Innovative and inspiring, both collecting traditional songs, as well as writing new ones. He was, and remains, a very influential artist, writer and singer, committed to social issues. He travelled around the world collecting and recording songs.
Married to Peggy Seeger, he reportedly sang his most famous song - 'The first time ever I saw your face' - to her over the telephone during a transatlantic phone call.
His song 'Dirty Old Town' has been recorded hundreds of time, notably by The Spinners (the British folk group), Rod Stewart, The Pogues, Townes Van Zandt, The Specials, the Mudmen.
He was father to musicians Kirsty MacColl, Neill MacColl and Calum MacColl, and grandfather to Bombay Bicycle Club's Jamie MacColl.
MacColl and Seeger recorded several albums of political commentary songs. MacColl himself wrote over 300 songs, some of which have been recorded by as diverse as Roberta Flack, Planxty and Johnny Cash. In 2001, The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook was published, which includes the words and music to 200 of his songs.
There is a plaque dedicated to MacColl in Russell Square in London. The inscription includes: "Presented by his communist friends 25.1.1990 ... Folk Laureate - Singer - Dramatist - Marxist ... in recognition of strength and singleness of purpose of this fighter for Peace and Socialism". In 1991 he was awarded a posthumous honorary degree by the University of Salford.
MacColl was very politically active and as well as political song he was a playwright and one of the founders of the Communist backed 'Edinburgh People's Festival' from 1951-54. The EPF was a victim of McCarthyism but provided the blueprint for today's Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Galloway Tam
Ewan MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd rather we'd gin him the brawnit cow;
For our lass Bess may curse and ban
The wanton wit o' Galloway Tam.
O Galloway Tam came here to shear,
I'd rather we'd gin him the gude gray mare;
He kist the gudewife and strack the gudeman,
The lyrics to Ewan MacColl's song Galloway Tam tell the story of a man named Tam from the region of Galloway who comes to town to woo and work. However, the singer in the song is not a fan of Tam and would rather not have anything to do with him. In the first verse, the singer says they would rather give Tam a cow than let him interact with their lass Bess because they know he is a flirtatious and promiscuous person. The singer does not want their daughter to be seduced and then abandoned by Tam.
In the second verse, Tam is said to have come to town to work - specifically to shear sheep. However, the singer would rather give him a horse than let him work with them. Tam is described as being inappropriate with the good lady of the house, and "stracking" or striking the good man (possibly flirting with or hitting on him). The singer is warning others in the town about Tam's behavior and is not afraid to call him out on it.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a man who is disreputable and unwanted, yet still manages to cause trouble wherever he goes. The singer in the song is cautioning others to be careful of Tam and not to trust him.
Line by Line Meaning
O Galloway Tam came here to woo,
Galloway Tam arrived here with the intention of courting our women.
I'd rather we'd gin him the brawnit cow;
I wish we had given him an inferior gift instead of our prized possession, the brawnit cow.
For our lass Bess may curse and ban
We fear that our young woman, Bess, may resent Galloway Tam's actions or words and speak ill of him.
The wanton wit o' Galloway Tam.
Galloway Tam's flirtatious and uncontrolled behavior may bring shame upon our family or community.
O Galloway Tam came here to shear,
Galloway Tam arrived here to harvest crops or wool.
I'd rather we'd gin him the gude gray mare;
I wish we had given him a lesser gift, such as the good, old gray mare.
He kist the gudewife and strack the gudeman,
Galloway Tam kissed the farmer's wife and hit her husband, displaying unacceptable and aggressive behavior.
And that's the tricks o' Galloway Tam.
This is typical behavior for Galloway Tam, showing a pattern of inappropriate and shameful actions.
Contributed by Camden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steven Christian Amendola
on There's Cauld Kale in Aberdeen
There's cauld kail in Aberdeen,
And custocks in Stra'bogie,
Where ilka lad maun ha'e his lass,
But I maun ha'e my cogie.
For I maun ha'e my cogie, Sirs,
I canna want my cogie;
I wadna gi'e my three-gir'd cog
For a' the wives in Bogie.
Johnny Smith has got a wife
Wha scrimps him o' his cogie:
But were she mine, upon my life,
I'd dook her in a bogie.
For I maun ha'e my cogie, sirs,
I canna want my cogie;
I wadna gi'e my three-gir'd cog
For a' the wives in Bogie.
These are the lyrics of these two verses on WikiSource. I'm not entirely fluent in Scots so I'm not sure if Ewan Maccoll's delivery of the last line in either verse is here consistent with this text, especially as Maccoll also says "Then fie, gi'e me my cogie" rather than "But I maun ha'e my cogie." I can't quite hear what he actually says in the last line.