Misc Traditional – When You And I Were Young Maggie chords

Chords:
Transpose:
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 
JohnsonÂ’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:
D G D A7 D ( D )////¦////¦// //¦/// (I wandered...)
Alternative Intro:
D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D ( D )// // ¦/ / / (I wandered...)
Verse 1
D D7 GI wandered today to the hill, Maggie
D A A7To watch the scene below
D D7 GThe creek and the creaking old mill, Maggie
D A7addG D D7Where we sat in the long, long ago.
G DThe green grove is gone from the hill, Maggie
A E7 A A7Where first the daisies sprung
D D7 GThe creaking old mill is still, Maggie
D A7addG D Dsus4 DSince you and I were young. // ¦///
Chorus:
D D7 GAnd now we are aged and grey, Maggie,
D A A7And the trials of life nearly done,
D D7 GLet us sing of the days that are gone Maggie
D A7addG D Dsus4 DWhen you and I were young. // ¦///
Verse 2
D D7 GA city so silent and lone, Maggie
D A A7Where the young and the gay and the best*
D D7 GIn polished white mansions of stone, Maggie
D A7addG D D7Have each found a place of rest,*
G DIs built where the birds used to play, Maggie
A E7 A A7And join in the songs that were sung
D D7 GFor we sang just as gay as they, Maggie
D A7addG D Dsus4 DWhen you and I were young. // ¦///
Chorus:
D D7 GAnd now we are aged and grey, Maggie,
D A A7And the trials of life nearly done,
D D7 GLet us sing of the days that are gone Maggie
D A7addG D Dsus4 DWhen you and I were young. // ¦///
Verse 3
D D7 GThey say I am feeble with age, Maggie,
D A A7My steps are less sprightly than then,
D D7 GMy face is a well-written page, Maggie,*
D A7addG D D7But time alone was the pen.
G DThey say we are aged and grey, Maggie,*
A E7 A A7As sprays by the white breakers flung,*
D D7 GBut to me you're as fair as you were, Maggie,
D A7addG D Dsus4 DWhen you and I were young. // ¦///
Chorus
D D7 GAnd now we are aged and grey, Maggie,
D A A7And the trials of life nearly done,
D GLet us sing of the days that are gone Maggie
D A7addG D Dsus4 D Dsus2 DWhen 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 TimeÂ’s alone was the pen 4 Our heads they say are as gray, Maggie 5 As the spray by the white breakers flung
Chords A7 A7addG Dsus4 Dsus2E--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------------------------|
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