Fairytale Of New York
Christy Moore Lyrics
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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
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
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 song "Fairytale of New York" tells the story of two lovers who have fallen on hard times. On Christmas Eve, the singer finds himself in a drunk tank with an old man who tells him he won't see another year. The old man's song introduces a theme of nostalgia for an earlier time when life was simpler and filled with joy. The singer turns his thoughts to his lover, dreaming of a better future together.
The second verse contrasts the optimism of the singer with the harsh realities of life in New York. The city may be a place of opportunity, but it's also a place where the elderly are forgotten and the wind "goes right through you." Still, the singer remembers the promise the lover once made to him: that he would make it big in Broadway.
The song takes a dark turn in the third verse, where the lovers exchange insults and bitter recriminations. Yet, despite the ugliness of their words, the singer still holds onto the dreams he once shared with his lover. The final verse repeats the nostalgia of the first, with the singer imploring his lover to stay with him and help him achieve their dreams.
Overall, "Fairytale of New York" is a poignant reflection on the power of love to overcome even the hardest of times. The song acknowledges the bleakness of life, but also the hope that can be found by holding onto one's dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
It was Christmas Eve babe
The story begins on Christmas Eve
In the drunk tank
The singer is in jail
An old man said to me, won't see another one
The singer is approached by an old man in jail who says he won't survive until next Christmas
And then he sang a song
The old man sang the song Rare Old Mountain Dew
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
The name of the song the old man sang
I turned my face away
The singer turns his face away while the old man sings
And dreamed about you
The singer thinks about someone he loves
Got on a lucky one
The singer placed a bet and won
Came in eighteen to one
The odds of the bet the singer placed
I've got a feeling
The singer feels optimistic about the future
This year's for me and you
The singer believes this year will be good for him and the person he loves
So happy Christmas
The singer wishes the person he loves a happy Christmas
I love you baby
The singer expresses his love for the person he loves
I can see a better time
The singer is optimistic about the future
When all our dreams come true
The singer hopes that all of their shared dreams come true
They've got cars big as bars
People in New York have fancy cars
They've got rivers of gold
People in New York are wealthy
But the wind goes right through you
Despite the wealth, the cold wind is still uncomfortable
It's no place for the old
New York is not a good place for elderly people
When you first took my hand
The singer is reminiscing about when he first met the person he loves
On a cold Christmas Eve
The singer and the person he loves met on a cold Christmas Eve
You promised me
The person the singer loves made him a promise
Broadway was waiting for me
The person the singer loves promised him that they would go to Broadway together
You were handsome
The person the singer loves is attractive
You were pretty
The person the singer loves is attractive
Queen of New York City
The person the singer loves is like royalty in New York
When the band finished playing
The singer and the person he loves are at a show
They howled out for more
The audience wants more music
Sinatra was swinging,
Frank Sinatra was performing at the show
All the drunks they were singing
Even the drunken people in the audience were singing along
We kissed on a corner
The singer and the person he loves kissed on a street corner
Then danced through the night
The singer and the person he loves danced all night
The boys of the NYPD choir
The NYPD choir is singing
Were singing "Galway Bay"
The NYPD choir is singing the song Galway Bay
And the bells were ringing out
Bells are ringing on Christmas Day
For Christmas day
It's Christmas Day
You're a bum
The singer is insulting someone
You're a punk
The singer is insulting someone
You're an old slut on junk
The singer is insulting someone
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
The singer is insulting someone who is in a hospital bed
You scumbag, you maggot
The singer is insulting someone
You cheap lousy faggot
The singer is insulting someone
Happy Christmas your arse
The singer is insulting someone
I pray God it's our last
The singer hopes this will be the last Christmas spent with this person
I could have been someone
The singer could have been successful
Well so could anyone
Anyone could have been successful
You took my dreams from me
The person the singer loves did not support his dreams
When I first found you
When the singer first met the person he loves
I kept them with me babe
The singer held onto his dreams even though the person he loves didn't believe in them
I put them with my own
The singer integrated his dreams with his own identity
Can't make it all alone
The singer needs the support of the person he loves
I've built my dreams around you
The singer's dreams revolve around the person he loves
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jem Finer, Shane Patrick Lysaght Macgowan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@electorofsaxony7646
RIP to the troubled genius Shane McGowan. What a song writer.
@8camplethargic8
0:32 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-61R_leNLrU
2:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD73lxnaPCE
@A.Mardle
He's gone to the great dentist in the sky...
@TheLadybudd
Thank you for giving tribute to Shane.
@artespopular
Christy can cover anything he damn well chooses, the man is a Irish National Treasure, hell he's a World Treasure!
@radwizard
This needs more Thumbs up!! To the top with this comment!!
@philliphaylor1590
reciclado gringo you are so right and I'm from England
@persallnas5408
yep he is treasure for all of us, not only u damned irish:)
@petermullen5319
reciclado grin
@PMDshowjumping
reciclado gringo t a