Note on use of the term “Narrator” in the Poll options:
Rod Stewart says that this song is based upon a real woman, a woman he lost his virginity to when he was 16 years old. Thus, this question could have what would be considered a definitive factual answer. I suggest discussing the narrator to allow for broader observations about how we each in our own way envision the story rather than getting hung up on any facts about the source inspiration that may not be included in the final composition.
Something I consider to be a key element to the discussion is the age of the narrator himself. If you think this plays into how you would answer the question, please mention it. An “Older Woman” to a 16 year old might only be just a few years older, an age gap that might not seem noteworthy to a 26 year old.
I have never envisioned the narrator as a 16 year old as Stewart says he had been during the relationship that inspired the song. The storytelling more mature and I’ve always thought of the narrator as being a bit closer to Stewart’s age when he recorded it. I’ve always interpreted “Collect my books and get on back to school” to refer to college/university, so I’ve always pictured a narrator who was about 20 or 21 years old.
When I was young and first started to think about this song, I always thought of Maggie as being in the “Old Enough to be his mother!” range but over the years she’s gotten younger in my mind. I’d say that I now envision her in the “Biologically Old Enough to be the Narrator’s Mother but Not as Old as that Phrase Implies”.
To clarify: when discussing a romantic partnership, the phrase “Old enough to be his mother/her father!” has, I think, social implications beyond strict biological possibility. A 13 year old could be someone’s mother but if you were to look at a relationship with a 13 year age difference and say “She’s old enough to be his mother!” I would look at you askance. “Old enough to be his mother/her father!” implies, to me, a 25 to 35 year age difference though I could accept it being used to describe as little as a 20 year age difference.
So, picturing as a I do a 20 or 21 year old narrator, I always picture Maggie as being about 36 years old.
I picked choice number two. I always pictured Maggie May as being maybe mid-40s. Still striking, attractive, but maybe getting a bit wrinkly or saggy round the edges. A Mrs. Robinson-type. Perhaps more of a shocking scenario than it would be now. (I think these days the tides have turned, and it’s more shocking for an older guy to be with a young woman).
“The morning sun when it’s in your face really shows your age.” I don’t quite buy that for a woman in her twenties, but I would for a woman in her thirties or forties.
Bolding mine. Rod Stewart is British and university/polytechnics/college would never have been referred to as school in 1971. It still sounds weird to me now. Kids go to school and the slightly shocking effect was intended. Since he refers to making a living later in the song would have been between 15 and 18.
I agree that she would have been midthirties, as you say, barely old enough to be his mum, and presenting as younger, until the morning sun gives her away.
Sure, but Michaelmas (Sept 29) is the traditional first term start for British universities, while I get the impression that non-universities start earlier, around the beginning of September.
And the second line of the song is:
which implies to me that he’s a kid in college, somewhere between 18-23 probably.
So with that in mind, what I remember thinking of older women when I was about the same age, and the context of the song, I’m thinking she was someone who’s clearly older and mature- probably mid-30s at the earliest, and more likely late 30s, early 40s.
Maybe. I can also see a sixteen year old Rod Stewart cockily teasing a woman in her 20’s. I read his book but can’t recall. If I find it I will report back, but already understand the OP’s point that we’re looking at the song here.
I always took that to mean that he should have gone back to school at the start of September, but he’s not been going - he’s been spending his days with Maggie.
From his book, although again, the song is different:
[QUOTE=Rod’s autobiography]
(naming a list of possible bands that could’ve been playing)…or good old Acker Bilk, the legendary clarinetist, I lose my by then not remotely prized virginity to an older (and larger) woman who has come on to me very strongly in the beer tent. How much older, I can’t tell you exactly—but old enough that she was highly disappointed by the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it brevity of the experience. (Elements of this encounter, much altered and enhanced, later filtered into the song “Maggie May.”)
[/QUOTE]
I never thought it was necessarily about a British couple, music being universal and all.
I did think the boy was a college kid, but I always pictured Maggie as about forty. There’s the morning sun line, and the manipulative hold on him for her amusement seems to indicate an experienced woman who’s a little desperate about being alone. Doesn’t sound like a woman in her twenties.
The whole maybe not British thing for me comes from the line about making a living playing pool. Don’t the British call it billiards?
Okay, okay, they’re probably British, but I first heard this song when I was young, and Rod didn’t sing it with an accent to my ears.
Narrator - college age, maybe 20-21, not a freshman, but not a senior. Some experience but not enough with women not in college.
Maggie - 37-40. “old” from the perspective of a 20 year old but what do they know. At least he likes her!
The narrator is directionless - sure he’s in college, but he’s not doing anything with it. Probably has “undeclared” as his major. Just marking time until reality hits and his folks cut him off and he has to get by on his own. He probably isn’t Rod Stewart, so dreams of helping out a rock band won’t pay off. So bartender it is!
School in the UK is school - not college or university. I think the narrator is old enough to leave school, but was meant to be going back to get further qualifications in 5th or 6th year. The school year in England starts in early September. He’s got sidetracked in his summer holiday by this older woman who is teaching him a thing or two.
He is, therefore, 16 or 17. Given the line about the morning sun in her face, I’d say she’s in her thirties. Kind of like the couple in “Summer - the first time”.