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Fairytale Of New York
The Pogues Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning

It was Christmas Eve babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me, won't see another one
And then he sang a song
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I've got a feeling
This year's for me and you
So happy Christmas
I love you baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true

They've got cars big as bars
They've got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you
It's no place for the old
When you first took my hand
On a cold Christmas Eve
You promised me
Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing Galway Bay
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last

The boys of the NYPD choir
Still singing Galway Bay
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas day

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir
Still singing Galway Bay
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas day

Overall Meaning

The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" tells the story of a couple who are reminiscing on their past and present situations. The story begins with the narrator in a drunk tank on Christmas Eve. He hears an old man singing a traditional Irish folk song "The Rare Old Mountain Dew" and thinks about his lover. He then reflects on his past luck in betting, hoping that this year will be a better one for both of them. He wishes her a happy Christmas and reminds her of their dreams of a better future together.


The song continues with the narrator and his love remembering past memories of New York City. They dance, kiss, and enjoy the music of Sinatra, but also acknowledge the harsh realities of the city. The lyrics take a dark turn when insults are hurled between the couple, before they again remember the good times they shared and the dreams they had together. The song ends with the sound of the NYPD choir singing and the bells ringing out for Christmas Day.


The song is a bittersweet tribute to those who have struggled and to those who still dream of hope and a better life. It is often seen as an anthem of the Irish diaspora and its struggles, and its honest portrayal of love and loss is one of the reasons it has become such a beloved Christmas classic.


Line by Line Meaning

It was Christmas Eve babe
The story takes place on Christmas Eve


In the drunk tank
The narrator is in a jail cell because they are drunk or disorderly


An old man said to me, won't see another one
An elderly prisoner tells the narrator that he believes he will not live to see another Christmas


And then he sang a song
The old man begins to sing a song


The Rare Old Mountain Dew
The old man's song is called 'The Rare Old Mountain Dew'


I turned my face away
The narrator doesn't want to listen to the old man's song


And dreamed about you
The narrator thinks about their significant other and dreams of being with them


Got on a lucky one
The narrator feels lucky


Came in eighteen to one
The narrator won a bet at odds of 18 to 1


I've got a feeling
The narrator is optimistic about the upcoming year


This year's for me and you
The narrator is looking forward to sharing the year with their significant other


So happy Christmas
The narrator wishes their significant other a happy Christmas


I love you baby
The narrator loves their significant other


I can see a better time
The narrator can envision a brighter future


When all our dreams come true
The narrator hopes that they and their significant other will achieve their dreams


They've got cars big as bars
The wealthy have cars as large as bars


They've got rivers of gold
The wealthy have great wealth


But the wind goes right through you
The city is cold and harsh, and the narrator feels vulnerable


It's no place for the old
The city is not a welcoming place for the elderly


When you first took my hand
The narrator remembers the first time they held hands with their significant other


On a cold Christmas Eve
The narrator recalls that it was also Christmas Eve


You promised me
The significant other made a promise to the narrator


Broadway was waiting for me
The significant other promised the narrator that success awaited them on Broadway


You were handsome
The significant other is attractive


You were pretty
The significant other is also good-looking


Queen of New York City
The significant other is metaphorically the queen of the city


When the band finished playing
The narrator and significant other were at a party where a band played


They howled out for more
The crowd demanded an encore from the band


Sinatra was swinging
Frank Sinatra was the singer of the band


All the drunks they were singing
The party-goers were singing along, even if they were drunk


We kissed on a corner
The narrator and significant other kissed in a public place


Then danced through the night
The narrator and significant other danced happily all night long


The boys of the NYPD choir
The NYPD's choir is mentioned


Were singing Galway Bay
The NYPD choir was singing a song called 'Galway Bay'


And the bells were ringing out
The church bells were ringing


For Christmas day
It was Christmas Day


You're a bum
The narrator insults their significant other


You're a punk
The narrator continues with their insults


You're an old slut on junk
The narrator is extremely offensive towards their significant other


Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
The significant other is near death in a hospital bed


You scumbag, you maggot
The narrator continues to insult their significant other


You cheap lousy faggot
The narrator again uses highly offensive language to insult the significant other


Happy Christmas your arse
The narrator wishes their significant other a sarcastic Merry Christmas


I pray God it's our last
The narrator hopes that it will be the last Christmas they spend with their significant other


I could have been someone
The narrator regrets not being successful


Well so could anyone
The narrator acknowledges that anyone could have been successful


You took my dreams from me
The narrator blames their significant other for not achieving their dreams


When I first found you
The narrator feels that their life changed when they met their significant other


I kept them with me babe
The narrator still holds onto their dreams


I put them with my own
The narrator's dreams are now intertwined with their significant other's dreams


Can't make it all alone
The narrator realizes that they can't achieve their dreams alone


I've built my dreams around you
The narrator's dreams are now based on their significant other


The boys of the NYPD choir
The song ends with a repetition of its earlier lyrics


Still singing Galway Bay
The NYPD choir is still singing 'Galway Bay'


And the bells are ringing out
The church bells are still ringing


For Christmas day
It is still Christmas Day




Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jem Finer, Shane Patrick Lysaght Macgowan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Haposan Lionel

It was Christmas Eve, babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me
"Won't see another one"
And then he sang a song
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I've got a feeling
This year's for me and you
So, Happy Christmas
I love you, baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true

They've got cars big as bars, they've got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you, it's no place for the old
When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve
You promised me Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty, Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging
All the drunks, they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

You're a bum, you're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead
On a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap, lousy faggot
Happy Christmas, your arse
I pray God it's our last

The boys of the NYPD choir
Still singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas day

"I could have been someone"
Well, so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me, babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir
Still singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas day


Dec'2022



All comments from YouTube:

_Ryan_

You haven’t lived until you’ve witnessed an entire Irish pub sing this song in unison, word for word, before closing time.

Amanda'stakeonit

Does watching PS I LOVE YOU count? 🤣

Jay Cull

This is now on my bucket list 👌

Scott Buckley

@Amanda'stakeonit no

LittleMiss Lou

@Amanda'stakeonitfunniest reply.

48 More Replies...

Joanne

I was a teen in a very abusive household and my mom actually let me go sit in my boyfriend car one night. We sat in the backseat snuggled up in the snow as this song played on the speakers and I've never felt so safe nor loved before or since. He understood me so well to drive over and just let me feel safe for a little while. Now I'm nearly 50 and cry everytime I hear this. Wherever he is, I hope life was/is good to him. I was too damaged to accept such love at that stage of my life but regretted it ever since. Merry Christmas, Dan J. Reynolds. I still dream of you and that rusted out Pontiac Ventura. Thank you for this memory of love, forever.

TALKING BOY

It's nice to hear what music can do


May you have a fantastic Christmas

King Rhino

.... Quite possibly the best movie never made... ❤

DoubleTrolling

Typical woman turning down the good guy just to end up regretting it LOL

David Yasss

Wow. You explained that so well I can visualise the whole scene. A sad but beautiful memory, that you will never forget, as evident.

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