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.
The first time ever I saw your face
Ewan MacColl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the endless skies
And the first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
And the first time ever I lay with you
I felt your heart so close to mine
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
And last till the end of time my love
The first time ever I saw your face
Your face
Your face
Your face
In The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, Ewan MacColl paints a picture of love at first sight, conveying a sense of wonder and awe at the beauty of the person he has just met. The lyrics are full of powerful images that convey the intensity of his emotions: he sees the sun rising in the other person's eyes and the moon and stars shining in the endless skies above. He describes the passion of their physical relationship as the "earth move[s] in [his] hand", and compares it to the trembling heart of a captive bird he holds in his power. When they finally lie together, he is struck by the closeness of their hearts and the sense that their love will last until the end of time.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time ever I saw your face
When I first saw you, I felt like the entire world revolved around you.
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
To me, your eyes were the brightest and most beautiful thing in the world, like the sun's rising warmth.
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
It seemed like you were the one who gave light to the dark sky, like the moon and stars themselves.
To the dark and the endless skies
With you, it felt like there was no end to the possibilities and promise of life.
And the first time ever I kissed your mouth
When we first kissed, it was like the ground shook beneath us, like an earthquake that rocked our world.
I felt the earth move in my hand
I experienced something that was beyond just physical - it was emotional, like holding a bird's heart that was beating wildly with excitement.
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
The moment was one of complete control; I was in charge, but at the same time, a captive to the emotions that exploded within me.
That was there at my command, my love
It was a powerful feeling, a moment that I could control and revel in as a proof of the love we shared.
And the first time ever I lay with you
The first time we were together, I felt like I was completely at one with you.
I felt your heart so close to mine
Our hearts were intertwined, and we were one entity that shared the same love and passion for each other.
And I knew our joy would fill the earth
Our love was so powerful that it had the potential to transform the world, to make it a brighter, happier place for everyone.
And last till the end of time my love
Our love was so strong that it could never die, but would continue to thrive and flourish even after we were long gone.
Your face
The memory of the first time I saw you, and the feelings that it brought up, will stay with me forever, embodied in your beautiful face.
Your face
Your face continues to be a symbol of the intense love that we shared, and the passion that we felt for one another.
Your face
When I think of you, I am reminded of the powerful emotions that we felt for each other, and how they changed our lives forever.
Contributed by Annabelle N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ルク
I still think this is the best version. Peggy Seeger's voice gives it a much more romantic upbeat sound without being too melancholy like other versions, in my opinion.
addendum:
I guess I just find this song sounds more powerful with the kind of
optimism portrayed in this version. When you listen to the
lyrics it's really an innocent song of how someone felt falling in love
with someone, and feeling completely vindicated in their faith towards that person. I think Peggy Seeger
captures that aspect better. Flack's version sounds more brooding like a
lover who's already lost time and again and is kind of reflecting on the pain in a longing way, where Seeger's sounds like she is reflecting on the joy and innocence and good feelings of having been lucky enough to have loved like that at all.
Chuck SLC Harden
This removes all that sentimentality from the lyrics, and leaves that choking, goose-strangling falsetto pure and unadorned. I'm glad this version is available on YouTube.
Noel Leggett
Ewen wrote this song for Peggy. According to the legend, while he was on tour, Ewen called Peggy from a public telephone booth, sang this song to her, and then asked her to marry him. Best engagement gift ever.
aaron4wilkins
Wow!
Diane Matthews
@aaron4wilkins Didn't know that Mr Gambachini want to play pop quiz some time - Diane 63 year old biddy Cheltenham
Norm Hall
Everyone brings their background into their interpretations. Roberta is wonderful and so is this by Peggy. Enjoy all! They all have integrity.
José Miguel Borges
And The Chi Li Tes! Great cover.
Bert C
Ms. Seeger wasn't celebrity enough; neither was Mr. MacColl. I thank Ms. Roberta Flack for bringing them to our attention with her interpretation of "The First Time." May they continue to sing in Paradise.
Tim Gibson
When any song is as beautiful & well-written as this 1 is, it takes on a life of it's own and can inspire so many in the same way as the great paintings will. All honorable poetry will paint images for us inspired from our memories just as a painting will be seen differently to each of us. It's art and it will be understood differently by the many that it touches and why we all seek it to begin with. Sure, we can debate who has the better interpenetration but it's subjective and all are presenting what it's meant to them and why it drove them to interpenetrate it to begin with. Enjoy them all and honor the poet that created it. Roberta made it her own but other folk interpretations ring out as well like Peter, Paul & Mary's rendition as well as Gordon Lightfoot's to name only a few. They all celebrate Ewan MacColl for creating it as well as the human emotions conjured up for the Woman that inspired him to write these magical words in the 1st place.
Canyon Moon Gray
I love her voice it has a childlike quality and really pure notes 🥰
Diane Matthews
Only vaguely heard her name somewhere before. There was someone called Pete Seager too wasn't there? Diane Cheltenham