It’s impossible to celebrate Christmas in Ireland without hearing“Fairytale of New York“This is a famous Irish song performed by the Pogues, a world-famous Irish punk and traditional music band. Considered within the island as one of the greatest songs of all time (yes, yes, no less), every year it’s played everywhere, on the radio, in pubs, stores and restaurants… But let’s face it, this is no ordinary Christmas song: irreverent and vulgar, sometimes even considered “borderline”, it puts a serious dust-up on the usual soft, mawkish end-of-year songs! Find out more below…
Clip from Fairytales of New York by The Pogues
It all began in 1985, when the Pogues, a nationally-renowned Irish band, decided to work on a new album. Two band members, Jem Finer and Shane McGowan, are working on a song they want to dedicate to Christmas…
Despite their efforts,“Fairytale of New York” took two years to write before being included on the “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” album.
Performed as a duet by Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl, the song tells the story of an Irish immigrant who gets drunk and lonely on Christmas Eve. Arrested by the police, he is placed in a drunk tank, and begins to think longingly of the woman who accompanied him when he first arrived in the United States.
In his dreams, he remembers her beauty, his passionate romance… but soon, the romance turns sour… Instead of exchanging words of love, the song gives way to flowery insults… where the duo exchange acerbic words and bird names:
You’re a bum, you’re a punk!
You’re a stoned old bitch, lying almost dead on an IV in the bed!”
Words that create surprise and astonishment for anyone discovering the song (and mastering the language of Shakespeare).
It’s already Christmas in Dublin’s Temple Bar
Strangely enough, despite its vulgarity, the song was well received by the public. So much so that it has become a true standard in terms of Christmas songs.
The single peaked at number two in the charts in 1987… and features in the UK and Irish top 20 almost every year! What’s more, the single was certified platinum in 2013, and voted best Christmas song of all time in various UK and Irish charts.
A real consecration for the Pogues… but also an unexpected success.
Because“Fairytale of New York” is above all a trashy Christmas tale that should never have worked on paper…
But the reality is quite different: it seems that the Pogues’ contrarian approach to this Christmas song was the unexpected winning formula. For the Irish, their themes are universal: the Pogues speak of Christmas, Ireland, the Irish pub, the difficulties of immigration, love and disillusionment… These are recurring themes dear to Shane McGowan, who has always loved to play on contradictions and oppositions.
For many music critics, the Pogues know how to write their songs brilliantly. A love story marked by bitterness and resentment… A love story that starts well, and ends tragically, in hatred and cynicism… All against a backdrop of countless references to Ireland, immigration… and, of course, a reference to Christmas to add an even more miserable touch of romanticism…
And the song even plays on a few clichés: it portrays Irish emigrants as alcoholics who spend their time in the pub… living off petty theft and scavenging… hoping one day to live a better life… A strategy that seems to make the song’s characters even more sympathetic to the public!
In 2007, the prestigious BBC considered the Pogues’ single to be vulgar and unnecessarily insulting. Tired of broadcasting the song as is, he decided to censor it, and broadcast a reworked version, which toned down a few insults deemed excessive in the second verse.
But the channel was to face the wrath of its audience and was forced to restore the original version.
This attempt at censorship made the single even more popular. Supported by the public, the song becomes an essential Christmas anthem… It’s the last straw for the BBC.
Today,“Fairytale of New York” has lost none of its verve and power with audiences. After more than 30 years on the air, the single is still a Christmas classic, capturing the hearts of Ireland, the UK and the USA!
A real success story, with many years ahead of it!
