Maggie

I attended a Colin Hay concert a few months ago and found this song to be the most moving... he seemed so saddened performing it on stage.

He told the story of the songs meaning. When he was living in Scotland, around the age of 6 or 7, he would always play with a girl who would wrestle Colin to the ground, releasing him only after leaning down and giving him a kiss. This girl was Maggie. Maggie became his first love and remained with up to (and maybe after) he moved from Scotland to Australia. Right at the height of his solo career, Colin received a phone call telling him that this Maggie had died. In response he wrote "Maggie".

I feel several of Colin's songs are based solely on Maggie. I Don't Know Why, I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You, Why Did You Call Me, and Goodbye my Red Rose all represent loss of the one true love.

Maggie and many other Colin Hay songs including: I just don't think I'll ever get over you & waiting for my real life to begin are all based on this tragic event in Colins life when he found out that his first real love (whom he never got over) had died. The line from Maggie: "hey darlin boy, don't you cry for me, I am forever your now that I am free" and the line from Waiting for my Real Life to Begin: "I already have a plan, i'm waiting for my real life to begin" are both written about the note that Maggie left him after she committed suicide. I just don't think I'll ever get over you is also written about Maggie, in my views the most beautiful and powerful song ever written.

I think perhaps Maggie has Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression). You can see two sides of her - "first you beat me up, then you kissed me too". The song is also played quite fast whilst the lyrics are fairly sad, and the notes played are half major and half minor - again, to me, an indication of two different "sides".

Certainly Maggie was his first major love, but I don't think she leaves him because she is more mature and realistic. It might be because she is close to him but can't handle it because of her self-hating; she knows that she will probably give up on life at some point, and she feels it's better for him to not be close to her when this happens.

I love how this song tells a story. At first we know something has happened, but it could be just a break up, and then you realise she's committed suicide. Even after all these years, he's still in her heart and I like the reference to "throwing stones into the sea" in her note, from earlier, as it shows that memory is something that means a lot to both of them.

When he sees her out with "him" doesn't necessarily imply an abusive husband, but I do agree that she's very unhappy with whoever she is with at the moment, hence the lack of eating.

Finally, Maggie realises that she was so much better off originally and the "don't you cry for me" shows that she really cares about him and doesn't want him to be upset; it's not his fault. And now that she is "free" from her life and depression, they can spend eternity together.

Wow no ones commented? This is amazing song. I'm not quite sure what it means. Suicide? It almost certainly ends in her death.

Yeah the way I always see it is that Maggie is his first (major) love. He thinks they'll be together forever but she's more mature and realistic. She knows it won't last and she leaves him.

The years pass and he thinks of her often while living his own life. It seems that her husband is abusive and she is unhappy but she is helpless. As it turns out maybe he was the realistic one - she realises she has made the wrong decision and kills herself, leaving him a note so that he knows he was as important to her as she was to him. She never forgot all those simpler times just throwing stones into the sea.

Now that she "is free" he imagines that she visits him while he sleeps. They can finally be together.

One of my favourites, along with "Waiting For My Real Life To Begin"

i think she has cancer, because he says shes thin when he sees her again

I always thought that she got in with the wrong crowd and became a heroin junky and it eventually killed her, thus the reason of why she is so thin.

I think that she was probably mentally ill (I think bipolar disorder is probably right on) and that she committed suicide, probably by drowning because of the plethora of water references (even the name Maggie, sort of Margaret, which is derived from the word for "pearl," which is appropriate, I think from his persepective, plus mar=sea). I also think that the fact that Maggie "walks" rather than swims after death.
And being thin doesn't automatically mean that she was sick physically, it's just as likely because of being on edge mentally.

I think that she was probably mentally ill (I think bipolar disorder is probably right on) and that she committed suicide, probably by drowning because of the plethora of water references (even the name Maggie, sort of Margaret, which is derived from the word for "pearl," which is appropriate, I think from his persepective, plus mar=sea). I also think that the fact that Maggie "walks" rather than swims after death.
And being thin doesn't automatically mean that she was sick physically, it's just as likely because of being on edge mentally.

I think that she was probably mentally ill (I think bipolar disorder is probably right on) and that she committed suicide, probably by drowning because of the plethora of water references (even the name Maggie, sort of Margaret, which is derived from the word for "pearl," which is appropriate, I think from his persepective, plus mar=sea). I also think that the fact that Maggie "walks" rather than swims after death.
And being thin doesn't automatically mean that she was sick physically, it's just as likely because of being on edge mentally.