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.
Victoria
Shane MacGowan And The Popes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Angel of the East is calling
And with a trembling hand
I open up a can
I can hear a baby bawling
Before I open up my eyes
I can feel her love inside me
My girl with green eyes
Is no longer there beside me
Vicoria, you left me in opium euphoria
With a fat monk singing Gloria
My girl with green eyes
Only you see that I am lazy
Don't care about fame
Nor money like a child
And I'm just like a child
Who's forgotten how to smile
All the people are so busy
I have nothing to bother about
It seems that I'm different
Seems that I am strange
I'm a bumpkin, I'm a lout
Some day I know
I'll put my pipe aside and hit the road
However far away I have to go
To find my girl with green eyes
Some day I know
I'll put my pipe aside and hit the road
However far away I have to go
To find my girl with green eyes
Victoria, my girl with green eyes
The lyrics to Shane MacGowan's song "Victoria" present a portrait of a man lost in the world, trying to make sense of his place in it without the woman he loves. The first stanza sets the scene on a dirty street in a rough part of town, with the singer drinking away his sorrows as he hears a baby crying nearby. The second stanza reveals that his love, the titular Victoria with green eyes, is no longer with him. He reminiscences about feeling her love inside him, and we learn that perhaps he has turned to opium to dull the pain of their separation. Yet he promises that he will leave it all behind someday, determined to go out into the world and find her again.
In the third stanza, the singer reveals that he is an outsider, someone who does not fit into the busy, money-driven world around him. He is content to live a simple life and does not care about seeking fame or fortune. He is like a child who has forgotten how to smile, lost in his melancholy. Yet, he remains dedicated to his quest to find Victoria, even if it means hitting the road alone and without any idea where she might be found. In the final repetition of the chorus, he laments once more about the loss of his love, the woman with green eyes who has seemingly vanished from his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Down the dirty old streets
Walking through the rough and grimy alleyways
The Angel of the East is calling
The city is beckoning with its lights and sounds
And with a trembling hand
Shaky with anticipation
I open up a can
Cracking open a beer to quell my nerves
I can hear a baby bawling
The sounds of the city are overpowering
Before I open up my eyes
Prior to gaining full awareness
I can feel her love inside me
I still sense my lover's love within me
But then I realize
But the sad truth dawns on me
My girl with green eyes
The woman I love with striking green eyes
Is no longer there beside me
Is no longer physically present with me
Vicoria, you left me in opium euphoria
Victoria, you left me in a drug-induced state of euphoria
With a fat monk singing Gloria
In the company of an overweight priest singing praises of God
Only you see that I am lazy
Only you understand my laziness
Don't care about fame
I am not interested in having widespread recognition
Nor money like a child
Nor am I motivated by financial gains, like a child
And I'm just like a child
I possess a childlike innocence
Who's forgotten how to smile
But my lightheartedness has faded away
All the people are so busy
Everyone else around me is occupied with their own affairs
I have nothing to bother about
I seem to have no tangible concerns or responsibilities
It seems that I'm different
It appears that I am not like everyone else
Seems that I am strange
I am seen as unconventional or peculiar
I'm a bumpkin, I'm a lout
I am seen as an unsophisticated or brutish person
Some day I know
At some point in the future, I am aware that
I'll put my pipe aside and hit the road
I will stop using drugs and embark on a journey
However far away I have to go
Regardless of how distant the destination may be
To find my girl with green eyes
To search for and reunite with the woman I love with striking green eyes
Victoria, my girl with green eyes
Victoria, my beloved woman with striking green eyes
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: SHANE PATRICK LYSAGHT MACGOWAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@voodoochile804
Shane MacGowan and Brian Robertson - a match made in heaven!
@zachoneill6570
Rest in peace big man! You gave fans so many great songs and this song is the perfect tribute to your wife Victoria. I’ll miss you Shane as many of us will
@steve-bk1qd
Awesome track. RIP Shane. So many great songs.
@donald44video
Hello, I remember the time when I was in the first independent radio station in Prague after the "Velvet Revolution" - Radio 1 at the beginning of the 90s he listened to the music of THE POGUES for the first time - the freedom of punk folk everything appealed to me a lot. Since then, I began to perceive Irish, Scottish, Breton, Galician music, and perhaps even punk and various styles more diligently. In 2004 I visited the Respect Festival in Prague, where Shane played with his new band The Popes. It was quite a specific performance... But I really liked Irish folk songs and similarly inspired songs. I've heard a lot of great music since then, but the Pogues were my first trigger band. R.I.P. Shane McGowan. Hi Donald.
@MrNU998
One of the most underrated of his songs. Love it!
@twilightatireland
Robbo! Killer riff. Killer solo. Shane! Killer song!
@thegreatjacecostolo3664
Rest easy Shane, you were a gem.
@Badnewsbroad
This song changed my life.
@borspeti
How?
@jaimadrian
changed it to many of us