Maggie May (folk song)

• 1. Liverpool Origins And Lyrics

  ›

  The Liverpool Sailors' Home in Canning Place stood as a central meeting point for sailors returning from long voyages. A sailor paid off at the home would meet Maggie cruising up and down the square. One version of the lyrics describes her wearing a crinoline, the bell-shaped dress worn by women in that era. John Manifold described the song as a foc'sle song of Liverpool origin that became immensely popular among seamen all over the world. The protagonist is a sailor who has come home to Liverpool from Sierra Leone after a round trip. He sees Maggie with a figure so divine or perhaps a voice so refined while walking through old Canning Place. She takes him home to her lodgings where she robs him of his money and clothes. When he fails to find his clothes in Kelly's locker pawn shop, he contacts the police. She is found guilty of theft and sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay. Stan Hugill notes that different versions name various streets including Paradise Street, Peter Street and Park Lane referring to historical red light areas of Liverpool.

• 2. Skiffle Craze Recordings

  ›

  A. L. Lloyd recorded the song in 1956 on the album English Drinking Songs describing it as the last fling of sailor balladry. Liz Winters and Bob Cort released a skiffle version in 1957 that appeared in trade press reports. The Vipers Skiffle Group also released a version in that same year which became the best-known recording at the time. BBC Radio banned this version upon its release because of the sexual content of the lyrics. Stan Kelly sang a version on his 1958 EP titled Liverpool Packet. The song was widely performed during the late 1950s when Lime Street was established as her favoured haunt. This period saw the adaptation of traditional folk songs into the skiffle craze of the era. The Billboard reported on these releases with specific dates like the 2nd of September 1957 and the 29th of April 1957 documenting the growing popularity of these recordings among British youth.

• 3. Lionel Bart Musical Adaptation

  ›

  Composer and lyricist Lionel Bart used the song and its backstory as the basis for a musical set around the Liverpool Docks in 1964. The show ran for two years in London under the title Maggie May. It is sung in the third person where Maggie transforms into a heroine whose departure from the streets is lamented. Kenneth Haigh performed the role in the original cast recording of the musical. Judy Garland regularly sang the Bart version and recorded it on the Maggie May EP in 1964. Adrian Wright notes that the Beatles were known to have seen and discussed the Bart musical during their career. The traditional tune remains but the lyrics change somewhat to create a new narrative about the character. This stage production reimagined the ballad with a heroic narrative for Maggie instead of the criminal element found in earlier versions.

• 4. Beatles Studio Session

  ›

  A brief extract was performed by the Beatles in a joking manner during their Get Back sessions in early 1969. They adopted heavy scouse accents for the performance while warming up in the studio by playing old rock and roll and skiffle songs they had known since their teenage years. A truncated version appeared on the 1970 album Let It Be as the last track on the LP's first side immediately after the title song. The version they performed was spelled Maggie Mae on the track listing and all four Beatles were credited as arrangers of the traditional song. At 39 seconds long it is the second-shortest song released on an official Beatles album behind Her Majesty which runs 23 seconds. John Lennon played vocal and acoustic guitar using a Gibson J-200 while Paul McCartney handled vocals and Martin D-28 acoustic guitar. George Harrison contributed a bass-line on electric Fender Telecaster and Ringo Starr played drums. Michael Murphy notes that Lennon made home recordings of the song shortly before his death in 1980 demonstrating an important personal connection to the material.

• 5. Rod Stewart Inspiration

  ›

  Rod Stewart has said that this folk song inspired his 1971 hit single of the same name. The track reached number one status in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. This massive commercial success brought the traditional Liverpool ballad to a global audience for the first time. The song had been a staple of the repertoire of the Quarrymen, the skiffle group formed by Lennon that evolved into the Beatles in 1960. The film Nowhere Boy featured the song twice with scenes showing teenage John Lennon learning to play it on a four-string banjo. A performance by the cast appears on the film's soundtrack album credited to British musician Wally Whyton. The song also appeared in the 2017 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales sung by a character named Uncle Jack portrayed by McCartney.