Fairy Tale Of New York
Amy Macdonald 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 were 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
Were singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing "Galway Bay"




And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

Overall Meaning

The song "Fairy Tale of New York" by Amy Macdonald is actually a cover of the original song by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl. The song tells a story of two lovers who may have fallen on hard times but continue to hold on to their love for each other. The song takes place on Christmas Eve when the singer, who is in the drunk tank, meets an old man who predicts that he won't see another Christmas. The old man then sings "The Rare Old Mountain Dew", and the singer dreams about his lover.


The singer then recalls a time when he won a bet and thought that this year's Christmas would be better for him and his partner. The song then shifts to a description of New York City, contrasting the glitz and glamour with the harsh reality that the city is no place for the old. The singer remembers another Christmas where his partner promised him Broadway was waiting for him, and they danced through the night.


However, the song takes a dark turn when the lovers trade insults, suggesting that their relationship may not be as idyllic as the rest of the song suggests. The boys of the NYPD choir close the song by continuing to sing "Galway Bay", while the bells ring out for Christmas Day. The song seems to suggest that even in the midst of hardship, love can still exist, albeit imperfectly.


Line by Line Meaning

It was Christmas Eve babe
The song is set on the night before Christmas.


In the drunk tank
The singer is in jail, surrounded by other drunks.


An old man said to me, won't see another one
The old man next to her tells her that he does not expect to live until another Christmas.


And then he sang a song
The old man starts to sing a song.


The rare old mountain Dew
The song he sings is a traditional Irish song called “The Rare Old Mountain Dew”.


I turned my face away
The singer turns away from the old man and looks elsewhere.


And dreamed about you
The singer thinks of someone special and dreams of being with them.


Got on a lucky one
The singer is feeling lucky.


Came in eighteen to one
She won a bet.


I've got a feeling
She feels like this coming year will be good.


This year's for me and you
This year will be good for both her and the person she is thinking about.


So happy Christmas
Merry Christmas.


I love you baby
She is in love with the person she is thinking about and wishes them a Merry Christmas.


I can see a better time
She believes that the future will be better.


When all our dreams come true
She believes that both of their dreams will come true in the future.


They've got cars big as bars
The people in New York have huge cars.


They've got rivers of gold
The people in New York have so much money that it is compared to rivers of gold.


But the wind goes right through you
Despite their wealth, the cold wind in New York is still able to affect people.


It's no place for the old
New York City is not a good place for elderly people.


When you first took my hand
She remembers the first time they held hands.


On a cold Christmas Eve
It was on a cold Christmas Eve.


You promised me
He made a promise to her.


Broadway was waiting for me
He promised her that they would go to Broadway together.


You were handsome
He was handsome.


You were pretty
She was pretty.


Queen of New York City
She was the Queen of New York City in his eyes.


When the band finished playing
When the band stopped playing music.


They howled out for more
The crowd wanted them to play more songs.


Sinatra was swinging
Frank Sinatra was singing and performing.


All the drunks they were singing
Even the drunks were singing along.


We kissed on a corner
They shared a kiss on the street corner.


Then danced through the night
They danced together all night long.


The boys of the NYPD choir
There was a choir of NYPD officers nearby.


Were singing "Galway Bay"
The choir was singing the song "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 is angry at someone.


You're a punk
The person she is angry at is a punk.


You're an old slut on junk
She insults the person she is mad at, calling them an old, addicted prostitute.


Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
She is insulting the person she is angry at for being in a hospital bed, barely alive.


You scumbag, you maggot
She continues to insult the person she is angry at, calling them a scumbag and a maggot.


You cheap lousy faggot
She also insults the person she is angry at for being gay.


Happy Christmas your arse
Her Christmas wish for the person she is angry at is that they have a terrible holiday.


I pray God it's our last
She is so angry at this person that she prays this is the last time they spend Christmas together.


I could have been someone
She laments the fact that she could have been someone great.


Well so could anyone
But anyone could have been something great.


You took my dreams from me
She blames someone for taking away her dreams.


When I first found you
She is referring to the person she is angry at as the one who took her dreams away.


I kept them with me babe
However, she held on to her dreams.


I put them with my own
She had her own dreams, but they were intertwined with this person's dreams.


Can't make it all alone
She realizes that she cannot accomplish her dreams alone.


I've built my dreams around you
Her dreams revolve around this person.




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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Comments from YouTube:

@katrinahorberry9740

the best song in the worled

@237homer238

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTx-sdR6Yzk

@martinfolan4864

Amazing cover!

@kennygordon7230

Great tune love it!!🎄

@InahaFrost

nooooooo

@yafffnez

Very good cover!

@InahaFrost

nooooooo

@sov2winbb10

She used to go to my school

@InahaFrost

no one cares

@InahaFrost

no

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