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
Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant / The Rocky Road To Dublin / Galway Races
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A feeling fine and larky, oh
A recruiting sergeant came up to me
Says he, you'd look fine in khaki, oh
For the King he is in need of men
Come read this proclamation, oh
A life in Flanders for you then
Would be a fine vacation, oh
That may be so says I to him
But tell me sergeant dearie-oh
If I had a pack stuck upon my back
Would I look fine and cheerie, oh
For they'd have you train and drill until
They had you one of the Frenchies, oh
It may be warm in Flanders
But it's draughty in the trenches, oh
The sergeant smiled and winked his eye
His smile was most provoking, oh
He twiddled and twirled his wee mustache
Says he, you're only joking, oh
For the sandbags are so warm and high
The wind you won't feel blowing, oh
I winked at a Cailin passing by
Says I, what if it's snowing, oh
Come rain or hail or wind or snow
I'm not going out to Flanders, oh
There's fighting in Dublin to be done
Let your sergeants and your commanders go
Let Englishmen fight English wars
It's nearly time they started, oh
I saluted the sergeant a very good night
And there and then we parted, oh
As I went down to Galway Town
To seek for recreation
On the seventeenth of August
Me mind being elevated
There were passengers assembled
With their tickets at the station
And me eyes began to dazzle
And they off to see the races
With me wack fol the do fol
The diddle idle day
There were passengers from Limerick
And passengers from Nenagh
The boys of Connemara
And the Clare unmarried maidens
There were people from Cork City
Who were loyal, true and faithful
Who brought home the Fenian prisoners
From dying in foreign nations
With me wack fol the do fol
The diddle idle day
And it's there you'll see the pipers
And the fiddlers competing
And the sporting wheel of fortune
And the four and twenty quarters
And there's others without scruple
Pelting wattles at poor Maggie
And her father well contented
And he gazing at his daughter
With me wack fol the do fol
The diddle idle day
With me wack fol the do fol
The diddle idle day
And it's there you'll see the jockeys
And they mounted on so stably
The pink, the blue, the orange, and green
The colors of our nation
The time it came for starting
All the horses seemed impatient
Their feet they hardly touched the ground
The speed was so amazing!
With me wack fol the do fol
The diddle idle day
There was half a million people there
Of all denominations
The Catholic, the Protestant, the Jew, the Presbyterian
Yet no animosity
No matter what persuasion
But failte hospitality
Inducing fresh acquaintance
With me wack fol the do fol
The diddle idle day
This song, Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant / The Rocky Road to Dublin / The Galway Races, is a fast-paced and lively Irish folk song that tells the story of a young man leaving his home in Tuam and embarking on a journey to Dublin. The song is told in the first person, with the singer describing his departure and travels through Ireland. The song describes the young man's journey through the countryside, his encounters with people along the way, and his eventual arrival in Dublin. The song is full of vivid imagery and colorful descriptions, painting a picture of Ireland in the late 19th century.
The song begins with the young man leaving home and saying goodbye to his family, then traveling through the countryside of Ireland. He encounters various people, including girls who are amused by his "curious style," and he eventually arrives in Dublin. In Dublin, his bag is stolen, and he has to fight to get it back. The song ends with the young man arriving in Liverpool and being teased by the locals.
Line by Line Meaning
In the merry month of June from me home I started,
I began my journey away from home in the jolly month of June.
Left the girls of Tuam so sad and broken hearted,
The girls of Tuam were left unhappy and with hurting hearts from my departure.
Saluted father dear, kissed me darling mother,
I bid my father farewell and gave my dear mother a kiss goodbye.
Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother,
I had a pint of beer to help ease my sorrow and sadness.
Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born,
I left my place of birth to go harvest the corn.
Cut a stout black thorn to banish ghosts and goblins;
I cut a sturdy black thorn to keep the ghosts and goblins away.
Bought a pair of brogues rattling o'er the bogs
I bought a pair of shoes that made noise as I walked over the bogs.
And frightenning all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin.
My noisy shoes scared all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin.
One, two, three four, five,
A counting chant to switch the focus to the journey.
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road
Chant to distract and entertain while on the rocky road.
all the way to Dublin, Whack follol de rah !
Chanting to cheer and encourage everyone on the journey.
In Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary,
I stayed in Mullingar for the night to rest my tired body.
Started by daylight next morning blithe and early,
I started off early in the morning feeling cheerful.
Took a drop of pure to keep me heart from sinking;
I had a drink to keep my spirits up so they wouldn't sink.
That's a Paddy's cure whenever he's on drinking.
Drinking is a cure for sadness according to Irish tradition.
See the lassies smile, laughing all the while
The girls are smiling and laughing while looking at me.
At me curious style, wouldn't set your heart a bubblin'
My unique appearance/behavior won't excite your heart.
Asked me was I hired, wages I required,
They asked if I was employed & how much I earned.
I was almost tired of the rocky road to Dublin.
I started to feel exhausted from the rough journey to Dublin.
In Dublin next arrived, I thought it be a pity
Upon arriving in Dublin, I was sad about potentially missing the view of the city.
To be soon deprived a view of that fine city.
It would've been a shame to miss the view of such a beautiful city.
So then I took a stroll, all among the quality;
I decided to take a walk & mingle with the upper class.
Me bundle it was stole, all in a neat locality.
Someone stole my bundle in a seemingly peaceful area.
Something crossed me mind, when I looked behind,
I had a suspicion when I turned to look behind me.
No bundle could I find upon me stick a wobblin'
My bundle wasn't where it was supposed to be, leaving me feeling uneasy.
Enquiring for the rogue, they said me Connaught brogue
I asked around about the criminal and they identified his shoes as being from Connaught.
Wasn't much in vogue on the rocky road to Dublin.
The Connaught brogue style isn't popular on the rough road to Dublin.
From there I got away, me spirits never failing,
I moved on from the theft and didn't let it affect my spirits.
Landed on the quay, just as the ship was sailing.
I arrived at the dock just in time to board the ship.
The Captain at me roared, said that no room had he;
The captain yelled at me saying there was no available room on the ship.
When I jumped aboard, a cabin found for Paddy.
However, I was able to secure a cabin when I got on the ship.
Down among the pigs, played some hearty rigs,
I was with the pigs and had fun dancing and playing games.
Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubbling;
I danced excitedly and the water near me was shaking.
When off Holyhead wished meself was dead,
As we approached Holyhead, I wanted to die because of how challenging the journey had been.
Or better for instead on the rocky road to Dublin.
I would have preferred to be somewhere else besides enduring the rocky road to Dublin.
Well the boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed,
The Liverpool boys greeted us once we safely arrived.
Called myself a fool, I could no longer stand it.
They laughed at me and called me foolish and I couldn't take it anymore.
Blood began to boil, temper I was losing;
I was becoming angry and starting to lose my patience.
Poor old Erin's Isle they began abusing.
They started to mock and insult Ireland, which was very upsetting.
"Hurrah me soul" says I, me Shillelagh I let fly.
"Hooray for my soul!" I thought and I hit them with my Shillelagh.
Some Galway boys were nigh and saw I was a hobble in,
Some boys from Galway saw I was in a difficult situation.
With a load "hurray !" joined in the affray.
They helped me out and excitedly cheered me on.
We quietly cleared the way for the rocky road to Dublin.
We cooperatively removed any obstacles blocking the road to Dublin.
One, two, three four, five,
A final chant to finish off the journey.
Hunt the Hare and turn her down
More chanting and encouragement to keep going.
The rocky road and all the way to Dublin,
We finally reached the rocky road to Dublin and the city itself.
Whack follol de rah !
A final cheering chant to end the song on a high note.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional, Andrew Ranken, Darryl Hunt, James Fearnley, Jeremy Max Finer, Peter Stacey, Philip Chevron, Shane MacGowan, Terry Woods
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind