You led me away from home/
just to save you from being alone.
You stole my heart and that’s what really hurts.

Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” is a song about a relationship between a college boy and an older woman. The author is bitter that the relationship is over but feels grateful for the experience. In other unrequited love songs we’ve talked about here, there is often some deep bitterness or genuine grief.

In “Maggie May”, we feel like the narrator is going to be ok. Maggie May treated him well, she encouraged him to stay in school and she loved him and satisfied his needs. It appears she may have broken things off for his sake. She left him better than she found him.

The choice of instruments in the song really helps it stand out. Steward uses a mandolin as the main string instrument in the intro and sprinkled throughout. The lyrics are well done. We understand what Stewart is talking about upon first hearing it and it makes the hearing experience that much more impactful. Stewart’s unique voice is hit or miss for people and it works great with this song. It really captures a time period in a young man’s life, and I bet many wish they could be “adopted” by a Maggie for a summer.

Maggie May Lyrics

Wake up, Maggie, I think I got something to say to you
It’s late September and I really should be back at school
I know I keep you amused, but I feel I’m being used
Oh, Maggie, I couldn’t have tried any more

You led me away from home, just to save you from being alone
You stole my heart, and that’s what really hurts

The morning sun, when it’s in your face really shows your age
But that don’t worry me none in my eyes, you’re everything
I laughed at all of your jokes, my love you didn’t need to coax
Oh, Maggie, I couldn’t have tried any more

You led me away from home, just to save you from being alone
You stole my soul, and that’s a pain I can do without

All I needed was a friend to lend a guiding hand
But you turned into a lover, and, mother, what a lover you wore me out
All you did was wreck my bed, and in the morning, kick me in the head
Oh, Maggie, I couldn’t have tried any more

You led me away from home ’cause you didn’t wanna be alone
You stole my heart, I couldn’t leave you if I tried

I suppose I could collect my books and get on back to school
Or steal my daddy’s cue and make a living out of playing pool
Or find myself a rock ‘n’ roll band that needs a helping hand
Oh, Maggie, I wished I’d never seen your face

You made a first-class fool out of me
But I’m as blind as a fool can be
You stole my heart, but I love you anyway

Maggie, I wished I’d never seen your face
I’ll get on back home one of these days
Ooh, ooh, ooh

Songwriters: Martin Quittenton / Roderick Stewart

If you still want me, please forgive me/
The crown of love is falling from me.

Arcade Fire’s “Crown of Love” is a conversation between a guy and a girl as their relationship is ending. The guy is clearly still in love and the girl is not. He understands intellectually that time will heal his wounds, but she is all he can think about and he finds himself crying in his room.

He tries explaining this to her…perhaps if she knows his feelings she will change her mind. However, she has lost that spark. She says “The crown of love has fallen from me”. She says if you really love me, forgive me and move on with your life.

The outro to “Crown of Love” is the best part. The song goes into double-time as the guy just keeps obsessively repeating (perhaps to himself): you’re the only one, there’s got to be a way. It sounds like he is kind of losing it.

I wonder if it would sound better if the girl’s lines were sung by one of the girls in the band, or if at least his lines were doubled with a female voice. It might help convey the meaning a little better; they experiment with this a bit, but they are not consistent with it. Conveying the meaning of a song isn’t everything, but I find that it is often rewarding to the listener when they understand what is being said.

Crown of Love Lyrics

They say it fades if you let it
Love was made to forget it
I carved your name across my eyelids
You pray for rain, I pray for blindness

If you still want me, please forgive me
The crown of love has fallen from me
If you still want me, please forgive me
Because the spark is not within me

I snuffed it out before my mom walked in my bedroom

The only thing that you keep changin’
Is your name, my love keeps growin’
Still the same, just like a cancer
And you won’t give me a straight answer

If you still want me, please forgive me
The crown of love has fallen from me
If you still want me, please forgive me
Because your hands are not upon me

I shrugged them off before my mom walked in my bedroom

The pains of love, and they keep blowin’
In my heart, there’s flowers growin’
On the grave of our old love
Since you gave me a straight answer

If you still want me, please forgive me
The crown of love is not upon me
If you still want me, please forgive me
‘Cause the spark is not within me
It’s not within me, it’s not within me

You gotta be the one
You gotta be the way
Your name is the only word that I can say

You gotta be the one
You gotta be the way
Your name is the only word
The only word that I can say
Only word that I can say

No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no

Songwriters: Regine Chassagne / Richard R Parry / Tim Kingsbury / William Butler / Win Butler

I’ve wasted all my tears/
Wasted all those years.

The narrator in Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years” describes a less-than-ideal relationship with his parents. It has led him to much heartache and tears. Whenever he thinks back about those times he cries…or tries to hold the tears in.

It sounds like his father was overbearing and his mom was non-existent in his life, which caused a lot of this pain later in his life. All the pain it is causing him is ruining him, but he is trying to hold on. But it is hard. A lifetime of wasted years and tears add up on one’s psyche.

The song’s vocals sound bluesy and deliver a unique take on the song. Hucknell’s lead vocals are very unique and quite high for a male singer. The emotion with which he delivers the words also makes this song special and add meaning. From his voice we can tell he is telling us something important to him, so we want to listen to the message. This is Simply Red’s best work.

Holdin Back The Years Lyrics

Holding back the years
Thinking of the fear I’ve had so long
When somebody hears
Listen to the fear that’s gone
Strangled by the wishes of pater
Hoping for the arms of mater
Get to me the sooner or later

Holding back the tears
Chance for me to escape from all I know
Holding back the tears
‘Cause nothing here has grown
I’ve wasted all my tears
Wasted all those years
Nothing had the chance to be good
Nothing ever could, yeah

I’ll keep holding on
I’ll keep holding on
I’ll keep holding on
I’ll keep holding on, so tight

Well I’ve wasted all my tears
Wasted all of those years
And nothing had the chance to be good
‘Cause nothing ever could

I’ll keep holding on
I’ll keep holding on
I’ll keep holding on
I’ll keep holding on

Holding
Holding
Holding
Holding

I said
It’s all I have today
It’s all I have to say

Songwriters: Mick Hucknall / Neil Moss