The song features string arrangements by Fiachra Trench. It is frequently voted the Number One Best Christmas song of all time in various television, radio and magazine related polls in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The song featured in the hit film P.S. I Love You.
"Fairytale of New York" was released as a single in 1987 and reached #1 in the Irish charts and #2 in the British charts, over Christmas (the time of peak sales). The song has become a festive classic in the UK and Ireland over the years, and was voted the best Christmas song of all time three years running in 2004, 2005 and 2006 in polls by music channel VH1 UK, despite not achieving Christmas Number One when it was released. It was also voted as the 27th greatest song never to reach UK#1 in another VH1 poll, and also voted as the 84th greatest song of all time by BBC Radio 2 listeners in their "Sold on Song" top 100 poll.
The song takes the form of a drunken man's Christmas Eve reverie about holidays past while sleeping off a binge in a New York City drunk tank. After an inebriated old man also incarcerated in the jail cell sings a passage from the Irish drinking ballad "The Rare Old Mountain Dew", the drunken man (MacGowan) begins to dream about a failed relationship. The remainder of the song (which may be an internal monologue) takes the form of a call and response between two Irish immigrants, lovers or ex-lovers, their youthful hopes crushed by alcoholism and drug addiction, reminiscing and bickering on Christmas Eve in New York City. MacColl's melodious singing contrasts with the harshness of MacGowan's voice, and the lyrics are sometimes bittersweet -- sometimes plain bitter: "Happy Christmas your arse/ I pray God it's our last". The lyric "Sinatra was swinging" is likely an allusion to Sinatra's "New York, New York," which was very popular in Ireland at the time, a reference to the problem of emigration. Others have suggested it refers to an unspecified period after World War II; however, it is possible that the song is actually set in the early 1980s, when one of Sinatra's last chart hits, his 1980 recording of John Kander and Fred Ebb's theme from the movie New York, New York, was a fixture of New York City airwaves and a standard singalong record in the city's many neighborhood bars. The title, taken from author J. P. Donleavy's novel A Fairy Tale of New York, was chosen after the song had been written and recorded.
Twice Shane and Kirsty sing, "The boys of the NYPD choir still singing "Galway Bay". The New York Police Department does not have a choir, but it does have a Pipes and Drums unit that is featured in the video for the song. The NYPD Pipes and Drums did not know "Galway Bay" and so played a different song for the music video, and the editor put it in slow motion to fit the beat. The video featured Irish-American actor Matt Dillon as an NYPD patrolman who arrests the intoxicated MacGowan.
MacColl was not originally intended to appear in the song. Instead, the female vocal was meant for the band's bassist, Cait O'Riordan. However, she left the band in 1986, before the song was completed. The Pogues were at the time being produced by Steve Lillywhite, MacColl's then-husband, who asked his wife to provide a guide vocal of the female part for a demo version of the song. The Pogues, however, liked MacColl's contribution so much that they asked her to sing the part on the actual recording.
The song was released in the United Kingdom in early December 1987, and swiftly became a hit. On December 17, 1987, the Pogues and MacColl performed the song on the BBC's popular television show Top of the Pops, and it was propelled to #2 on the UK charts. For the Top of the Pops appearance, the BBC insisted that MacColl's singing of "arse" be replaced with the less offensive "ass", although as she mimed the word MacColl slapped the relevant part of her body to make it clear what was meant.
Although the song finished 1987 as the 48th best seller of the year despite only a single month's sales, it was denied the Christmas #1 spot by the Pet Shop Boys' cover of "Always on My Mind". MacGowan commented on this in his typically forthright manner: "We were beaten by two queens and a drum machine."
The song was re-released by The Pogues in the UK in 1991 (reaching #36), and again in the UK and Ireland for Christmas 2005,[4] reaching #3 in the UK. All proceeds from the latter release were donated towards a mixture of homeless charities and "Justice for Kirsty", a campaign to find out the truth behind Kirsty MacColl's death in 2000. In December 2006 the song entered the UK Top 10 for the third time,[5] reaching #6 on that occasion, and returned yet again in December 2007, reaching #4. It has now made the Top 10 on four separate occasions including three times in successive years, a feat no other single can match. In December 2008 it entered the UK Top 40 for the sixth time, and reached #12.
On December 22, 2005, The Pogues performed the song on a Jonathan Ross Christmas special on BBC One in the UK, with the female vocals taken by singer Katie Melua. This was The Pogues' first television performance of the song since 1988.
In recent years, the song has featured in many UK-based surveys and polls, most notably topping the VH1 greatest Christmas song chart three years running, featuring at number 11 in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Christmas Moments, Number 27 on VH1's Greatest Songs Never to Make Number One, number 23 on VH1's greatest lyrics, Number 83 in Q Magazine's 100 Greatest Ever Songs, and number 84 on BBC Radio 2's top 100 greatest songs of all time poll. The Hits music channel rated "Fairytale of New York" number one in 'The Nation's Favourite Christmas Song' countdown. In December 2008 The Music Factory UK did a poll which found that the song was the favourite Christmas song.[6] It was voted the best song of the 80s by voters of The Radcliffe & Maconie show on BBC Radio 2 & BBC Four's Pop On Trial season in January 2008.
Fairy Tale Of New York
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
Still singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas day
Fairytale of New York is a classic Christmas song by The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl. The song is about two lovers, an Irish immigrant and his girl, spending Christmas in New York City. The song starts with the man in jail on Christmas eve, feeling terrible about himself and lamenting that he may never get to see another Christmas. However, he soon starts singing a song, called the Rare Old Mountain Dew, with an old man in the cell who has clearly had a bit too much to drink. He then turns away and dreams about his lady.
The song then moves to the man and his girl, who is described as the "Queen of New York City." They talk about their future and the promise that delicious opportunities of the city will bring them. They seem to have found success and happiness as they spent Christmas together, kissing and dancing in the city streets. However, the song takes a dark turn in the third verse, where they start fighting and cursing each other out.
The most famous line of the song is its controversial opening lyric, "You’re a bum, you’re a punk, you’re an old slut on junk." While critics have argued that the language is inappropriate, others say that it makes the song's story and characters more authentic. The song continues to be popular and is recognized as one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time.
Line by Line Meaning
It was Christmas Eve babe
The singer is telling a story about a past Christmas Eve
In the drunk tank
The singer is in jail for being drunk on Christmas Eve
An old man said to me, won't see another one
A fellow prisoner tells the singer he won't live to see another Christmas
And then he sang a song
The old man sings a song to the artist
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
The song the old man sings to the artist
I turned my face away
The singer looks away
And dreamed about you
The singer thinks about the person they love
Got on a lucky one
The artist was lucky to win a bet
Came in eighteen to one
The odds of winning the bet were 18 to 1
I've got a feeling
The artist has a hunch
This year's for me and you
The singer believes that this is the year for them and their loved one
So happy Christmas
The artist is wishing their loved one a Merry Christmas
I love you baby
The singer is telling their loved one that they love them
I can see a better time
The singer can envision a brighter future
When all our dreams come true
The singer hopes that their and their loved one's dreams will come true
They've got cars big as bars
There are people in New York City who are very wealthy
They've got rivers of gold
Those same wealthy people have a lot of money
But the wind goes right through you
Despite New York City's wealth, it's not a comfortable place to be homeless or poor
It's no place for the old
New York City is not a good place for elderly people
When you first took my hand
The artist is reminiscing about when their loved one first held their hand
On a cold Christmas Eve
The artist is recalling the specific time and place of that moment
You promised me
The artist's loved one made a promise to them
Broadway was waiting for me
The promise was that the singer would become successful in Broadway
You were handsome
The artist is complimenting their loved one's looks
You were pretty
Another compliment from the singer to their loved one
Queen of New York City
The singer sees their loved one as the embodiment of New York City
When the band finished playing
The music stopped playing
They howled out for more
The audience wanted an encore
Sinatra was swinging,
Frank Sinatra had been singing
All the drunks they were singing
The audience was drunk and singing along
We kissed on a corner
The singer and their loved one shared a kiss on a street corner
Then danced through the night
They danced together throughout the night
The boys of the NYPD choir
The New York Police Department choir
Were singing "Galway Bay"
The choir was singing a traditional Irish song
And the bells were ringing out
The sound of the church bells could be heard
For Christmas day
It was now Christmas Day
You're a bum
The singer is insulting their loved one
You're a punk
Another insult directed at their loved one
You're an old slut on junk
Another insult directed at someone else
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
The person being insulted is sick and bedridden
You scumbag, you maggot
The artist continues to insult their loved one
You cheap lousy faggot
Another insult directed at someone else
Happy Christmas your arse
The singer is wishing an unpleasant Christmas upon their loved one
I pray God it's our last
The artist hopes that this will be the last Christmas they spend with their loved one
I could have been someone
The artist is contemplating their life choices
Well so could anyone
Anyone has the potential to become successful
You took my dreams from me
The singer is blaming their loved one for their unfulfilled dreams
When I first found you
The artist is recalling the time they met their loved one
I kept them with me babe
The singer held onto their dreams, even after meeting their loved one
I put them with my own
The singer's dreams became a part of them
Can't make it all alone
The singer realizes they need help to achieve their dreams
I've built my dreams around you
The artist has included their loved one in their dreams and aspirations
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jem Finer, Shane Patrick Lysaght Macgowan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Mossadagent666
Simply the best Christmas song ever !! . Rest in peace Shane . Nothing compares to this !! . G-d bless you Shane , Kirsty and Sinéad O'Connor , all now rocking in heaven.
Near a shady wall a rose once grew, Budded and blossomed in G-d’s free light, Watered and fed by the morning dew, Shedding it’s sweetness day and night.
As it grew and blossomed fair and tall, Slowly rising to loftier height, It came to a crevice in the wall Through which there shone a beam of light.
Onward it crept with added strength With never a thought of fear or pride, It followed the light through the crevice’s length And unfolded itself on the other side.
The light, the dew, the broadening view Were found the same as they were before, And it lost itself in beauties new, Breathing it’s fragrance more and more.
Shall claim of death cause us to grieve And make our courage faint and fall? Nay! Let us faith and hope receive– The rose still grows beyond the wall,
Scattering fragrance far and wide Just as it did in days of yore, Just as it did on the other side, Just as it will forever-more.
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🌹❤️🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹
SINCERE CONDOLENCES, FROM
DOCTOR. KÄSTIEN. MD
Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💯🫡
Ps , I’m listening to this absolutely beautiful song on Christmas Day, 2023. I’ve just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two weeks ago, and this song really makes me cry with joy but also with pain. It really takes you on a journey that everyone in the world can relate to. Everyone has “been through” this song! . Christmas is full of all the emotions one can imagine. Happiness, joy, and downright pain in the depths of despair. 15 years ago, on Christmas Day, my ex-fiancé stabbed me 18 times to my skull and 12 times to my chest, inches from my heart. I’d cooked Christmas lunch, and everything happened so fast that I had no time to react at all. I never knew I’d been stabbed until I saw the blood on the crisp white walls of our new house, which we’d just moved into. Next thing I know, I am collapsing in a pool of my own blood that swallowed me up like a lake. I had just managed to dial for the police and ambulance crews to save me. Luckily, they did, but I still get flashbacks and even pain in my head (an injury site) and my chest to this very day. Life can really send you curveballs at times, but the main thing is to realise that the entire world is a very narrow and precarious bridge that we all must cross in this life. However, the main thing is never, ever to fear! . There will always be someone who will reach out to you on your journey on the bridge of life. No matter what life throws at you, remember that you’re loved and cared for, and someone is always there for you, even if it’s a stranger like me. I’m reaching out to everyone who reads my comment: I’m here for you, you matter, I love you, I’m your friend if you need one, I’m your brother from another mother, so remember, "My precious loved one," yes, I’m talking to you!,, who’s reading these words of mine. I love you, and if you need a friend, just contact me here, and if you want my Facebook or email address, just ask, and I’m here for you forever, or as long as I have left this world.
I wish you peace, love, happiness, and the most important thing of all—my heart and my love as a person who loves you no matter what. Be happy. May 2024 be a great year for you. Let’s unite for peace, love, and happiness. Please pray for me. I need your prayers and support. I would love to hear some messages of support, and maybe I will start a channel to help others with what they are going through. Your dear friend and brother, Dr. Kästien. 🙏🏻🫶🕊️🤝😊🫡👍🏻
@RTGame
The season begins
@therealtedx5284
Indeed it does
@dianamaioru497
Ayyy Daniel’s here!!
@db_xo5259
Yes it doesssss
@CraicDealer
Best Christmas song ever. Happy to see you haven't been scared away from saying you like it
@SDART998
Rt is pog
@SoldadoTTV
Nowadays every time you hear this song, the vocals heard are the voices of angels from Heaven.
RIP Shane and Kirsty. 🙏🇮🇪🇬🇧
1957-2023
1959-2000
@tenahennessy5489
The tow best singer ubh all time
❤❤❤❤❤❤😢😢😢😢😢
@harryaustin4327
Let’s get this masterpiece to number 1 already. RIP Shane and Kirsty. ❤️🙏🏻
@paulasandford6516
Please download and get your friends to download too