메기의 추억
BY btyang ON 7. 18, 2015
"WhenYouandIWereYoung,Maggie"isafamousfolksong,popularsongand
standard.ThoughSpringtown,Tennessee,hasasmallmonumentoutsideanoldmill
claimingthesongwaswrittenbyalocalGeorgeJohnson,in1864,forhisMaggie,the
truthisthatitslyricswerewrittenasapoembytheCanadianschoolteacherGeorge
WashingtonJohnsonfromHamilton,Ontario.Margaret"Maggie"Clarkwashispupil.
Theyfellinloveandduringaperiodofillness,Georgewalkedtotheedgeofthe
Niagaraescarpment,overlookingwhatisnowdowntownHamilton,andcomposedthe
poem.Thegeneraltoneisperhapsoneofmelancholyandconsolationoverlostyouth
ratherthanmeresentimentalityorafearofaging.Itwaspublishedin1864inacollectionofhispoemsentitledMapleLeaves.
Theyweremarriedin1864butMaggie’shealthdeterioratedandshediedonMay12,
1865.JamesAustinButterfieldsetthepoemtomusicanditbecamepopularallovertheworld.GeorgeWashingtonJohnsondiedin1917.TheschoolhousewherethetwoloversmetstillstandsontheescarpmentaboveHamilton,andaplaquebearingthenameofthesonghasbeenerectedinfrontoftheoldbuilding.In2005,GeorgeWashingtonJohnsonwasinductedintotheCanadianSongwritersHallofFame.
Thelyricofabovesong
Iwanderedtodaytothehill,Maggie
Towatchthescenebelow
Thecreekandtherustyoldmill,Maggie
Wherewesatinthelong,longago
Thegreengroveisgonefromthehill,Maggie
Wherefirstthedaisiessprung
Theoldrustymillisstill,Maggie
SinceyouandIwereyoung
Acitysosilentandlone,Maggie
Wheretheyoungandthegayandthebest
Inpolishedwhitemansionofstone,Maggie
Haveeachfoundaplaceofrest
Isbuiltwherethebirdsusedtoplay,Maggie
Andjoininthesongsthatweresung
Forwesangjustasgayasthey,Maggie
WhenyouandIwereyoung
TheysayIamfeeblewithage,Maggie
Mystepsarelesssprightlythanthen
Myfaceisawellwrittenpage,Maggie
Buttimealonewasthepen
Theysayweareagedandgray,Maggie
Asspraybythewhitebreakersflung
Buttomeyou’reasfairasyouwere,Maggie
WhenyouandIwereyoung
Andnowweareagedandgray,Maggie
Thetrialsoflifenearlydone
Letussingofthedaysthataregone,Maggie
WhenyouandIwereyoung
