Misc Traditional - When you and i were young maggie
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When You and I Were Young, Maggie
Music by James Austin Butterfield (1837-1891)
Lyrics derived from the poem "When You and I Were Young" by George Washington Johnson (1846-1914)
This song has been performed by many people in many different styles from the lyrical
beauty of the Irish tenor John McCormack who recorded it in 1925 (available on YouTube)to
all manner of Bluegrass, Dixieland, Country and Folk styles. I like to play and sing it
in a slightly Dylanesque fashion hence the Dsus and the A7addG chords in this version.
The lyrics vary from version to version and often verse 2 is omitted but here I have
used the words from the original score published by J A Butterfield and Co, Indianapolis in
1866 so you may mix and match as you please. The published score differs slightly from
Johnson’s original poem and I have marked associated lines with * and annotated these at
the end for information. The chorus was not part of the original poem.
Intro:
C////¦F////¦C// G7//¦C///
Verse 1
(
(I Cwandered...)
) Alternative Intro: C// Csus4// ¦C/ Csus2 / C/(
(I Cwandered...)
)I Cwandered todC7ay to the hiFll, Maggie
To Cwatch the scene belGow G7
The Ccreek and the C7creaking old Fmill, Maggie
C A7addG C C7
Where we sat in the long, long ago.
The Fgreen grove is gone from the Chill, Maggie
Where fGirst the dD7aisies Gsprung G7
The Ccreaking old C7mill is Fstill, Maggie
C A7addG C Csus4 C
Since you and I were young. // ¦///
Chorus:
And nCow we are C7aged and Fgrey, Maggie,
And the Ctrials of life nearly Gdone,G7
Let us Csing of the C7days that are Fgone Maggie
C A7addG C Csus4 C
When you and I were young. // ¦///
Verse 2
A Ccity so C7silent and Flone, Maggie
Where the Cyoung and the gay and the Gbest* G7
In Cpolished white C7mansions of Fstone, Maggie
C A7addG C C7
Have each found a place of rest,*
Is Fbuilt where the birds used to Cplay, Maggie
And jGoin in the D7songs that were Gsung G7
For we Csang just as C7gay as tFhey, Maggie
C A7addG C Csus4 C
When you and I were young. // ¦///
Chorus:
And Cnow we are C7aged and Fgrey, Maggie,
And the Ctrials of life nearly Gdone,G7
Let us Csing of the C7days that are Fgone Maggie
C A7addG C Csus4 C
When you and I were young. // ¦///
Verse 3
They Csay I am C7feeble with Fage, Maggie,
My sCteps are less sprightly than thGen, G7
My fCace is a C7well-written pFage, Maggie,*
C A7addG C C7
But time alone was the pen.
They Fsay we are aged and Cgrey, Maggie,*
As sGprays by the wD7hite breakers fGlung,G7*
But to Cme you're as C7fair as you wFere, Maggie,
C A7addG C Csus4 C
When you and I were young. // ¦///
Chorus
And nCow we are C7aged and Fgrey, Maggie,
And the Ctrials of life nearly dGone, G7
Let us Csing of the days that are Fgone Maggie
C A7addG C Csus4 C Csus2 C
When you and I were young. ¦ // / & /
*Words which vary from original poem:
1 Where the young, the gay and the best
1 Have each found a palace of rest
2 My face is a full written page, Maggie
3 But Time’s alone was the pen
4 Our heads they say are as gray, Maggie
5 As the spray by the white breakers flung
Chords
G7 A7addG Csus4 Csus2
E--0----3------3-----0-----------|
B--2----2------3-----3-----------|
G--0----2------2-----2-----------|
D--2----2------0-----0-----------|
A--0----0------------------------|
E--0----0------------------------|