The Pogues were founded in King's Cross, a district in north London, in 1982 as Pogue Mahone - "pogue mahone" being the Anglicisation of the Irish póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse". The band specialised in Irish folk music, often playing with the energy of the punk rock scene from which several of the members had their roots.
Their politically-tinged music was reminiscent of The Clash, with whom they played (Joe Strummer produced one of their albums and even joined the group briefly), and used traditional Irish instruments such as the tin whistle, banjo, cittern, mandolin, accordion, and more. In the later incarnations of the band, after the departure of Shane MacGowan, electronic instruments such as the electric guitar would become more prominent. The first of The Pogues' albums, Red Roses for Me, borrows much from the punk tradition of MacGowan's previous band The Nipple Erectors (later dubbed The Nips).
Band history
Shane MacGowan (vocals), James Fearnley (accordion) and Spider Stacy (tin whistle) were the original members of the Pogues, in the days when they busked on the streets of London. Before the rest of the group formed, MacGowan and Stacy were rumoured to have played impromptu performances on street corners and city buses which attracted local interest to their talent. They later added Jeremy 'Jem' Finer (guitar, banjo), Cait O'Riordan (bass) and Andrew Ranken (drums). The band rapidly developed a reputation, started releasing independent work, and ended up opening for The Clash on tour in 1984. Shortening their name to "The Pogues" due to lack of radio play for the curse in their name, they released their first album Red Roses for Me that October.
Phil Chevron (guitar) joined the group soon after, then with the aid of punk and new wave forefather Elvis Costello they recorded the follow up, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, in 1985 (The album title is a famous comment attributed, probably falsely, to Winston Churchill and others in describing the traditions of the British Royal Navy). The album cover featured The Raft of the Medusa, though the faces on the characters in Géricault's painting have been replaced with those of the band members. While the first album had featured a higher percentage of traditional songs, Shane MacGowan came into his own as a songwriter with this disc, offering up poetic story-telling, such as "The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn" and "The Old Main Drag," as well as definitive interpretations of Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town" and Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," the latter of which has become more popular than the original recording.
The band failed to take advantage of the momentum created by the strong artistic and commercial success of their second album. They first refused to record another album (offering up the 4 track EP Poguetry in Motion instead); O'Riordan married Costello and left the band, to be replaced by bassist Darryl Hunt; and they added a multi-instrumentalist in Terry Woods, formerly of Steeleye Span. Looming over the band at this period (as throughout their entire career) was the increasingly erratic behaviour of their vocalist, principal songwriter and creative visionary, Shane MacGowan.
Success & breakup
The band remained stable enough to record If I Should Fall from Grace with God in 1988 (with its Christmas hit duet with Kirsty MacColl "Fairytale of New York") and 1989's Peace and Love. The band was at the peak of its commercial success, with both albums making the top 5 in the UK (nos. 3 and 5 respectively), but MacGowan was spiralling out of control. Following their next album, Hell's Ditch, MacGowan and the band parted company in 1991.
With his departure, the band was thrown into a state of flux. Without their singer, vocal duties were for a time handled by Joe Strummer, before Stacy finally took over permanently. Two politely received albums followed, the first of which, Waiting for Herb, contained the band's third and final top twenty single, "Tuesday Morning" which became their best selling single internationally. In 1996, the Pogues disbanded with just three members remaining.
Post breakup
Shane MacGowan founded Shane MacGowan and The Popes in 1994. They recorded two studio albums in the period up to their split in 2002. MacGowan's autobiography, A Drink With Shane MacGowan, co-written with his journalist girlfriend Victoria Mary Clarke, appeared in 2001. During this time the three other long-term members of the Pogues (Spider Stacy, Andrew Ranken and Darryl Hunt) played together briefly as the Vendettas.
Reunion
The band, including MacGowan, re-formed for a Christmas tour in 2001 and performed 9 shows in the UK in December [2004]. In 2002 Q magazine named The Pogues as one of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die". Also in December 2004, VH1 Conducted a poll to find the best Christmas song ever, with "Fairytale of New York" coming number one with 2,650 of the 10,000 votes cast - over 25%. In early 2005, VH1 conducted another poll to find the 100 greatest number ones that never Were, With The Pogues coming in at number 27.
In July 2005, the band - again including MacGowan - played at the annual Guilfest festival in Guildford before flying out to Japan where they played three dates. Japan is the last place they all played together before MacGowan was originally sacked in 1991, and they have a strong following there. They played a date in Spain in early September. The reunited Pogues played dates in the UK with support from the Dropkick Murphys in late 2005, and re-released their 1987 Christmas classic "Fairytale Of New York" on 19th December, which went straight in at #3 in the UK Singles charts on Christmas Day 2005, showing the song's enduring popularity. On December 22nd 2005 the BBC broadcast a live performance (recorded the previous week) on the Jonathan Ross Christmas show with Katie Melua. "Fairytale of New York" was voted the greatest Christmas Record of all time for the second year running in a poll by UK Music Channel VH1, with "Fairytale of New York" taking in a whopping 39% of the overall vote.
The band was awarded the life-time achievement award at the annual Meteor Ireland Music Awards in February 2006.
In March 2011, the Pogues played a six-city/ten-show sell-out US tour titled "A Parting Glass with The Pogues". In August 2012, The Pogues undertook a 30th Anniversary European Tour.
Discography
Albums
Red Roses for Me - 1984, #89 UK
Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash - 1985, #13 UK
Poguetry in Motion (EP) - 1986, #29
If I Should Fall from Grace with God - 1988, #3 UK, #88 US
Peace and Love - 1989, #5 UK
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (EP) - 1990, #43 UK
Hell's Ditch - 1990, #11 UK
Waiting for Herb - 1993, #20 UK
Pogue Mahone - 1996
The Best of The Pogues - 1991, #11 UK
The Rest of the Best - 1992
The Very Best of The Pogues - 2001, #18
The Ultimate Collection including Live at the Brixton Academy - 2001, #15 UK
Dirty Old Town: The Platinum Collection
Fairytale Of New York
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
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
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
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
_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.
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.