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
Sunny Side of the Street
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had the women, I had the booze
All that I can remember now
Is little kids without no shoes
So, I saw that train and I got on it
With a heartful of hate and a lust for vomit
Now I'm walking on the sunnyside of the street
Stepped over bodies in Bombay
Tried to make it to the U.S.A.
Ended up in Nepal
Up on the roof with nothing at all
And I knew that day
I was going to stay right where I am
On the sunnyside of the street
Been in a palace, been in a jail
I just don't want to be reborn a snail
Just want to spend eternity right where I am
On the sunnyside of the street
As my mother wept it was then I swore
To take my life as I would a whore
I know I'm better than before
I will not be reconstructed
Just want to stay right here
The sunnyside of the street
The sunnyside of the street
The sunnyside of the street
The sunnyside of the street
The Pogues' song Sunnyside of the Street, released in 1986, is a narrative of the lead singer Shane MacGowan's wild experiences in Rome, Bombay, the USA and Nepal. The opening lines describe the carnival at Rome where MacGowan had the women, the booze and the fun, but what lingers in his memory are the little kids without shoes. The song then moves onto Bombay, where the singer has to step over bodies and ends up trying to make it to the USA but eventually finds himself in Nepal with nothing at all, however, he chooses to stay on the "sunnyside of the street."
The lyrics then take a turn towards Shane's personal struggles and his vow to never be reconstructed, even as his mother wept. Shane reveals his disdain for being reborn as a snail and just wants to spend eternity on the sunnyside of the street, his happy place. The song's upbeat and catchy melody is a stark contrast to the gritty and dark experiences narrated in the lyrics, making it a unique song that urges people to stay positive and upbeat, even in dark times.
Line by Line Meaning
Seen the carnival at Rome
I have experienced everything life has to offer, including indulgence and excess.
Had the women, I had the booze
I had all the superficial pleasures money could buy.
All that I can remember now
However, everything was a blur and all I can recall are the heart-wrenching conditions of the impoverished.
Is little kids without no shoes
The sight of innocent children living in deplorable conditions left an indelible mark on me.
So, I saw that train and I got on it
I jumped on the opportunity to escape my past life of excess and materialism.
With a heartful of hate and a lust for vomit
Although I was filled with anger and disgust towards my past, I was also sickened by the thought of that life continuing.
Now I'm walking on the sunnyside of the street
I have found a new perspective and appreciation for life, choosing to walk on the brighter side of things.
Stepped over bodies in Bombay
I have lived through some extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances.
Tried to make it to the U.S.A.
I tried to escape my troubled past and find a better life in the United States of America.
Ended up in Nepal
However, fate took me in a different direction and I ended up in Nepal.
Up on the roof with nothing at all
With no material possessions, I was forced to reflect and find satisfaction in the simple things in life.
And I knew that day
I realized in that moment that I was content where I was.
I was going to stay right where I am
There was no need for me to continue trying to escape, as I had found peace where I was.
Been in a palace, been in a jail
I have experienced both extremes of life - extreme wealth and extreme poverty.
I just don't want to be reborn a snail
Despite my experiences, I do not wish to be reborn into any form of suffering.
Just want to spend eternity right where I am
I have found genuine satisfaction in my current state and do not wish for anything to change.
As my mother wept it was then I swore
This experience was a turning point for me, during which I made a vow.
To take my life as I would a whore
I decided to take control of my life and abandon any past behaviors that did not serve me well.
I know I'm better than before
Through this change and self-improvement, I am now a better version of myself.
I will not be reconstructed
I refuse to go back to my past ways or have my life controlled by external circumstances.
Just want to stay right here
I am content with my current situation and do not desire anything else.
The sunnyside of the street
I choose to focus on the brighter aspects of life and maintain a positive outlook.
The sunnyside of the street
The sunnyside of the street
The sunnyside of the street
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JEREMY MAX FINER, SHANE PATRICK LYSAGHT MACGOWAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vindictivevillain
Seen the carnival at Rome
Had the women I had the booze
All I can remember now
Is little kids without no shoes
So I saw that train
And I got on it
With a heartful of hate
And a lust for vomit
Now I'm walking on the sunnyside of the street
Stepped over bodies in Bombay
Tried to make it to the U.S.A.
Ended up in Nepal
Up on the roof with nothing at all
And I knew that day
I was going to stay
Right where I am, on the sunnyside of the street
Been in a palace, been in a jail
I just don't want to be reborn a snail
Just want to spend eternity
Right where I am, on the sunnyside of the street
As my mother wept it was then I swore
To take my life as I would a whore
I know I'm better than before
I will not be reconstructed
Just wanna stay right here
On the sunnyside of the street
@tamaraporter3406
My grandmother passed away yesterday and last night while my hubby was asleep I listened to this to try and smile. Then I get up today and hear of the passing of Shane McGowan. Well, Shane, look for the sweet old Italian lady cooking for everyone and give her a hug for me.
@Razormiller
RIP to your grandmother and to Shane.
@martinroehl5345
Riposa in pace
@lawrenceweckl7815
Aww so sad about your nonna's passing away and also Shane's death. May both find the peace and rest they deserve under the light of God almighty! 😢🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️
@heggestadsonhampshire7934
This is pure joy. My 4 yo daughter requests this song every morning on the way to preschool. I love you, JaMarie.
@patrickcallahan9599
That is adorable.This song makes me feel like I'm 4 years old,they have some great songs
@thedalewardens9106
I used to play this and Glen Millers I got a gal in Kalamazoo as the wake up and get ready in the morning songs for my dad. I played it for my kids morning song today!
@USERNAMEfieldempty
Just don't check the lyrics, Jo. They are a bit Spicy!!!
@maumas1312
Stupenda lei, Stupendo tu e Stupenda la canzone ❤
@user-mn9gw4mn9e
great song. Shane McGowan will be in our hearts forever.🌹