The Pogues were founded in King's Cross, a district in north London, in 1982 as Pogue Mahone - "pogue mahone" being the Anglicisation of the Irish póg mo thóin, meaning "kiss my arse". The band specialised in Irish folk music, often playing with the energy of the punk rock scene from which several of the members had their roots.
Their politically-tinged music was reminiscent of The Clash, with whom they played (Joe Strummer produced one of their albums and even joined the group briefly), and used traditional Irish instruments such as the tin whistle, banjo, cittern, mandolin, accordion, and more. In the later incarnations of the band, after the departure of Shane MacGowan, electronic instruments such as the electric guitar would become more prominent. The first of The Pogues' albums, Red Roses for Me, borrows much from the punk tradition of MacGowan's previous band The Nipple Erectors (later dubbed The Nips).
Band history
Shane MacGowan (vocals), James Fearnley (accordion) and Spider Stacy (tin whistle) were the original members of the Pogues, in the days when they busked on the streets of London. Before the rest of the group formed, MacGowan and Stacy were rumoured to have played impromptu performances on street corners and city buses which attracted local interest to their talent. They later added Jeremy 'Jem' Finer (guitar, banjo), Cait O'Riordan (bass) and Andrew Ranken (drums). The band rapidly developed a reputation, started releasing independent work, and ended up opening for The Clash on tour in 1984. Shortening their name to "The Pogues" due to lack of radio play for the curse in their name, they released their first album Red Roses for Me that October.
Phil Chevron (guitar) joined the group soon after, then with the aid of punk and new wave forefather Elvis Costello they recorded the follow up, Rum Sodomy & the Lash, in 1985 (The album title is a famous comment attributed, probably falsely, to Winston Churchill and others in describing the traditions of the British Royal Navy). The album cover featured The Raft of the Medusa, though the faces on the characters in Géricault's painting have been replaced with those of the band members. While the first album had featured a higher percentage of traditional songs, Shane MacGowan came into his own as a songwriter with this disc, offering up poetic story-telling, such as "The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn" and "The Old Main Drag," as well as definitive interpretations of Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town" and Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," the latter of which has become more popular than the original recording.
The band failed to take advantage of the momentum created by the strong artistic and commercial success of their second album. They first refused to record another album (offering up the 4 track EP Poguetry in Motion instead); O'Riordan married Costello and left the band, to be replaced by bassist Darryl Hunt; and they added a multi-instrumentalist in Terry Woods, formerly of Steeleye Span. Looming over the band at this period (as throughout their entire career) was the increasingly erratic behaviour of their vocalist, principal songwriter and creative visionary, Shane MacGowan.
Success & breakup
The band remained stable enough to record If I Should Fall from Grace with God in 1988 (with its Christmas hit duet with Kirsty MacColl "Fairytale of New York") and 1989's Peace and Love. The band was at the peak of its commercial success, with both albums making the top 5 in the UK (nos. 3 and 5 respectively), but MacGowan was spiralling out of control. Following their next album, Hell's Ditch, MacGowan and the band parted company in 1991.
With his departure, the band was thrown into a state of flux. Without their singer, vocal duties were for a time handled by Joe Strummer, before Stacy finally took over permanently. Two politely received albums followed, the first of which, Waiting for Herb, contained the band's third and final top twenty single, "Tuesday Morning" which became their best selling single internationally. In 1996, the Pogues disbanded with just three members remaining.
Post breakup
Shane MacGowan founded Shane MacGowan and The Popes in 1994. They recorded two studio albums in the period up to their split in 2002. MacGowan's autobiography, A Drink With Shane MacGowan, co-written with his journalist girlfriend Victoria Mary Clarke, appeared in 2001. During this time the three other long-term members of the Pogues (Spider Stacy, Andrew Ranken and Darryl Hunt) played together briefly as the Vendettas.
Reunion
The band, including MacGowan, re-formed for a Christmas tour in 2001 and performed 9 shows in the UK in December [2004]. In 2002 Q magazine named The Pogues as one of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die". Also in December 2004, VH1 Conducted a poll to find the best Christmas song ever, with "Fairytale of New York" coming number one with 2,650 of the 10,000 votes cast - over 25%. In early 2005, VH1 conducted another poll to find the 100 greatest number ones that never Were, With The Pogues coming in at number 27.
In July 2005, the band - again including MacGowan - played at the annual Guilfest festival in Guildford before flying out to Japan where they played three dates. Japan is the last place they all played together before MacGowan was originally sacked in 1991, and they have a strong following there. They played a date in Spain in early September. The reunited Pogues played dates in the UK with support from the Dropkick Murphys in late 2005, and re-released their 1987 Christmas classic "Fairytale Of New York" on 19th December, which went straight in at #3 in the UK Singles charts on Christmas Day 2005, showing the song's enduring popularity. On December 22nd 2005 the BBC broadcast a live performance (recorded the previous week) on the Jonathan Ross Christmas show with Katie Melua. "Fairytale of New York" was voted the greatest Christmas Record of all time for the second year running in a poll by UK Music Channel VH1, with "Fairytale of New York" taking in a whopping 39% of the overall vote.
The band was awarded the life-time achievement award at the annual Meteor Ireland Music Awards in February 2006.
In March 2011, the Pogues played a six-city/ten-show sell-out US tour titled "A Parting Glass with The Pogues". In August 2012, The Pogues undertook a 30th Anniversary European Tour.
Discography
Albums
Red Roses for Me - 1984, #89 UK
Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash - 1985, #13 UK
Poguetry in Motion (EP) - 1986, #29
If I Should Fall from Grace with God - 1988, #3 UK, #88 US
Peace and Love - 1989, #5 UK
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah (EP) - 1990, #43 UK
Hell's Ditch - 1990, #11 UK
Waiting for Herb - 1993, #20 UK
Pogue Mahone - 1996
The Best of The Pogues - 1991, #11 UK
The Rest of the Best - 1992
The Very Best of The Pogues - 2001, #18
The Ultimate Collection including Live at the Brixton Academy - 2001, #15 UK
Dirty Old Town: The Platinum Collection
Down All The Days
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A clown around town
Now man of renown
From Dingle to Down
I can type with me toes
Suck stout through me nose
And where it's gonna end
God only knows
Down all the days
The tap-tap-tapping of the typewriter pays
The gentle rattling of the drays
Down all the days
I have often had to depend upon
The kindness of strangers
But I've never been asked and I never replied
If I supported the Glasgow Rangers
And down all the days
The tap-tap-tapping of the typewriter pays
The gentle rattling of the drays
Down all the days
Down all the days
The tap-tap-tapping of the typewriter pays
The gentle rattling of the drays
And down all the days
The first verse of “Down All The Days” pays homage to Christy Brown, an Irish writer and painter born with cerebral palsy who learned to write and paint with his only functioning limb, his left foot. Brown’s life and artistic achievements inspired many people and led to a greater understanding of cerebral palsy and the importance of supporting people with disabilities in realizing their dreams. The mention of “Dingle to Down” likely refers to Brown’s upbringing in Dublin, Ireland.
The chorus of the song celebrates the hard work and dedication it takes to make a living as a writer, reflected in the “tap-tap-tapping of the typewriter”, as well as the various means by which one might be able to earn a living, such as the “gentle rattling of the drays”. The lyrics speak to the struggle of making a living as an artist, but ultimately suggest that this hard work is worth it.
The second verse references the kindness of strangers and the song’s narrator’s allegiance to neither side of the Glasgow Rangers, a Scottish football team with a fiercely loyal fan base. This verse’s mention of strangers highlights the importance of community and support networks in any profession or life circumstance, while also emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself and one’s beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
Christy Brown
The singer is referring to Christy Brown, who was a disabled Irish author who learned to write using his left foot. He was a well-known figure and his story is widely known in the singer's hometown.
A clown around town
People may have seen Brown as a silly or foolish person due to his disability, but he was actually quite talented and intelligent.
Now man of renown
Despite his physical challenges, Brown achieved fame and success as an author, which is something to be respected and admired.
From Dingle to Down
Brown's story and accomplishments spread far and wide, from his hometown of Dingle in Ireland to Down, which could refer to Downpatrick, a town in Northern Ireland.
I can type with me toes
The singer is referencing Brown's ability to type with his left foot due to his cerebral palsy.
Suck stout through me nose
This may be a reference to Brown's humorous personality, but it could also be interpreted as a metaphor for his ability to overcome adversity and do things in unconventional ways.
And where it's gonna end
The singer and Brown's story may have started in one place, but there's no telling how far it will go or how much more they will achieve.
God only knows
The outcome of their journey is uncertain and they are leaving it up to fate or a higher power.
Down all the days
The singer is indicating that he and Christy Brown will be together and continue to succeed for the remainder of their lives.
The tap-tap-tapping of the typewriter pays
Brown's ability to type and create written works has paid off for him and brought him success and recognition.
The gentle rattling of the drays
This line refers to the sound of a horse-drawn wagon, which could symbolize the steady and consistent progress that Brown and the singer are making in their journey.
I have often had to depend upon
The singer is referring to times in his life where he has relied on the help and support of others to achieve his goals.
The kindness of strangers
The people who have helped the singer may not have been close to him or known him well, but they still showed him kindness and aided him in his journey.
But I've never been asked and I never replied
Despite others' curiosity about the singer's personal beliefs or affiliations, he has never disclosed whether he supports the Glasgow Rangers football club or not.
If I supported the Glasgow Rangers
The Glasgow Rangers football club is a well-known sports team with a controversial reputation, and the singer is indicating that he prefers to keep his views on the matter private.
And down all the days
Continuing from the previous chorus, the singer is saying that he and Brown will remain successful and continue their journey together for the rest of their lives.
The tap-tap-tapping of the typewriter pays
Once again referencing Brown's ability to type and create written works, which has brought him success.
The gentle rattling of the drays
Symbolizing the steady and consistent progress that Brown and the singer are making in their journey, which will continue for years to come.
Down all the days
The final chorus reinforces the message that the singer and Brown will remain together and successful for the rest of their lives.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind