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.
Fairytale 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 are 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
The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" tells the story of a couple who are reminiscing on their past and present situations. The story begins with the singer in a drunk tank on Christmas Eve. He hears an old man singing a traditional Irish folk song "The Rare Old Mountain Dew" and thinks about his lover. He then reflects on his past luck in betting, hoping that this year will be a better one for both of them. He wishes her a happy Christmas and reminds her of their dreams of a better future together.
The song continues with the singer and his love remembering past memories of New York City. They dance, kiss, and enjoy the music of Sinatra, but also acknowledge the harsh realities of the city. The lyrics take a dark turn when insults are hurled between the couple, before they again remember the good times they shared and the dreams they had together. The song ends with the sound of the NYPD choir singing and the bells ringing out for Christmas Day.
The song is a bittersweet tribute to those who have struggled and to those who still dream of hope and a better life. It is often seen as an anthem of the Irish diaspora and its struggles, and its honest portrayal of love and loss is one of the reasons it has become such a beloved Christmas classic.
Line by Line Meaning
It was Christmas Eve babe
The story takes place on Christmas Eve
In the drunk tank
The singer is in a jail cell because they are drunk or disorderly
An old man said to me, won't see another one
An elderly prisoner tells the singer that he believes he will not live to see another Christmas
And then he sang a song
The old man begins to sing a song
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
The old man's song is called 'The Rare Old Mountain Dew'
I turned my face away
The singer doesn't want to listen to the old man's song
And dreamed about you
The singer thinks about their significant other and dreams of being with them
Got on a lucky one
The artist feels lucky
Came in eighteen to one
The artist won a bet at odds of 18 to 1
I've got a feeling
The artist is optimistic about the upcoming year
This year's for me and you
The singer is looking forward to sharing the year with their significant other
So happy Christmas
The artist wishes their significant other a happy Christmas
I love you baby
The singer loves their significant other
I can see a better time
The singer can envision a brighter future
When all our dreams come true
The singer hopes that they and their significant other will achieve their dreams
They've got cars big as bars
The wealthy have cars as large as bars
They've got rivers of gold
The wealthy have great wealth
But the wind goes right through you
The city is cold and harsh, and the singer feels vulnerable
It's no place for the old
The city is not a welcoming place for the elderly
When you first took my hand
The artist remembers the first time they held hands with their significant other
On a cold Christmas Eve
The artist recalls that it was also Christmas Eve
You promised me
The significant other made a promise to the artist
Broadway was waiting for me
The significant other promised the singer that success awaited them on Broadway
You were handsome
The significant other is attractive
You were pretty
The significant other is also good-looking
Queen of New York City
The significant other is metaphorically the queen of the city
When the band finished playing
The singer and significant other were at a party where a band played
They howled out for more
The crowd demanded an encore from the band
Sinatra was swinging
Frank Sinatra was the singer of the band
All the drunks they were singing
The party-goers were singing along, even if they were drunk
We kissed on a corner
The singer and significant other kissed in a public place
Then danced through the night
The artist and significant other danced happily all night long
The boys of the NYPD choir
The NYPD's choir is mentioned
Were singing Galway Bay
The NYPD choir was singing a song called 'Galway Bay'
And the bells were ringing out
The church bells were ringing
For Christmas day
It was Christmas Day
You're a bum
The singer insults their significant other
You're a punk
The singer continues with their insults
You're an old slut on junk
The singer is extremely offensive towards their significant other
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
The significant other is near death in a hospital bed
You scumbag, you maggot
The artist continues to insult their significant other
You cheap lousy faggot
The singer again uses highly offensive language to insult the significant other
Happy Christmas your arse
The singer wishes their significant other a sarcastic Merry Christmas
I pray God it's our last
The artist hopes that it will be the last Christmas they spend with their significant other
I could have been someone
The artist regrets not being successful
Well so could anyone
The artist acknowledges that anyone could have been successful
You took my dreams from me
The singer blames their significant other for not achieving their dreams
When I first found you
The artist feels that their life changed when they met their significant other
I kept them with me babe
The singer still holds onto their dreams
I put them with my own
The singer's dreams are now intertwined with their significant other's dreams
Can't make it all alone
The singer realizes that they can't achieve their dreams alone
I've built my dreams around you
The artist's dreams are now based on their significant other
The boys of the NYPD choir
The song ends with a repetition of its earlier lyrics
Still singing Galway Bay
The NYPD choir is still singing 'Galway Bay'
And the bells are ringing out
The church bells are still ringing
For Christmas day
It is still Christmas Day
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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,âšBudded and blossomed in G-dâs free light,âšWatered and fed by the morning dew,âšShedding itâs sweetness day and night.
As it grew and blossomed fair and tall,âšSlowly rising to loftier height,âšIt came to a crevice in the wallâšThrough which there shone a beam of light.
Onward it crept with added strengthâšWith never a thought of fear or pride,âšIt followed the light through the creviceâs lengthâšAnd unfolded itself on the other side.
The light, the dew, the broadening viewâšWere found the same as they were before,âšAnd it lost itself in beauties new,âšBreathing itâs fragrance more and more.
Shall claim of death cause us to grieveâšAnd make our courage faint and fall?âšNay! Let us faith and hope receiveââšThe rose still grows beyond the wall,
Scattering fragrance far and wideâšJust as it did in days of yore,âšJust as it did on the other side,âšJust as it will forever-more.
đčđčđčđčđčđčđčđčđčđčđčđčđčâ€ïžđčâ€ïžđčâ€ïžđčâ€ïžđčâ€ïžđčâ€ïžđčâ€ïžđđ»đčđđ»đčđđ»đčđđ»đčđđ»đčđđ»đčđđ»đčđđ»đč
SINCERE CONDOLENCES, FROM
DOCTOR. KĂSTIEN. MD
Am Yisrael Chai đźđ±đđ»đđ»đđ»đŻđ«Ą
Ps , Iâm listening to this absolutely beautiful song on Christmas Day, 2023. Iâve 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 âbeen throughâ 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-fiancĂ© stabbed me 18 times to my skull and 12 times to my chest, inches from my heart. Iâd cooked Christmas lunch, and everything happened so fast that I had no time to react at all. I never knew Iâd been stabbed until I saw the blood on the crisp white walls of our new house, which weâd 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 youâre loved and cared for, and someone is always there for you, even if itâs a stranger like me. Iâm reaching out to everyone who reads my comment: Iâm here for you, you matter, I love you, Iâm your friend if you need one, Iâm your brother from another mother, so remember, "My precious loved one," yes, Iâm talking to you!,, whoâs 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 Iâm 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 allâmy heart and my love as a person who loves you no matter what. Be happy. May 2024 be a great year for you. Letâs 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. KĂ€stien. đđ»đ«¶đïžđ€đđ«Ąđđ»
@RTGame
The season begins
@therealtedx5284
Indeed it does
@dianamaioru497
Ayyy Danielâs 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. đđźđȘđŹđ§
1957-2023
1959-2000
@tenahennessy5489
The tow best singer ubh all time
â€â€â€â€â€â€đąđąđąđąđą
@harryaustin4327
Letâs get this masterpiece to number 1 already. RIP Shane and Kirsty. â€ïžđđ»
@paulasandford6516
Please download and get your friends to download too