The First Of May Song Lyrics And Guitar Chords The Wolfe Tones
The first of May sheet music in the key of D INCLUDED. Written by Maurice and Barry Gibb from The Bee Gees in 1968. Recorded in Ireland by The Wolfe Tones in 1972 on the finest album they ever made ''Let The People Sing'' [ lyrics ]. I have made several key arrangements of this song. I have been wanting to try this one out on guitar for years so today being the first of May [ 2014 ] I decided to give it a lash. I looked around the net for a handy chord arrangement and found that every single site had the same chords, these boys must be all copying each other, and I'd say not one of these big tab sites ever had a guitar in their hands in their lives. I settled for the key of G Major, I never use Bm chords and instead always play a D chord instead. It's fairly close to a D and nobody's complained so far.
"The First of May" by the Bee Gees is a reflective, nostalgic ballad from their 1969 album Odessa. Written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, the song captures themes of love, innocence, and the passage of time. It tells the story of a person reflecting on a past relationship and the bittersweet memories tied to it.
Meaning and Themes
Key Lyrics"When I was small and Christmas trees were tall,
We used to love while others used to play."
These opening lines establish a scene of childhood memories, a time of joy and love that has now faded.
"Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small,
And you don’t ask the time of day."
This contrasting verse reflects how time has changed both the narrator and their relationship. The innocence and connection of the past are gone, replaced by distance and disinterest.
Cultural Context
Meaning and Themes
- Childhood Love:
The lyrics evoke a sense of innocence and young love, often associated with the freshness of spring. The "first of May" symbolizes a special date—possibly the day the relationship began or a day of significance in the narrator's memory. - Loss and Change:
As the narrator reflects on the past, there’s a sense of longing for a simpler time. Life’s changes have led to the separation of the narrator from their loved one, which is emphasized by the melancholy tone of the song. - Nature and Seasons:
Spring, represented by May, symbolizes renewal and growth. However, the narrator’s nostalgia suggests that the happiness of springtime is now overshadowed by loss.
Key Lyrics"When I was small and Christmas trees were tall,
We used to love while others used to play."
These opening lines establish a scene of childhood memories, a time of joy and love that has now faded.
"Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small,
And you don’t ask the time of day."
This contrasting verse reflects how time has changed both the narrator and their relationship. The innocence and connection of the past are gone, replaced by distance and disinterest.
Cultural Context
- "The First of May" was released as a single and became a modest hit, though it wasn’t as commercially successful as some of the Bee Gees' other hits.
- The song has remained a fan favorite due to its tender lyrics and heartfelt delivery by Barry Gibb, who performed the lead vocals.
- It’s often interpreted as a universal reflection on childhood memories, first loves, and the inevitability of change.
Key of C Major
[C]When we were small and Christmas [Em]trees were tall
We [F]used to love while [C]others used to [G]play
Don't [C]ask me why the time has [Em]passed us by
Noth[F]ing seems to be the [C] same old [G]way
Now [F]we are tall and Christmas [C]trees are small
And [Dm]you don't ask the time of [C]day[C7]
But [F]you and I our love will [C]never ever die
But [Dm]guess we'll [F]crys come first of[C] May[G]
The [C]apple tree that grew for [Em]you and me
I [F]watched the apples [C]falling one by [G]one
And [C]I recall the moment [Em]of them all
The [F]day I kissed your [C]cheek and you were [G]gone
When[C] I was small and Christmas [Em]trees were tall
[F]Do do do do [C]do do [G]do
Don't [C]ask me why but time has[Em] passed us by
Some[F]one else moved [C]in from far a[G]way
Key of D Major
[D]When we were small and Christmas [F#m]trees were tall
We [G]used to love while [D]others used to [A]play
Don't [D]ask me why the time has [F#m]passed us by
Some[G]one else moved [D]in from far a[A]way
Now [G]we are tall and Christmas [D]trees are small
And [Em]you don't ask the time of [D]day[D7]
But [G]you and I our love will [D]never die
But [Em]guess we'll [G]cry come first of[D] May[A]
The [D]apple tree that grew for [F#m]you and me
I [G]watched the apples [D]falling one by [A]one
And [D]I recall the moment [F#m]of them all
The [G]day I kissed your [D]cheek and you were [A]mine
When[D] I was small and Christmas [F#m]trees were tall
[G]Do do do do [D]do do [A]do
Don't [D]ask me why but time has[F#m] passed us by
Some[G]one else moved [D]in from far aA]way
[C]When we were small and Christmas [Em]trees were tall
We [F]used to love while [C]others used to [G]play
Don't [C]ask me why the time has [Em]passed us by
Noth[F]ing seems to be the [C] same old [G]way
Now [F]we are tall and Christmas [C]trees are small
And [Dm]you don't ask the time of [C]day[C7]
But [F]you and I our love will [C]never ever die
But [Dm]guess we'll [F]crys come first of[C] May[G]
The [C]apple tree that grew for [Em]you and me
I [F]watched the apples [C]falling one by [G]one
And [C]I recall the moment [Em]of them all
The [F]day I kissed your [C]cheek and you were [G]gone
When[C] I was small and Christmas [Em]trees were tall
[F]Do do do do [C]do do [G]do
Don't [C]ask me why but time has[Em] passed us by
Some[F]one else moved [C]in from far a[G]way
Key of D Major
[D]When we were small and Christmas [F#m]trees were tall
We [G]used to love while [D]others used to [A]play
Don't [D]ask me why the time has [F#m]passed us by
Some[G]one else moved [D]in from far a[A]way
Now [G]we are tall and Christmas [D]trees are small
And [Em]you don't ask the time of [D]day[D7]
But [G]you and I our love will [D]never die
But [Em]guess we'll [G]cry come first of[D] May[A]
The [D]apple tree that grew for [F#m]you and me
I [G]watched the apples [D]falling one by [A]one
And [D]I recall the moment [F#m]of them all
The [G]day I kissed your [D]cheek and you were [A]mine
When[D] I was small and Christmas [F#m]trees were tall
[G]Do do do do [D]do do [A]do
Don't [D]ask me why but time has[F#m] passed us by
Some[G]one else moved [D]in from far aA]way
Key Of G Major
[G]When we were small and Christmas [Bm]trees were tall
We [C]used to love while [G]others used to [D]play
Don't [G]ask me why the time has [Bm]passed us by
Some[C]one else moved [G]in from far a[D]way
Now [C]we are tall and Christmas [G]trees are small
And [Am]you don't ask the time of [G]day[G7]
But [C]you and I our love will [G]never die
But [Am]guess we'll [C]cry come first of[G] May[D]
The [G]apple tree that grew for [Bm]you and me
I [C]watched the apples [G]falling one by [D]one
And [G]I recall the moment [Bm]of them all
The [C]day I kissed your [G]cheek and you were [D]mine
When[G] I was small and Christmas [Bm]trees were tall
[C]Do do do do [G]do do [D]do
Don't [G]ask me why but time has[Bm] passed us by
Some[C]one else moved [G]in from far a[D]way.
Key Of A Major
[A]When we were small and Christmas [C#m]trees were tall
We [D]used to love while [A]others used to [E]play
Don't [A]ask me why the time has [C#m]passed us by
Some[D]one else moved [A]in from far a[E]way
Now [D]we are tall and Christmas [A]trees are small
And [Bm]you don't ask the time of [A]day[A7]
But [D]you and I our love will [A]never die
But [Bm]guess we'll [D]cry come first of[A] May[E]
The [A]apple tree that grew for [C#m]you and me
I [D]watched the apples [A]falling one by [E]one
And [A]I recall the moment [C#m]of them all
The [D]day I kissed your [A]cheek and you were [E]mine
When[A] I was small and Christmas [C#m]trees were tall
[D]Do do do do [A]do do [E]do
Don't [A]ask me why but time has[C#m] passed us by
Some[D]one else moved [A]in from far a[E]way.
Back to The Wolf Tones Lyrics And Chords
[G]When we were small and Christmas [Bm]trees were tall
We [C]used to love while [G]others used to [D]play
Don't [G]ask me why the time has [Bm]passed us by
Some[C]one else moved [G]in from far a[D]way
Now [C]we are tall and Christmas [G]trees are small
And [Am]you don't ask the time of [G]day[G7]
But [C]you and I our love will [G]never die
But [Am]guess we'll [C]cry come first of[G] May[D]
The [G]apple tree that grew for [Bm]you and me
I [C]watched the apples [G]falling one by [D]one
And [G]I recall the moment [Bm]of them all
The [C]day I kissed your [G]cheek and you were [D]mine
When[G] I was small and Christmas [Bm]trees were tall
[C]Do do do do [G]do do [D]do
Don't [G]ask me why but time has[Bm] passed us by
Some[C]one else moved [G]in from far a[D]way.
Key Of A Major
[A]When we were small and Christmas [C#m]trees were tall
We [D]used to love while [A]others used to [E]play
Don't [A]ask me why the time has [C#m]passed us by
Some[D]one else moved [A]in from far a[E]way
Now [D]we are tall and Christmas [A]trees are small
And [Bm]you don't ask the time of [A]day[A7]
But [D]you and I our love will [A]never die
But [Bm]guess we'll [D]cry come first of[A] May[E]
The [A]apple tree that grew for [C#m]you and me
I [D]watched the apples [A]falling one by [E]one
And [A]I recall the moment [C#m]of them all
The [D]day I kissed your [A]cheek and you were [E]mine
When[A] I was small and Christmas [C#m]trees were tall
[D]Do do do do [A]do do [E]do
Don't [A]ask me why but time has[C#m] passed us by
Some[D]one else moved [A]in from far a[E]way.
Back to The Wolf Tones Lyrics And Chords
The first of May sheet music in the key of D
The first of may lyrics
