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
The Body of an American
The Pogues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the yanks they were within
And the tinker boys they hissed advice
'Hot-wire her with a pin'
Then we turned and shook as we had a look
In the room where the dead men lay
So big Jim Dwyer made his last trip
To the shores where his father's laid
But fifteen minutes later
We had our first taste of whiskey
There was uncles giving lectures
On ancient Irish history
The men all started telling jokes
And the women they got frisky
By five o'clock in the evening
Every bastard there was piskey
Fare thee well, going away
There's nothing left to say
Farewell to New York City boys, to Boston and PA
He took them out with a well-aimed clout
And we often heard him say
I'm a free-born man of the USA
He fought the champ in Pittsburgh
And he slashed him to the ground
He took on Tiny Tartanella
And it only went one round
He never had no time for reds
For drink or dice or whores
And he never threw a fight until the fight was right
So they sent him to the war
Fare the well, gone away
There's nothing left to say
With a slainte Joe and Erin go
My love's in Ameri-kay
The calling of the rosary
Spanish wine from far away
I'm a free born man of the USA
This morning on the harbour
When I said goodbye to you
I remember how I swore
That I'd come back to you one day
And as the sunset came to meet the evening on the hill
I told you I'd always love you
I always did and I always will
Fare thee well gone away
There's nothing left to say
'But to say adieu to your eyes as blue as the water in the bay
And to big Jim Dwyer the man of war
Who was often heard to say
I'm a free born man of the USA
I'm a free born man of the USA
I'm a free born man of the USA
The Pogues' “The Body of an American” is a melancholic story of life, death, and the afterlife. The song begins as a group of tinker boys come across a room filled with the corpses of Irish men. The lyrics narrate the group’s reaction to the scene and their journey to pay their respects to James Dwyer’s father in Ireland. They soon find themselves drinking whiskey and telling jokes, losing themselves in the celebration of Dwyer’s life. The song then continues with a description of Dwyer’s life as a sportsman and a veteran, interrupted by his untimely death. The song culminates with the singer saying goodbye to his loved ones and to James Dwyer, who proclaimed himself a “free-born man of the USA.”
The lyrics of “The Body of an American” tell a narrative that goes beyond the words of the song. The mournful cadence of the chorus reflects the sadness and mourning of the tinker boys at the sight of the dead Irish men, while the joyful verses celebrate the life of James Dwyer. The song’s themes of life and death, remembrance, and patriotism capture the trauma and joy that come with living a life.
Line by Line Meaning
The cadillac stood by the house
A Cadillac was parked outside a building.
And the yanks they were within
Americans were inside the building.
And the tinker boys they hissed advice 'Hot-wire her with a pin'
Young men suggested using a pin to hot-wire the car.
Then we turned and shook as we had a look in the room where the dead men lay
The artist and others felt uneasy as they looked inside a room where dead people were lying.
So big Jim Dwyer made his last trip to the shores where his father's laid
Big Jim Dwyer died and was taken to the same place where his father was buried.
But fifteen minutes later we had our first taste of whiskey
Fifteen minutes after seeing the dead men, the singer and others drank whiskey for the first time.
There was uncles giving lectures on ancient Irish history
Uncles were giving talks about the history of Ireland.
The men all started telling jokes And the women they got frisky
Men told jokes and women became flirtatious.
By five o'clock in the evening every bastard there was piskey
By 5 pm, everyone present was intoxicated with alcohol.
Fare thee well, going away There's nothing left to say Farewell to New York City boys, to Boston and PA
The artist is bidding farewell to friends in New York, Boston, and Pennsylvania.
He took them out with a well-aimed clout And we often heard him say I'm a free-born man of the USA
Someone defeated opponents with a strong punch and proudly identified as a free man from the United States.
He fought the champ in Pittsburgh And he slashed him to the ground He took on Tiny Tartanella And it only went one round
The person fought and won against a champion in Pittsburgh and a fighter named Tiny Tartanella.
He never had no time for reds For drink or dice or whores And he never threw a fight until the fight was right So they sent him to the war
The person didn't participate in Communist activities or indulge in drinking, gambling, or prostitution. He never deliberately lost a fight until he was sure it was the right thing to do, so he was enlisted in the military.
With a slainte Joe and Erin go My love's in Ameri-kay The calling of the rosary Spanish wine from far away I'm a free born man of the USA
The singer is toasting to the health of Joe and Erin, and saying that his love is in America. The sound of people praying the rosary can be heard, and wine from Spain is being drunk. The singer is proud to be a free man born in the USA.
This morning on the harbour When I said goodbye to you I remember how I swore That I'd come back to you one day And as the sunset came to meet the evening on the hill I told you I'd always love you I always did and I always will
The singer recalls saying goodbye to someone on the harbor that morning and promising to return one day. As the sun set, the singer professed love and eternal devotion.
But to say adieu to your eyes as blue as the water in the bay And to big Jim Dwyer the man of war Who was often heard to say I'm a free born man of the USA I'm a free born man of the USA I'm a free born man of the USA
The artist is bidding farewell to blue-eyed person, and to Big Jim Dwyer, who often declared his pride in being a free man born in the USA. The artist also repeats this statement, affirming their own pride and freedom.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHANE PATRICK LYSAGHT MACGOWAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Bins..ihatebins
If you are all not Irish and just watching because of a TV Show but are enjoying the music here are some others tonight like
Fiesta~ The Pogues
Irish Rover ~ The Pogues
Dicey Reilly~ The Dubliners
Raitlin Bog ~ The Jolly Beggermen
All for me grog ~ The Dubliners.....
All great drinking songs
@stonerainproductions
Rest in peace Shane MacGowan. Thank you for this, and many other amazing songs. Fare thee well, enjoy the high road. Slainte.
@godelgado13
RIP LANCE REDDICK better known for his role as Cedric Daniels in the greatest Masterpiece American TV has ever produced, The Wire.
@kathrynwright2195
Agreed, his death was so sad, so many roles still laid before this incredibly talented actor.
@kinkarcana1293
He was natural Poolice in his roles where he played them(The Wire, Bosche), he is counted.
@seangallagher1947
Okay, chill bro.
@lu3366
@@kinkarcana1293 Fringe
@danielc9595
Best show of all time
@NYCentralSpotter1070
Jimmy, I say this seriously. If I was laying there dead on some Baltimore street corner, I'd want you standing over me, catching the case. Because, brother, when you were good, you were the best we had.
@frederiqueperron3591
euh
@GogsGamers
what?