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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 singer 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 singer 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 singer 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 singer 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 singer doesn't want to listen to the old man's song


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


Got on a lucky one
The artist feels lucky


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


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


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


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


I love you baby
The singer loves their significant other


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


When all our dreams come true
The singer 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 singer 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 artist remembers the first time they held hands with their significant other


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


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


Broadway was waiting for me
The significant other promised the singer 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 singer 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 singer and significant other kissed in a public place


Then danced through the night
The artist 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 singer insults their significant other


You're a punk
The singer continues with their insults


You're an old slut on junk
The singer 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 artist continues to insult their significant other


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


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


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


I could have been someone
The artist regrets not being successful


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


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


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


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


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


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


I've built my dreams around you
The artist'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 © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jem Finer, Shane Patrick Lysaght Macgowan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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