nigger in the corner of Berkley Square.
The judge he guilty found her for robbing a homeward bounder
And he paid her passage back to Monte Bay.

A.L. Lloyd sings Maggie May

Now come all you young sailors and listen to my plea
And when you’ve heard my tale you’ll pity me.
For I was a goddamn fool in the port of Liverpool,
The very first time I came home from sea.

Now I’ve paid off at the Home, from the port of Sierra Leone;
Three-pound-ten a month it was my pay.
But I wasted all my tin whilst drinking up the gin
With a little girl whose name was Maggie May.

Now well do I remember where I first met Maggie May,
She was cruising up and down in Canning Place,
She was dressed up mighty fine, like a frigate of the line,
So being a ranting sailor I gave chase.

I kept right on her track, she went on the other tack,
But I caught her and I broke her mizzen line.
Next morning I awoke with a head more bent and broke,
No coat, no vest, no trousers could I find.

I asked her where they were, she said, “My good kind sir,
They’re down at Park Lane pawn shop number nine.
Now, you’ve had your cake and bun, and it’s time for you to run
Or you’ll never make the dockside, lad, in time.”

To the pawnshop I did go, but no trousers could I find,
And the police came and took that girl away.
And the judge he found her guilty of robbing a homeward-bounder;
So now she’s doing time in Botany Bay.

Oh Maggie, Maggie May, they’ve taken you away,
Never more to roam alone down Canning Place
For you robbed too many whalers, and you poxed too many sailors
Now you’ll never see old Lime Street anymore.

Paul Clayton sings Maggie May

Oh, come all you sailors bold and when my tale is told
Oh, I know that you all will pity me
For I was a bloomin’ fool in the port of Liverpool
On a time when I was first paid off from sea.

Chorus:
Oh, it’s Maggie, Maggie May, they have taken you away,
To toil upon Van Diemen’s cruel shore,
’Cause you robbed many a whaler and many a drunken sailor,
Now you’ll never cruise ’round Liverpool any more.

I was paid off at the home from a voyage to Seyleone,
And two pound ten a month had been my pay,
As I jingled in my tin, I was sadly taken in
By a lady by the name of Maggie May.

Oh, when I steered into her well I hadn’t got a care,
I was cruising up and down old Cannon Place,
She was dressed in a gown so fine like a frigate of the line,
And I being a sailor I give chase.

So she gave me a saucy nod and I like a farmer’s clod,
Why I let her take my line abreast in tow,
And under all plain sail we rode before the gale
And it’s to the Crow’s nest tavern we did go.

So next morning I awoke and I found that I was broke,
And she got every penny that was mine,
So I had to pop me suit, my John L’s and my boots
Way down in far claim pawn shop number nine.

John Roberts and Tony Barrand sing Maggie May

Come gather round, you sailor lads, and listen to my plea,
And when you’ve heard my tale you’ll pity me,
I was a bloody fool in the port of Liverpool,
The first time that I came home from sea.

We was paid off at the Home, from the port of Sierra Leone,
And three pounds ten a week, it was my pay,
With a pocket full of tin, I was very soon taken in
By a girl with the name of Maggie May.

Chorus:
Oh Maggie, Maggie May, they have taken her away,
To walk upon Van Diemen’s cruel shore,
She robbed so many sailors, and dosed so many whalers,
And she’ll never roam down Lime Street any more.

Oh, well do I remember when I first met Maggie May,
She was cruising up and down old Canning Place,
With a figure so divine, like a frigate of the line,
And me, being a sailor, I gave chase.

Next morning I awoke, I was flat and stony broke,
No jacket, trousers, waistcoat could I find,
When I asked her where they were, she said: My very dear sir,
They’re down in Kelly’s Pawnshop, Number Nine.

To the pawnshop I did go, but no clothes there could I find,
And the police came and took that girl away,
And the judge he guilty found her of robbing a homeward-bounder,
And he paid her passage back to Botany Bay.

Stan Walters sings Maggie May

Now gather round you matelot boys and listen to my plea And when you’ve heard my story pity me For I was a goddamned fool in the port of Liverpool The first time that I came home from sea

I was paid off from the ship from a trip to Syrie Cruz
Five pound ten a month was all my pay
With my pocket full of tin I was very soon taken in
By a little girl they all called Maggie May

Now I remember well when I first met Maggie May
She was cruising up and down old Canning Place
She wore a dress so fine like a figure on the line
That I being a matelot I gave chase

Next morning when I woke with my heart all sad and broke
No jumper, trousers, collar could I find
When I asked her where they were she said my dear young sir
They’re down at Jones’s pawnshop Number Nine

To the pawnshop I did go but no clothes there could I find
Oh the cops they came and they took that girl away
Oh she robbed many sailors and skippers of the whalers
They’ve gone and taken Maggie May away

Oh Maggie Maggie May they have taken her away
No more will she walk down Canning Place
Oh the judge he guilty found her for robbing a homeward bounder
They’ve gone and taken Maggie May away