I just downloaded and added Fairytale of New York by the Pogues (with Kirsty MacColl). In its own twisty Poguean way its a great xmas / holiday song (more on my favorite holiday / xmas / hanukkah songs in a future post). Starting off as a typical xmas song with slow important piano, it quickly reveals the star of it Shane MacGowan crooning about "Christmas Eve in the drunk tank" but remains a sweet ballad of drunken Shane dreaming of his loved one, hoping for a Christmas when dreams come true. The song goes from the romance of New York and new love to the bitter reality of this downtrodden couple sung verse after verse to the same tune. They curse at one another and are spiteful, all while singing along to a irish tune. It's a great song with that mirthful Pogues sense of humor and perhaps reality. I once read that Virgin Radio listeners voted it the best christmas song of all time - with good reason that those british radio listeners have a sense of humor. Add it to your holiday playlist if you have listeners with a sense of humor.
I love the Pogues. A touch of classic Irish music, a touch of 80s punk, a heavy shot of too drunken rockers putting together some of the most rolicking and most beautiful music by the same band. For every "Love You Till The End" there will be a "Sickbed of Cuchulain" romancing and cursing. Without the Pogues, there would be no Black 47 and then there would be no Dropkick Murphys. If you were sucked in by that song from The Departed "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys, spend some time exploring the original Pogues.
For the sweet love songs, get "Love you till the end" from Pogue Mahone. For a fun song that is now a Cadillac commercial, get "The Sunnyside of the Street" from Hell's Ditch. And for a great intro to who the whiskey swilling Pogues really are, get the album Rum, Sodomy & the Lash (produced by Elvis Costello). And then do your best to see them live (a rare tour) this March 2008 in the states.
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