In Rod Stewart's "Maggie May", what month is it?

In Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May,” the narrator says that it is late September and he should be back at school.

The month appears in the song’s opening verse, where the young narrator reflects on being drawn away from home by Maggie. The reference to returning to school helps establish that he is a student, while the rest of the lyrics describe his conflicted feelings about the relationship and his desire to leave.

“Maggie May” became one of Stewart’s signature songs after appearing on his 1971 album Every Picture Tells a Story. It was co-written by Stewart and guitarist Martin Quittenton. Although it was initially issued as the less-prominent side of a single, radio play helped turn it into a major international hit.

Listeners sometimes remember only the title character’s name and overlook the song’s seasonal clue. The lyric does not merely mention September in passing: “late September” is the specific timing given by the narrator, making September the canonical answer rather than autumn generally.