Maggie Mae
Maggie Mae , often spelled Maggie May , is an English folk song (No. 1757 in the Roud Folk Song Index ). It is about a prostitute who steals from a returning sailor in the port of Liverpool . In 1964, the composer Lionel Bart took the song as a template for his musical of the same name, which is set in the docks of Liverpool. In 1970 the Beatles released their version of the song.
text
As with many folk songs, Maggie Mae also has numerous variants of the text. It names various streets that actually exist in Liverpool. A popular version is written from the first person perspective of a sailor returning to Liverpool from Sierra Leone. With his newly paid wages in his pocket, he meets Maggie Mae. She charms him with her beauty ("a figure so divine") and so he accompanies her into her rooms. When he woke up the next morning, she stole his money and clothes. She claims to have brought the valuables to a pawn shop ("Kelly's locker"). After not finding his goods there either, the seaman calls the police. Maggie Mae is found guilty and sentenced for deportation to Botany Bay .