Annotation:Maggie in the Woods
X:1 T:Maggie in the Woods M:C| L:1/8 R:Polka B:James Morrison - "How to Play the Globe Accordion Irish Style" B:(1931, No. 1, p. 18) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G G2E2G2A2|B2e2e2 ge|d2B2A2 GA|B2A2A2 BA| G2E2G2A2|B2e2e2 ge3|d2B2 A2 BA|G4 G2z2:| |:g2f2e2d2|e2f2g3e|d2B2A2 GA|B2A2A2z2| g2f2e2d2|e2f2g3e|d2B2 A2 BA|G4 G2z2:|]
MAGGIE IN THE WOOD(S). AKA - "If I Had Maggie in the Woods," "Maggie in the Corner." AKA and see "bhFaca tú mo shéamaisín (An)" (Did You See My Seámaisín?)," "Mussels in the Corner," "Nancy Wants Her Own Share," "Well I know what Kitty wants." Irish, Polka (2/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Taylor): AABB (Mac Amhlaoibh & Durham, Morrison, O'Brien, Sweet): AABB' (Sullivan): AA'BB' (Tubridy). The melody appears earliest in print under the title "Nancy Wants Her Own Share" as a march in Arthur Darley and Francis McCall's Feis Ceoil Collection of Irish Airs (1914). The polka version of tune, first printed in O'Brien's Accordion Instructor (1949) was popularized in the mid-1950's by banjo player Margaret Barry and fiddler Michael Gorman, and again in the 1970's by the Chieftains. However, the earliest sound recording of the tune under the "Maggie in the Woods" title was by flute player Tom Morrison, who recorded it in 1925 (2nd tune of the medley "Maggie in the Woods"). Morrison re-recorded the set for Columbia records a few years later, in 1928.
There tune has been the vehicle for several sets of words, including:
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 her there till morning.
and:
If I had Maggie in the wood
I know she would, I know she could;
Nothing else would do her good
So early in the morning.
Caoimhin Mac Aoidh points out the Irish language song "Sheamisín" is also sung to the melody, and goes:
An bhfaca tú mo Shéamaisín?
Mo stóirín óg, mo bhuachaillín.
An bhfaca tú mo Shéamaisín?
Is é ‘gabháil síos an bóthar.
which translate as :
Did you see my Séámaisín?
My little darling, my litte boy,
Did you see my Séamaisín?
And he going down the road.
"Saint Patrick was a Gentleman" is another song set to the tune:
Saint Patrick was a gentleman, he came from decent people
In Dublin town he built a church and on it put a steeple
His father was a Gallagher, his mother was a Grady
His aunt was an O'Shaughnessy and his uncle was a Brady.
In addition to air, polka and march settings, the tune has been played as a single jig ("Hen and all Her Broth (The)") and a slide ("Echoes of Killarney", "Denis McMahon's Slide" and "Well I know what Kitty wants"). "Maggie in the Woods" is also used to accompany the 4th figure of the Connemara Reel set. The polka "Humors of Ballydesmond (The)" AKA "Knocknabower Polka (1)/Knocknaboul Polka (1)" is nearly identical in melodic contour in the first two strains.
"Mussels in the Corner" is the name under which Newfoundland musicians often play the tune, sometimes called a 'quintessential Newfoundland tune.' Evelyn Osborne[1], writing in 2019, notes that up to that date it had been recorded at least sixty-one times by Newfoundland musicians. See also the Scottish march "Piper's Cave (1) (The)" for another version of the same melodic material.
- ↑ Evelyn Osborne, "Change and Stability in Irish-American-Newfoundland fiddle tunes", OngCos go Cluas: From Dancing to Listening, The Ephinstone Institute, Univ. of Aberdeen, 2019, pp. 230-231.
