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
Modern World
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tonight she'll be out lookin' for some fun
Her mate, Gerry's in the basement, he hasn't got a home
But prides himself that he's got most things done
Meanwhile, I'm up on the roof
Waitin' for the sun to shine
I haven't got an excuse
David's in the city, he's just made a deal
And the boys they want to take his trousers down
So they buy some little pills which will make poor David ill
And they find themselves in some club downtown
Meanwhile, I got off the roof
'cause the rain keeps pouring down
And I haven't got a clue
Why there's faith in all these clowns
This is the modern world
This is the modern world
Jim and Jane hit the grapevine 'cause they're lookin' for a party
A secret number knows where it can be found
So they pick up Pete and Sheila, then they head down the M40
But someone said they closed the country down
Meanwhile, I've locked myself in the kitchen
Waitin' for the storm to pass
And if there's too much damage
I think I'll get the fuck out fast
This is the modern world
This is the modern world
This is the modern world
This is the modern world
This is the modern world
The Pogues’ song “Modern World” gathers different stories that happen in its time frame with its characters waiting for something or looking for something to fill their emptiness. The lyrics seem to point out how people in modern times are living their lives with no direction or purpose. The first two stanzas describe Mary and Gerry selling flowers and living in a basement, respectively. Mary is depicted as someone who enjoys having fun while Gerry is shown to take pride in accomplishing most things despite not having a fixed home. The third stanza portrays David in the city, where he makes a deal but gets drugged by some boys who want to take advantage of him. The fourth and fifth stanzas tell of Jim, Jane, Pete, and Sheila heading to the countryside for a party only to learn that the place has been closed down.
The song “Modern World” ultimately reflects the modern generation’s disorientation and lack of belief in anything. The lyrics suggest that many people are searching for a way out of their mundane lives, with no clear understanding of what they are seeking. The song implies that modernity has left people with a feeling of pointlessness and emptiness. Despite the humor and irreverence that it conveys, the song is a social critique of modernity, a world where people are confused, lost, and struggling to figure out their place and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Mary's sellin' flowers on a stall in EC1
Mary is selling flowers at a street market in the EC1 area of London
Tonight she'll be out lookin' for some fun
She plans to go out and have a good time later tonight
Her mate, Gerry's in the basement, he hasn't got a home
Her friend Gerry is homeless and currently residing in a basement
But prides himself that he's got most things done
Gerry takes satisfaction in his accomplishments despite his current living situation
Meanwhile, I'm up on the roof
As the previous events were happening, the artist was on a roof
Waitin' for the sun to shine
He was waiting for the clouds to part and let the sun shine through
I haven't got an excuse
He had no real reason to be on the roof at that moment
So, I'll just keep my head down
He decided to stay on the roof and keep to himself instead of finding a reason to leave
David's in the city, he's just made a deal
David is in the city and just made a successful business transaction
And the boys they want to take his trousers down
Some people are jealous of David's success and plan to humiliate him
So they buy some little pills which will make poor David ill
They buy drugs to make David ill
And they find themselves in some club downtown
After drugging David, they go to a club in the city center
Meanwhile, I got off the roof
As these events were taking place, the singer decided to leave the roof
'cause the rain keeps pouring down
He left the roof because it started raining heavily
And I haven't got a clue
The singer is uncertain about the events going on around him
Why there's faith in all these clowns
He questions why people trust in those who behave foolishly
Jim and Jane hit the grapevine 'cause they're lookin' for a party
Jim and Jane turn to their network of friends to find a party to attend
A secret number knows where it can be found
They have a contact who is able to give them the location of the party
So they pick up Pete and Sheila, then they head down the M40
They pick up two of their friends, Pete and Sheila, and drive down the M40 highway
But someone said they closed the country down
Someone informs them that the country has been shut down for some reason
Meanwhile, I've locked myself in the kitchen
As these events were happening, the artist locked themselves in a kitchen
Waitin' for the storm to pass
The artist is waiting for something catastrophic to end before they come out of hiding
And if there's too much damage
They are considering leaving if the damage from the storm is too extreme
I think I'll get the fuck out fast
The artist plans to leave the area quickly if necessary
This is the modern world
The singer comments on the chaos and uncertainty of the modern world
This is the modern world
They repeat this line to emphasize the message
This is the modern world
And again, to drive the point home
This is the modern world
And one more time for good measure
This is the modern world
Ending the song with a final statement about the current state of society
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DARRYL HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
G 33fer
Well, I like it anyway. ...
It's a brilliant album.
MercuryR
The Pogues
October 19, 1993
Mary's selling flowers
On a stall in EC1
Tonight she'll be out looking for some fun
Her mate Gerry's in the basement
He hasn't got a home
But prides himself that he's got most things done
Meanwhile I'm up on the roof
Waiting for the sun to shine
I haven't got an excuse
So I'll just keep my head down
David's in the city
He's just made a deal
And the boys they want to take his trousers down
So they buy some little pills
Which will make poor David ill
And the find themselves in some club downtown
Meanwhile I got off the roof
'Cos the rain keeps pouring down
And I haven't got a clue
Why there's faith in all these clowns
This is the modern world...
Jim and Jane hit the grapevine
'Cos they're looking for a party
A secret number knows where it can be found
So they pick up Pete and Sheila
And they head down the M40
But someone said they closed the country down
Meanwhile I've locked myself in the kitchen
Waiting for the storm to pass
And if there's too much damage
I think I'll get the fuck out fast
This is the modern world...