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
Haunted
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere in London
In the middle of nowhere
Didn't have nothing to do that day
Didn't wanna do nothing anyway
You got a way of walking
You got a way of talking
And now I know I never ever
Want to be without you
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Of your precious love
Of your precious love
The first time I saw you
Standing in the street
You were so cool
You could have put out Vietnam
My girlfriends ask me, what's he like
I say, he's kind of shy,
But that's the kind of girl I am
He's my kind of guy
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Of your precious love
Of your precious love
I'll build my world around you
I'll bless the day that I found you
I'll stand beside you, I'll never leave
Or tell you all those lies
That you'd never believe
In The Pogues' song "Haunted," the singer recalls a particular day in London where he met someone whom he was fascinated by. The lyrics indicate that he didn't have anything in particular to do that day and didn't want to do anything anyways. It was a sunny day, and he was wandering around in the middle of nowhere in London when he met someone who caught his attention. They had a particular way of walking and talking that drew him towards them. Something about them made him realize that he never wanted to be without them again.
The singer then tells us that he wants to be haunted by the ghost of this person's love. He has fallen in love with them and wants to be continuously surrounded by the feeling of being in love with them, even when they're not around. He goes on to describe the first time he saw them and how he was drawn to their coolness, which he compares to putting out Vietnam. The lyrics convey that he was immediately taken with them, and his girlfriend's probing reveals that even though they are both shy, they might be a good match for one another.
In the chorus, the singer repeats that he wants to be haunted by the ghost of this person's love. He is willing to build his world around them and will never tell them any lies. He makes a vow to stand beside them and never leave. Overall, the song "Haunted" is a love song about finding someone who you never want to be without and wanting to be forever surrounded by the love they give.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you remember that sunny day?
Recalling a day spent in London, with nothing particular to do.
Somewhere in London
An unknown location in London.
In the middle of nowhere
A secluded, desolate area.
Didn't have nothing to do that day
No plans or commitments were set for that day.
Didn't wanna do nothing anyway
Feeling lazy or content with doing nothing.
You got a way of walking
Noticing an attractive physical trait in the person.
You got a way of talking
Noticing an attractive personality trait in the person.
And there's something about you
Feeling drawn or attracted to the person.
And now I know I never ever
Realizing that the attraction is strong enough to want to always be with the person.
Want to be without you
Not wanting to be separated from the person.
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Desiring to be continually haunted by the memory of the person's love.
Of your precious love
The love that the person offers is highly valuable and appreciated.
The first time I saw you
Recalling the moment when the attraction to the person began.
Standing in the street
The person was seen in public.
You were so cool
The person had a certain air of confidence and attractiveness.
You could have put out Vietnam
The person was so cool that they could have ended the Vietnam war.
My girlfriends ask me, what's he like
Female friends inquire about the person's personality.
I say, he's kind of shy,
Describing the person's personality as introverted.
But that's the kind of girl I am
Stating a similarity in personality with the person.
He's my kind of guy
The attraction to the person is reaffirmed.
I'll build my world around you
Willingness to make the person a central focus of life.
I'll bless the day that I found you
Feeling grateful for meeting the person.
I'll stand beside you, I'll never leave
Promise to be a constant and supportive presence in the person's life.
Or tell you all those lies
Commitment to honesty in the relationship.
That you'd never believe
Acknowledging that trust is important and should not be breached.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SHANE PATRICK LYSAGHT MACGOWAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gintaretrumpaite1138
Do you remember that sunny day?
Somewhere in London
In the middle of nowhere
Didn't have nothing to do that day
Didn't wanna do nothing anyway
You got a way of walking
You got a way of talking
And there's something about you
And now I know I never ever
Want to be without you
[Chorus:]
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Of your precious love
Of your precious love
The first time I saw you,
Standing in the street
You were so cool,
You could have put out Vietnam
My girlfriends ask me, "What's he like?"
I say, "He's kind of shy,
But that's the kind of girl I am,
He's my kind of guy"
[Chorus]
I'll build my world around you
I'll bless the day that I found you
I'll stand beside you, I'll never leave
Or tell you all those lies
That you'd never believe
@raulmacias6146
THE POGUES ~ "HAUNTED" Lyrics
Written by Shane MacGowan ~
Do you remember that sunny day?
Somewhere in London
It was really nowhere
I didn't have nothing to do that day
Didn't wanna do nothing anyway
You got a way of walking
You got a way of talking
And there's something about you
And now I know I never ever
Want to be without you
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Want to be haunted by the ghost
Of your precious love
Of your precious love
First time and I saw you
Standing in the street
You were so cool
You could have put out Vietnam
My girlfriends ask me, what's he like?
And I say, he's kind of shy
But that's the kind of girl I am
He's my kind of guy
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Want to be haunted by the ghost
Of your precious love
Of your precious love
I'll build my world around you
I'll bless the day that I found you
I'll stand beside you, I'll never leave
And if I tell you all those lies
You'll never believe
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Want to be haunted by the ghost
I want to be haunted by the ghost
Want to be haunted by the ghost
Of your precious love
Of your precious love
Haunted by the ghost of your precious love
{Repeat 4 Times}
Of your precious love
{Repeat 4 Times}
REST IN ETERNAL PEACE ~ SHANE PATRICK LYSAGHT MACGOWAN
BORN: DECEMBER 25,1957
DIED: NOVEMBER 30,2023
@troygaspard6732
Rest In Peace Shane McGowan. Simply one of the best songwriters of my generation.
@molster66
Cait O'Riordan. What a voice.
@debsatyewtree
This song reminds me of the time I fell absolutely head over heels in love. 36 years later it still always makes me smile.
I hope life's treating him good wherever he is ❤
@stevemance2812
29 years for me and hope life's treating her good!!!
@Christine-qo3yx
30 years here 😅
@julianignaciomartinez2762
This master piece captured the raw emotions of adolescent love! RIP Sid and Nancy
@ssunny7172
I loved Chloe Webb in this movie as well as Gary Oldman, they both did a fantastic job depicting the 2 of them. One of my most favorite movies ever.
@dmac8949
I saw a really great documentary on Chrissie Hynde a few years ago...She knew Sid and Nancy...She had just seen the movie a few months before this documentary and she said ya Chloe Webb was good,,,...but Gary Oldman was brilliant and absolutely nailed Sid...She should know.
@rodeoruz
A voice that is childlike gentle, searing and powerful at the same time! That voice/song truly 'haunted' me after hearing it for very first time, all those years back in 1986. Where have all those years gone? It seems just like it was only yesterday!
@lauralockrey2524
I love this song, I was obsessed with the movie when I was a kid, and I have a major crush on Gary Oldman to this day.