The band's line up has changed through the years; current members include: Andy Ireland (drums), Paul "Mad Dog" McGuinness (guitar, vocals), and Bob "Lucky" Dowling (bass). Past members have included Mick O'Connell (accordion), Kieran "Mo" O' Hagan (Acoustic guitar, vocals), John Myers (fiddle, tin whistle), Danny Heatley (aka Danny Pope) (drums), Seamus "Rapey" Murphy (accordion), Berni "The Undertaker" France (bass), Ulick McGhee (oboe), Colm O'Maonlai (whistle), Kieran Kiely (accordion, whistle) and Leeson O'Keeffe (Electric guitar, banjo, vocals). Longtime band member Tom "McAnimal" McManamon (banjo) died on 15 December 2006.Scottish violinist laura Mcghee played with the popes at the Barrowlands and went down a storm when she played fairytale in new york with shane who said of the dundee lass i would love to see her get more air time on scottish radio as she is big in America
Following his departure from The Pogues in 1991, MacGowan returned in 1994 with this new band, whose debut album "The Snake" was critically acclaimed and showed that MacGowan's creative juices were very much still flowing. A second album, "The Crock Of Gold", was released in 1997 and was, for the most part, more traditionally oriented. Two albums surfaced in 2002 - the compilation "The Rare Oul' Stuff" and the superlative live set "Across The Broad Atlantic". There was also an outstanding live DVD ("Live At Montreux") released in 2004, which shows the band performing at their creative peak (and includes a number of Pogues songs - a feature of Popes concerts throughout MacGowan's tenure as frontman).
The reunion of The Pogues (complete with MacGowan) in 2004 led to MacGowan leaving the Popes behind to concentrate on playing live with his original bandmates. The Popes continue to perform without MacGowan, albeit sporadically.
If I Should Fall from Grace with God
Shane MacGowan And The Popes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I'm buried 'neath the sod but the angels won't receive me
Let me go boys, let me go boys
Let me go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry
This land was always ours, was the proud land of our fathers
It belongs to us and them, not to any of the others
Let them go boys, let them go boys
Let them go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry
Bury me at sea where no murdered ghost can haunt me
If I rock upon the waves, no corpse can lie upon me
It's coming up three boys, keeps coming up three boys
Let them go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry
If I should fall from grace with god where no doctor can relieve me
If I'm buried 'neath the sod and still the angels won't receive me
Let me go boys, let me go boys
Let me go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry
The lyrics of "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" by Shane MacGowan And The Popes are enigmatic and thought-provoking, showcasing the artist's ability to speak earnestly about difficult and weighty topics. The first stanza of the song speaks to the fear of mortality and the uncertainty that comes with potentially losing one's place in the afterlife. The singer is pleading to be allowed to pass on without being haunted by any regrets or unresolved issues, even if that means being buried in a less than ideal location. The second stanza deals with the idea of ownership and belonging. The singer asserts that the land is rightfully theirs and their fathers' before them, and not anyone else's.
In the final stanza, the singer returns to thoughts of death and the afterlife. They plead once more to be allowed to pass on without being tormented by a ghost or a memory of something that was left undone. The repetition of the phrase "Let me go boys" throughout the song underscores the sense of urgency and desperation in the singer's pleas.
Overall, the lyrics of "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" are deep, introspective, and resonate with themes of mortality, ownership, and regret.
Line by Line Meaning
If I should fall from grace with god where no doctor can relieve me
If I lose favor with God to the extent that no one can heal me
If I'm buried 'neath the sod but the angels won't receive me
If I'm put into the ground but the heavenly beings refuse to accept me
Let me go boys, let me go boys
Allow me to depart, my friends
Let me go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry
Let me perish in a less dignified manner
This land was always ours, was the proud land of our fathers
This territory has always been our own, and it was passed down to us by our forefathers with pride
It belongs to us and them, not to any of the others
It belongs to both us and the opposing party, but not to any outsiders
Let them go boys, let them go boys
Allow them to leave, my friends
Bury me at sea where no murdered ghost can haunt me
Dispose of my remains in the ocean, where I won't be tormented by vengeance-seeking spirits
If I rock upon the waves, no corpse can lie upon me
If I'm tossed by the waves, no dead body will rest on top of me
It's coming up three boys, keeps coming up three boys
Death is approaching for a trio of people
If I should fall from grace with god where no doctor can relieve me
If I lose favor with God to the extent that no one can heal me
If I'm buried 'neath the sod and still the angels won't receive me
If my body is laid to rest, but even then the celestial beings refuse to accept me
Let me go boys, let me go boys
Allow me to depart, my friends
Let me go down in the mud where the rivers all run dry
Let me perish in a less dignified manner
Contributed by Asher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@williammitchell9974
Excellent ( Our Shane) Topps🍀🙏
@marvinthemaniac7698
Shane was a true Rockstar when he drunk, may he rest in peace.
@spikethegoth89
shane sounds good in this much more coherant and with it then the pinkpop performance, classic! is it true he was was on heroin in the 90's?
@jenniferboehm9045
I dont remember the duh duh duh duh duh duh...duh duh duh duh duh duh, between every verse in the live versions from when Shane could still breathe