Maggie Out
Encyclopedia
"Maggie Out" was a chant
popular during the Miners' Strike, student grant protest
s, Poll Tax
protests and other public demonstrations
that fell within the time when Margaret Thatcher
was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
.
The chant called for her to be removed from that role. It was referred to, in that context, during a parliamentary session in 1984.
When Margaret Thatcher felt compelled to resign some people had memories of chanting it for thirteen years. People were passionate about this group activity and associated it with varied political struggles from that time.
It is a variant of the "Oggy Oggy Oggy
, Oi Oi Oi" chant. When used in that format, the lyrics were:
The chorus of the chant became the title of a compilation album from Anagram Records (Catalog#:GRAM 28) released in 1987.
The Larks produced a track called "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie (Out, Out, Out)" which was included on the Miners’ Benefit LP “Here We Go” on Sterile Records.
Comedian Alexei Sayle
remarked humorously that he couldn't find his way around London unless he walked down the middle of the streets shouting the words.
Since 1990 two variants of this song have been heard - adapted for both her successors; replacing 'Major' for 'Maggie' during the tenure of John Major
and 'Tony' for 'Maggie' since Tony Blair
's plan for the Iraq War in 2003.
The song has occasionally been revived to "greet" Thatcher's public outings following her resignation as Prime Minister, but with the word "gone" substituted for "out".
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
popular during the Miners' Strike, student grant protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
s, Poll Tax
Community Charge
The Community Charge, popularly known as the "poll tax", was a system of taxation introduced in replacement of the rates to part fund local government in Scotland from 1989, and England and Wales from 1990. It provided for a single flat-rate per-capita tax on every adult, at a rate set by the...
protests and other public demonstrations
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
that fell within the time when Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
.
The chant called for her to be removed from that role. It was referred to, in that context, during a parliamentary session in 1984.
When Margaret Thatcher felt compelled to resign some people had memories of chanting it for thirteen years. People were passionate about this group activity and associated it with varied political struggles from that time.
It is a variant of the "Oggy Oggy Oggy
Oggy Oggy Oggy
The Oggy Oggy Oggy chant , and its numerous variations, are often heard at sporting events, political rallies and around Scout and Guide campfires, primarily in Britain, Ireland and some Commonwealth nations....
, Oi Oi Oi" chant. When used in that format, the lyrics were:
- Maggie, Maggie, Maggie!
- Out! Out! Out!
- Maggie, Maggie, Maggie!
- Out! Out! Out!
- Maggie!
- Out!
- Maggie!
- Out!
- Maggie, Maggie, Maggie!
- Out! Out! Out!
The chorus of the chant became the title of a compilation album from Anagram Records (Catalog#:GRAM 28) released in 1987.
The Larks produced a track called "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie (Out, Out, Out)" which was included on the Miners’ Benefit LP “Here We Go” on Sterile Records.
Comedian Alexei Sayle
Alexei Sayle
Alexei David Sayle is a British stand-up comedian, actor and author. He was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit in the early 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-ups in 2007...
remarked humorously that he couldn't find his way around London unless he walked down the middle of the streets shouting the words.
Since 1990 two variants of this song have been heard - adapted for both her successors; replacing 'Major' for 'Maggie' during the tenure of John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
and 'Tony' for 'Maggie' since Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's plan for the Iraq War in 2003.
The song has occasionally been revived to "greet" Thatcher's public outings following her resignation as Prime Minister, but with the word "gone" substituted for "out".