“First of May” was inspired by the birthday of Barry Gibb’s dog Barnaby, but the song itself is about childhood memories, growing up, and the passage of time. Barry and Maurice wrote it at the piano, and its release caused Robin Gibb to temporarily leave the group.
Maurice Gibb recalled the song beginning simply, with him and Barry sitting together at the piano—Maurice playing the chords while Barry softly drifted into the opening line, “When I was small and Christmas trees were tall…”. They captured the moment in a New York demo and later shaped it into its full orchestral form in London.
At its core, the song carries the ache of childhood memories, the sting of lost innocence, the quiet distance that grows between people, and the bittersweet passage of time—an interpretation that beautifully aligns with what the brothers themselves always felt it to be.
When we were young, the world felt tall, and every winter whispered magic. Now years drift by like falling leaves, and the ones we loved grow quiet. But somewhere in the soft light of memory, we are still small, and Christmas trees are still tall.
SMELLs lIKE RAIN
First of May
When I was small and Christmas trees were tall
We used to love while others used to play
Don’t ask me why, but time has passed us by
Someone else moved in from far away
Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
And you don’t ask the time of day
But you and I, our love will never die
But guess we’ll cry come first of May
The apple tree that grew for you and me
I watched the apples falling one by one
And I recall the moment of them all
The day I kissed your cheek and you were gone
Now we are tall and Christmas trees are small
And you don’t ask the time of day
But you and I, our love will never die
But guess we’ll cry come first of May
When I was small and Christmas trees were tall
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo, doo-doo
Don’t ask me why, but time has passed us by
Someone else moved in from far away
Songwriters: Maurice Ernest Gibb, Robin Hugh Gibb, Barry Alan Gibb.
