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
Johnny
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born and bred in the USA
So listen up close, I've got something to say
Boys, I'm buying this round
Well it took a little while, but we're in this fight
And we ain't going home 'til we've done what's right
We're gonna drink Camden Town dry tonight
If I have to spend my last pound
When I first got to London it was pourin' down rain
Met a little girl in the field canteen
Painted het name on the nose of my plane
Six more missions, I'm gone
Well I asked if I could stay and she said that I might
Then the warden came around yelling "turn out the lights"
Death rainin' out of the London night
We made love 'til dawn
But when Johnny Come Lately comes marching home
With a chest full of medals and a G.I. loan
They'll be waitin' at the station down in San Antone
When Johnny comes marching home
My P-47 is a pretty good ship
And she took a round comin' cross the channel last trip
I was thinkin' 'bout my baby and letting her rip
Always got me through so far
Well they can ship me all over this great big world
But I'll never find nothing like my North End girl
I'm taking her home with me one day, sir
Soon as we win this war
But when Johnny Come Lately comes marching home
With a chest full of medals and a G.I. loan
They'll be waitin' at the station down in San Antone
When Johnny comes marching home
Now my grandaddy sang this song
Told me about London when the Blitz was on
How he married grandma and brought her back home
A hero throughout his land
Now I'm standing on a runway in San Diego
A couple Purple Hearts and I move a little slow
There's nobody here, maybe nobody knows
About a place called Vietnam
But when Johnny Come Lately comes marching home
With a chest full of medals and a G.I. loan
They'll be waitin' at the station down in San Antone
When Johnny comes marching home
The Pogues' "Johnny Come Lately" is a song that highlights the experiences of an American soldier fighting in World War II. The song's narrative is told from the viewpoint of the soldier as he reminisces about his experiences in England and with a British girl before he gets shipped out. The soldier is proud of his service, and the song acknowledges the heroism of soldiers who fight for their country. The soldier sings about his desire to be reunited with his love and also shares his awareness that he may be sent to fight in other battles.
The song serves as a reminder that war is often not just about the strategies and the fighting, but also about the people fighting in it, their emotions and their anxieties. By reflecting on his experiences, the soldier helps us understand the humanity of the soldiers who fought in World War II and other wars.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm an American, boys, and I've come a long way
I am an American who has traveled a great distance.
Born and bred in the USA
I was born and raised in the United States of America.
So listen up close, I've got something to say
Please pay close attention as I have important information to convey.
Boys, I'm buying this round
I will be footing the bill for our drinks.
Well it took a little while, but we're in this fight
It took some time, but we are now actively engaged in this battle.
And we ain't going home 'til we've done what's right
We will not return home until we have accomplished what we set out to do.
We're gonna drink Camden Town dry tonight
We plan to consume all the alcohol in Camden Town this evening.
If I have to spend my last pound
I am willing to spend all my money in order to achieve our goal.
When I first got to London it was pourin' down rain
Upon arriving in London, it was raining heavily.
Met a little girl in the field canteen
I encountered a young woman while visiting the canteen in the field.
Painted het name on the nose of my plane
I inscribed her name on the front of my aircraft.
Six more missions, I'm gone
After completing six additional missions, I will be leaving.
Well I asked if I could stay and she said that I might
I inquired if I could stay, and she replied that it was possible.
Then the warden came around yelling "turn out the lights"
However, the warden then instructed everyone to turn off their lights.
Death rainin' out of the London night
Bombs were falling from the sky during the London bombings.
We made love 'til dawn
Despite the danger, we spent the entire night making love.
But when Johnny Come Lately comes marching home
However, when someone new to the battle returns home.
With a chest full of medals and a G.I. loan
Boasting numerous medals and a sizeable loan for veterans.
They'll be waitin' at the station down in San Antone
People in San Antonio will be eagerly waiting for them to arrive.
My P-47 is a pretty good ship
My P-47 aircraft is capable and reliable.
And she took a round comin' cross the channel last trip
During its last trip across the channel, my aircraft was hit by enemy fire.
I was thinkin' 'bout my baby and letting her rip
In that moment, I was thinking about my lover and giving it my all.
Always got me through so far
My aircraft has not failed me yet.
Well they can ship me all over this great big world
I can be sent to any part of the world.
But I'll never find nothing like my North End girl
But I know I will not find anyone else like my lover from the North End.
I'm taking her home with me one day, sir
I plan to bring her back home with me one day.
Soon as we win this war
As soon as our victory in the war is secured.
Now my grandaddy sang this song
My grandfather used to sing this song.
Told me about London when the Blitz was on
He shared stories about the city during the bombings.
How he married grandma and brought her back home
He married my grandmother and returned home with her.
A hero throughout his land
He was celebrated as a hero in his homeland.
Now I'm standing on a runway in San Diego
Now, I am in San Diego, standing on a runway.
A couple Purple Hearts and I move a little slow
I have been awarded two Purple Hearts and have suffered injuries that have slowed me down.
There's nobody here, maybe nobody knows
There is nobody around, and it seems as though nobody is aware of my presence.
About a place called Vietnam
I have served in the Vietnam War.
But when Johnny Come Lately comes marching home
However, when someone new to the battle returns home.
With a chest full of medals and a G.I. loan
Boasting numerous medals and a sizeable loan for veterans.
They'll be waitin' at the station down in San Antone
People in San Antonio will be eagerly waiting for them to arrive.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eddiebranden1
The mix is so much better on this than the original release.
@danielmims8467
My brother has the original piece of paper Steve wrote this song on. It's framed underneath a platinum plaque from UK sales of copperhead road.
@Fems
wow, love this song. good for him!
@gerardreilly4693
WOW
@rogerkay8603
Quality - check out the Copperhead road album by Steve Earle also.
@manurealromo8522
greetings from Spain