Key signature: Gmajor
Submitted on September 24th 2001 by glauber.
This tune has been added to 419 tunebooks.
Also known as An BhFaca Tú Mo Shéamaisin?, If I Had Maggie In The Wood, Maggie In The Corner, Maggie In The Wood, Mussels In The Corner, Nancy Wants Her Own Share.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Maggie In The Woods
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: Gmaj
B/A/|GD GA|Be e/f/g/e/|dB B/A/G/A/|BA A/c/B/A/|
GD GA|Be e/f/g/e/| dB AB/A/|G2 G:|
d|g>f ed|ef g>e| dB B/A/G/A/|BA A>d|
g>f ed|ef g>e|dB AB|G2 G2:|
Maggie In The Woods
This is from John Walsh's "Session Tunes" document. I was surprised it's not already in the collection. It's a nice polka, easy to play.
Walsh comments: "There are some slightly rowdy lyrics on one of the early Chieftains albums."
I looked for the lyrics but couldn't find them.
# Posted on September 24th 2001 by glauber
These are the lyrics sung on the Chieftains album:
"If I had Maggie in the woods
I'd do her all the good I coud
If I had Maggie in the woods
I'd keep here there til morning"
We have a male and female voice in our group
so we wrote an answer verse:
"You won't have me, not in the woods
For I fear that you mean me no good
So go on back to yer dear old mum
And I'll see you in the morning"
# Posted on February 4th 2002 by Dave McGrath
Maggie in the Wood=The Scartaglen Polka
This tune bears a strong resemblance to the Scartaglen Polka, which I can incidentally not find in The Session's Archives. The Scartaglen only differs slightly from Maggie in the Wood, and in fact adds onto it with a third part. I'm not sure if Maggie was derived from the Scartaglen or if it was the other way around, but you can find a recording of the latter on The Chieftains 2, played along with Sweeney's and Dennis Murphy's. Oh, and as I understand it, Paddy Moloney wrote the original lyrics to Maggie in the Woods, or at least that's what I seem to recall having read in the liner notes to The Chieftains 8.
# Posted on June 7th 2003 by Tommy McCarty
Princess Maggie
I think, although Im not sure, that The Chieftains lyrics were written in honour of Princess Margaret who called the irish "Pigs" and so The Chieftains honoured her in song, ha!
Johnathan
# Posted on January 2nd 2004 by Harper_Lad
As a Jig
I play this tune as a jig.
I think i prefer it to a polka.
# Posted on July 8th 2006 by Ruaraidh Park
"Maggie in the Woods" ~ do you mean the slide?
Submitted on July 8th 2006 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5945
I'm sure we had another name or two for this, and I am surprised I didn't find it on site, but it may still be here elsewhere. Anyway, see if this is what you're thinking of. If you've another take on it, please add it in the comments. I'd be very interested to see as would others. It is also played in A...
# Posted on July 8th 2006 by ceolachan
"Maggie in the Woods" ~ same transcript / usual ABC's for a 2/4 polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
R: polka
K: G Major
B/A/ |
GD GA | Be e/f/g/e/ | dB B/A/G/A/ | BA A/c/B/A/ |
GD GA | Be e/f/g/e/ | dB AB/A/ | G2 G :|
d |
g>f ed | ef g>e | dB B/A/G/A/ | BA A>d |
g>f ed | ef g>e | dB AB | G2 G :|
# Posted on July 8th 2006 by ceolachan
@: http://www.stmoroky.com/reviews/music/chief-8.htm
they report that <<Moloney wrote these lyrics in mischievous response to a comment reportedly made by Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth's sister), characterizing the Irish as pigs>>!
# Posted on September 30th 2006 by birlibirdie
Maggie In The Wood - This tune seems related
The following tune on Will Atkinson's album "Mouthorgan", where it is simply called Untitled, has a first part that is essentially the same as that of the polka Maggie In The Wood:
X: 1
T: Untitled
L: 1/8
R: 2/4
K: G
|:GD G>A|Be e g/e/|d B/d/ c/b/a/g/|BA A B/A/|GD G>A|Be e g/e/|d B/d/ c/B/A/B/|1 G2 G B/A/:|2 G2 G B/d/|
|:Ge e/d/e/f/|gB B g/e/|d B/d/ c/B/A/G/|BA A B/d/|ge e/d/e/f/|gB B g/e/|d B/d/ c/B/A/B/|1 G2 G B/d/:|2 G2 G2|
Maybe 4/4 would be a better time for this tune - I really don't know. As played by Will Atkinson, the late Northumbrian musician, its feel and tempo are more like those of a Lowland Scottish reel than anything else.
# Posted on April 29th 2007 by nicholas
Lowland Scottish reel?! Lowland Scottish reels do not sound like this tune.
# Posted on September 4th 2007 by Dr. Dow
Maggie in the Wood
I know the tune for this title from a Chieftains album, but is there a complete song/lyrics for this title?
Thanks, Art
# Posted on February 19th 2010 by maskart
Re: Maggie in the Wood
I think this is it.
If I had Maggie in the wood,
I'd do her all the good I could,
If I had Maggie in the wood,
I'd keep her there till morning.
Or, similar. Have not heard any others.
# Posted on February 19th 2010 by reenactor
Re: Maggie in the Wood
'Round these parts, we sing our man Dave's version he so kindly posted on here some years back:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/291#comment4438
# Posted on February 19th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Maggie in the Wood
More info with some alleged claims:
http://www.stmoroky.com/reviews/music/chief-8.htm
"[Paddy] Moloney wrote these lyrics in mischievous response to a comment reportedly made by Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth's sister), characterizing the Irish as pigs."
# Posted on February 19th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Maggie in the Wood
Well, my link to Dave's verse isn't working, so here goes his post from the Comments tab on the tune link:
These are the lyrics sung on the Chieftains album:
"If I had Maggie in the woods
I'd do her all the good I could
If I had Maggie in the woods
I'd keep here there til morning"
We have a male and female voice in our group
so we wrote an answer verse:
"You won't have me, not in the woods
For I fear that you mean me no good
So go on back to yer dear old mum
And I'll see you in the morning"
# Posted on February 19th 2010 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Maggie in the Wood
One wonders what lyrics are flying round the Cymric heartlands about Tony Blair and Anne Robinson, following their aspersions on the Welsh.
I think we should be told.
# Posted on February 19th 2010 by nicholas
Re: Maggie in the Wood
Raidió na Gaeltachta in Baile na nGall used to play a recording of it (in English) by an old woman, which seemed a bit naughty to my young ears. From recollection, it went something like:
If I had Maggie in the woods
I'd surely give her something good.
If I had Maggie in the woods
I'd keep her there til morning.
# Posted on February 20th 2010 by amhrán
Re: Maggie in the Wood
My mother used to sing the following to me when I learned that tune many years ago:
" If I met Maggie in the wood,
I would kiss her if I could
for that's the thing that would do her good,
and a cup of tay in the morning."
# Posted on February 20th 2010 by macbox
Re: Maggie in the Wood
A mighty tune, one of my personal favorites!
And a favorite of one of my more experienced session-mates.
He always smiles when I launch into it.
(although I know that opinion is not shared by all)
# Posted on February 20th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: Maggie in the Wood
I first came across this tune in my school days in the early 1940s. We sang it with great gusto in Irish, but as with many of my contemporaries, my love of the Irish language had been beaten out of my me by adults with big sticks. Consequently I had no idea what we were singing about. Speaking phonetically the first line went like this ' On walka to ma hay machine, ma hay machine, ma hay machine. On walka to ma hay machine.................? The first few words translated into English as 'Have you seen my (something) etc etc, and we were not singing about a mowing machine
Maybe somebody can throw more light on this ?
# Posted on February 20th 2010 by Free Reed
"my love of the Irish language had been beaten out of my me by adults with big sticks"
That is what killed gaelic, or at least mortally wounded it, here in the Hebrides too. In the 40's and 50's the punishment for speaking gaelic in the playground was the belt, even though many children couldn't speak English. As a consequence my parents generation were the last generation when gaelic was the main language. My kids are both fluent but don't use it with their friends etc. Hoepfully they'll appreciate it in later life.
# Posted on February 20th 2010 by bogman
The boot will surely be on the other foot by now or soon enough.
Any English speakers who cannot also speak Gaelige north of whatever chosen latitude should be given a jolly good floggin'. I know it probably sounds naive, but why in God's name would they want to flog Gaelic out of living memory. Just as well they can't play cricket anymore - give others a chance to hand out a few good old English floggings.
# Posted on February 21st 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
"Maggie in the Woods" is also the name used for the 4th figure of the Connemara Reel set, and the dancers insists on this polka. Always great fun, and a grand tune!
# Posted on March 24th 2010 by Larshansen
Music for the ears and heart ~ "Johnny Connolly: An Mileoidean Scaoilte"
http://www.thesession.org/recordings/display/1375
Tracks 7 - 10, three reel sets and the polka: "The Connemara Set"
Unfortunately some daft person decided to add sean nós stepping to the music intended for figure 1, basically ruining the set, however well stepped it may be, and, it is nice, but not here. One can use another track from the album or ignore the battering and use that track for figure one anyway. Johnny Connolly's tempos are grand, not the murdering usually done in the name of set dancing. And, the final 4th figure shouldn't be manic, as it often is. Johnny's way with it, and tempo, is perfect ~
10: "Maggie in the Woods"
If for nothing else, learn to play for The Connemara Set live from someone who was born to that task, Johnny Connolly, using this man's music, ways and tempos as your inspiration and guide...
Even here things change. The 'auld' way of it was one tune for one figure, but nowadays playing a pair is more the norm, tunes in sets...
All three of Johnny Connolly Seniors recordings are highly recommended by me ~ and by the local community of dancers here abouts too...
# Posted on March 24th 2010 by ceolachan
Irish lyrics
I ran into this tune via a CD of trad tunes with contemporary arrangements by Na Casaidigh, "Songs of our Childhood" I was not big on all of the arrangements, the logic I guess was to not sound like really hardcore trad music, to bring these songs to a wider audience. Nevertheless it's a great little album just for the cultural value of the songs.
The words make me a little sad because of the 9-10 words in Irish that I can understand, I know it's about a little boy going off to school with no shoes. (I didn't write the translation below)
The sheet music on this page differs from the melody they used, I'll try to post it if I can figure out ABC notation.
When my Irish dad sang the lyrics, my Newfoundlander mom said about the tune "that's Muscles in the Corner".
An bhfaca tú mo Shéamuisín
Mo stóirín óg, mo bhuachailín?
An bhfaca tú mo Shéamuisín
Is é 'gabháil síos an bóthar?
Níl bróg ar bith ar a dhá choisín
Ar a dhá choisín, ar a dhá choisín
Níl bróg ar bith ar a dhá choisín
Níl caipí air ná clóca
Ag dul ar scoil tá Shéamuisín
Mo stóirín óg, mo bhuachailín?
Ag dul ar scoil tá Shéamuisín
'S a leabharín buí 'na phóca
Ar a dhriom tá máilín beag
Tá máilín beag, tá máilín beag
Ar a dhriom tá máilín beag
'S a lóinsín ann is dócha
Do rugadh é i Móin a Lín
Ag bun an chnoic i nead éinín
Do rugadh é i Móin a Lín
In aice le Bun Dóite
Ó grá mo chroí mo Shéamuisín
Mo stóirín óg, mo bhuachailín
Ó grá mo chroí mo Shéamuisín
Ar maidin is tráthnóna
An bhfaca tú mo Shéamuisín
Mo stóirín óg, mo bhuachailín?
An bhfaca tú mo Shéamuisín
Is é 'gabháil síos an bóthar?
Níl bróg ar bith ar a dhá choisín
Ar a dhá choisín, ar a dhá choisín
Níl bróg ar bith ar a dhá choisín
Níl caipí air ná clóca
Have you seen my Seamusín
My dearest, darling, little boy
Have you seen my Seamusín
Going down the road?
He has no shoes on his little feet
His little feet, his little feet
He has no shoes on his little feet
He wears no cap or cloak
Seamusín is going to school
My dearest, darling, little boy
Seamusín is going to school
With a yellow book in his pocket
On his back is a little bag
A little bag, a little bag
On his back is a little bag
In which he has his lunch
He was born in Monalee
Below the hill in a small bird nest
He was born in Monalee
Not far from Bun Doite
Seamusín is my pride and joy
My dearest, darling, little boy
Seamusín is my pride and joy
In the morning and the evening
Have you seen my Seamusín
My dearest, darling, little boy
Have you seen my Seamusín
Going down the road
He has no shoes on his little feet
His little feet, his little feet
He has no shoes on his little feet
He wears no cap or cloak
# Posted on September 27th 2010 by noinin