If I Should Fall from Grace with God
The Pogues feat. Joe Strummer Lyrics


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If I should fall from grace with god
Where no doctor can relieve me
If I'm buried 'neath the sod
But the angels won't receive me

Let me go, boys
Let me go, boys
Let me go down in the mud
Where the rivers all run dry

This land was always ours
Was the proud land of our fathers
It belongs to us and them
Not to any of the others

Let them go, boys
Let them go, boys
Let them go down in the mud
Where the rivers all run dry

Bury me at sea
Where no murdered ghost can haunt me
If I rock upon the waves
Then no corpse can lie upon me

It's coming up threes, boys
Keeps coming up threes, boys
Let them go down in the mud
Where the rivers all run dry

If I should fall from grace with god
Where no doctor can relieve me
If I'm buried 'neath the sod
But the angels won't receive me

Let me go, boys
Let me go, boys




Let me go down in the mud
Where the rivers all run dry

Overall Meaning

The Pogues' song "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" is a melancholic-rebellion song with dark humor. At the outset, the singer expresses his fear of dying alone, away from comfort and solace. He implores his fellowmen to let him go to the muddy realm, where he can drown without his corpse remaining a haunting ghost. He desires a peaceful passage, devoid of pain or guilt. In the succeeding verse, he references the ancestral heritage of their land and exhorts his countrymen to fight for it- a land that belongs to "us" and "them" but not to the "others." The song captures the essence of Irish identity and pride, which is so intertwined with the land they call home.


The song's solemn wishes are followed by a catchy, upbeat melody that celebrates the Irish spirit of rebellion, humor, and camaraderie, making it a staple at Irish bars and a popular tune during St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The song is a mix of humor, melancholy, and rebelliousness, with a message of urging people to fight for what they believe in and bravely face whatever life throws at them.


Line by Line Meaning

If I should fall from grace with god
If I should lose favor or become estranged from God


Where no doctor can relieve me
In a state where no medical treatment can cure me


If I'm buried 'neath the sod
If I die and am buried underground


But the angels won't receive me
If I am deemed unworthy of entering heaven by the angels


Let me go, boys
Allow me to leave and accept my fate


Let me go down in the mud
Let me die and be buried without ceremony or grace


Where the rivers all run dry
In a desolate and lifeless place


This land was always ours
This land has always been part of our heritage


Was the proud land of our fathers
It was something our fathers held dear with pride


It belongs to us and them
It should be shared between ourselves and others


Not to any of the others
It should not be exclusively owned by any particular group


Bury me at sea
Dispose of my body in the ocean


Where no murdered ghost can haunt me
So that I may not be tormented by the ghost of a murdered person


If I rock upon the waves
If my body is carried by the ocean currents


Then no corpse can lie upon me
Then I will not be made into a resting place for a dead body


It's coming up threes, boys
It seems that fate is against us, and bad things come in threes


Keeps coming up threes, boys
We can't shake off this bad luck




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Shane Patrick Lysaght Macgowan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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