Mumsnet Talk

I was convinced one of lines went as follows;
"Happy Christmas you old fucking cunt of a man"
Now, I find out I was wrong and I'm devastated. This has ruined my Christmas!

AIBU to feel that my version was much better?

YABU. You cannot improve on that song in any way, shape or form.

Ha!! Your version is well better!

I always thought it was "Happy Christmas you arsehole" but it turns out I was wrong too. Shame, I liked that version.

I used to think it was you arsewipe thank god
Rather than (i assume)
You arse, I thank god

Is it not "Happy Christmas you arsehole, thank god it's our last"?

I'm not going to look it up. You can't ruin it!

fingers in ears

I don't know, I hate it so much I try not to listen.

We have a "version" playing at work that scrubs out the the phrase "you cheap lousy faggot" and replaces it with "you're cheap and you're haggard" followed immediately by "Happy christmas your arse I pray god it´s our last" and they've left in the phrase about "old slut on junk" earlier in the verse as well.

GRRR.

It was christmas eve babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me: won't see another one
And then they sang a song
The rare old mountain dew
I turned my face away and dreamed about you
Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I´ve got a feeling
This year´s for me and you
So happy christmas
I love you baby
I can see a better time
Where all our dreams come true.
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/pogues/fairytale+of+new+york_20109730.html ]
They got cars big as bars
They got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you
It´s no place for the old
When you first took my hand on a cold christmas eve
You promised me broadway was waiting for me
You were handsome you were pretty
Queen of new york city when the band finished playing they yelled out for more
Sinatra was swinging all the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner
Then danced through the night.

And the boys from the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay
And the bells were ringing out for christmas day.

You´re a bum you´re a punk
You´re an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy christmas your arse I pray god it´s our last.

And the boys of the NYPD choir's still singing Galway Bay
And the bells were ringing out
For christmas day.

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can´t make it out alone
I´ve built my dreams around you

And the boys of the NYPD choir's still singing Galway Bay
And the bells are ringing out
For christmas day.

I'm sick of hearing it! It didn't get played nearly so often till it became "cool" a few years ago.

I hate it with a passion, really do not get all the hype around it...sorry.

I used to hate it till I listened to the words and found them profound. I actually hate most Christmas songs. <scrooge>

I've become a convert to The St Stephen's Day Murders.

I knew of two sisters whose name it was Christmas
And one was named Dawn of course, the other one was named Eve
I wonder if they grew up hating the season
Of the good will that lasts till the Feast of St. Stephen

For that is the time to eat, drink and be merry
'Til the beer is all spilled and the whiskey is flowed
And the whole family tree you neglected to bury
Are feeding their faces until they explode

There'll be laughter and tears over Tia Marias
Mixed up with that drink made from girdersAnd it's all we've got left as they draw their last breath
And it's nice for the kids as you finally get rid of them
In the St Stephen's Day Murders

Uncle is garglin' a heart-breaking air
While the babe in his arms pulls out all that remains of his hair
And we're not drunk enough yet to dare criticize
The great big kipper tie he's about to baptize
His gin-flavoured whispers and kisses of sherry
His best crimble shirt slung out over the shop
While the lights from the Christmas tree blow up the telly
His face closes in like an old cold pork chop

And the carcass of the beast left over from the feast
May still be found haunting the kitchen
And there's life in it yet we may live to regret
When the ones that we poisoned stop twitchinThere'll be laughter and tears over Tia Marias
Mixed up with that drink made from girders
And it's all we've got left as they draw their last breath
And it's nice for the kids as you finally get rid of them (rid of them!)
In the St Stephen's Day Murders

I hate it as well. What an ugly song.

I thought this was going to be a thread based on the song, like the MN nativity thread.

You know - 'My DH called me an old slut on junk and I called him a scumbag and maggot. Should I LTB?'

Ooh indith, who sings that? Sounds right up my garbage strewn unlit dangerous alley

It has been done by a few, most recently Thea Gilmore but also The Chieftans.

The Pogues

I suppose it reflects the gruesome reality of Christmas and Life for some people, might be more reflective of life than some of the sickly sweet Christmas music.

I love it. I'm not sure it's ever been cool though.

The Thea Gilmore album, Strange Communion, with The St Stephen's Day murders on is ACE. I was exacerbating a very bad day a few weeks ago by being in Asda and the only thing that stopped me losing the plot entirely was that the music they were playing in the Christmas dept wasn't bloody Slade or something, but That'll Be Christmas from that album.

DD is outraged by my latest Christmas album, Tinsel and Light (Tracy Thorne) as it features the line 'another nosebleed'. Cue 'urgh, urgh, horrible, why is that ian Christmas song ...'

It's not Christmas till me and my girlfriends have had our big night out and then sung "fairy tale of New York" all the way home. For some reason it's very cathartic and traditional to be very drunk and roaring the lines "the boys from the nypd choir still singing Galway bay" at a bad tempered taxi driver as we try to hang onto each other and our shoes. Classy scots lassies, we are.

I think Kirsty McColl had a very emotional voice and this is more poignant given her early death.

Yes, I'm a big fan of Kirsty too. Listen to her a lot

I was going to start an AIBU about this song. I loathe it with a passion. Shane McGowan really can't sing. It's a complete dirge to start with and I hate the twiddly twiddly stuff, although Kirsty is good.

It's no "Feliz Navidad"

It is the only acceptable Christmas song.

I have seen The Pogues live many many years ago. Late. Drunk. Brief. Brilliant.

It's the best Christmas song ever written.

Also, there is no NYPD choir - there is a band though.

I FREAKING LOVE THIS SONG! Although, Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses is my fav pop Xmas song

OracleOfUselessInformationTiggaxx

How could anyone hate a song that contains the lines
- I could have been someone,
Well, so could anyone....

Isn't that the most beautiful expression of what it is to be human today?

Love, love, love this song. Brilliant lyrics, I adore Kirsty MacColl's singing and I think Shane MacGowan is an amazing performer even (or especially?) when he's drunk.

It's so poignant to hear this song all these years later, long after Kirsty's tragic death and even longer since I first heard it.

It's been around since 1987, but the past 10 years have seen it become the 'credible' Christmas choice. It's undoubtedly a great song but massively overhyped by people claiming to like 'real' music agree with the poster above about Christmas Wrapping (the singer from The Waitresses, like Kirsty MacColl, also died young). Also love Stay Another Day by East 17...

It is the best Christmas song, that is all.

Best Christmas song by a country mile, I've seen the Pogues loads of times, and they are magical live, Shane is a genius, therefore doesn't need a perfect voice

Absolutely love this song. Lyrically I think it's up there with the best. Shane MacGowan is so talented. I dread the day I hear on the news that alcohol has finally beaten him. Already said above but the lyrics "I could of been someone, well so could anyone" are so moving.

It's no "Feliz Navidad"
wo oh oh. 1971.

I love this song. It's my favourite Christmas song ever.

I also love 'Stop the Cavalry'.

All that happy clappy stuff is for mugs

There is very little Christmas music I don't love Full of the joys of the season, me

Even the lyric which has been in my head all week:

"At this time of year, friends and family should be here"

Festive cheer abound to any who recognise that

*should be near

Damn.

Apparently it's lovers not family. All I can say is we were young and family seemed much more appropriate...

Double damn!

Love Kirsty.
One of my Christmas favourites is Thea Gilmore
Actually this live version is possibly better

I was expecting this to be something along the lines of

When DP and I got together he took my dreams from me. He tells me he put them with his own but I can't find them. WIBU to LTB?

I prefer "Rock n' Roll Christmas" to FTONY.

Thisisaeuphemism it's my favourite line ever - so nice to find someone who appreciates it .

It is of course the SECOND best ever Christmas song ... the first being Wombling Merry Christmas by The Wombles.

Its a shit song, and only made worse by people singing it in plastic Paddy accents and emphasising the "You scumbag" bit.

Thank you.

As you were

I always thought the line "You're an old slut on junk" was "You old sloven drunk"

Pointy - My two faves as well, Fairytale of New York and Stop the Cavalry.

<hugs Couthy>

Love it. I moved from Dublin to London in 1987 and my flatmate bought this when it came out and all four of us flat-sharing played it constantly coming up to xmas - alternating with Chris De Burgh's "I'm Coming Home" . We were all from Dublin and all SO homesick. I still love it and it still takes me straight back to that time.

This song (provided it's The Pogues not Ronan 'Arse' Keating singing) is my favourite Christmas song ever

It was playing in the Labour Ward when I was having my PFB (who was 13 last Friday).
I was higher than a kite on Gas & Air. There were (to me) random strange people in my room (Midwives and a studant doctor ).
I was trying to expell something that weighed 8lb 8 and a half from my body.

I was a sick as a dog and refusing an epidural because I knew if they numbed me, I'd give up the fight and they'ave to drag him out.

So to the dulcett tones of Shane, my son was born

Happy Days . That song still has the power to make me weepy.
My son was perfect (still is ) .I looked like I'd sat on rotating blades

It is the best Christmas song ever.

Gavel.

Love Fairytale of New York

When I was an elf in a Grotto in for 2010 Christmas we had a disc which had a 45min loop, and Fairytale of New York was on that loop at least twice. My colleagues would sing it in front of the kids and on one occasion we had a whole line of parents singing it with their kids there too. I've never understood how radio stations get away with playing it but I love it so don't care

I love this song.

But I could have sworn it went:

"And then they sang a song
That rare old Latin tune."

I assumed they were singing Adeste Fideles or something!

RIP Kirsty

Two posters like my favourite line - the one about 'I could have been someone' nobody ever agrees with me on that! Yay!

I bloody fucking love it I do.

At least it isn't sentimental lovey Davey shit.

Can I be really ignorant, please, and have someone explain the background to it? (I am not British tho! )

Absolutely love it. Favourite Christmas song.

My niece and I, whilst partaking of the festive beverages, dismantled the balloons on the table decorations and sang it on helium.....I was Shane and she was Kirsty and it was very bloody funny

I loved it at the age of 12 when it came out. I love it still.

I always thought the Boys of the NYPD choir were singing "Go Away"

Lovely article about this song
m.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/06/fairytale-new-york-pogues-christmas-anthem

It's the best song IN THE WORLD. It will be played at my funeral. "I could've been someone, well so could anyone" genius, surely?

Dugutastic - Craig from Big Brother "At this time of year" i love it

Lovely article, thanks.

RIP Kirsty, taken too young. If you like her voice on this folks, check out Galore, her best of. Loads of great songs but 'Walking in Madison' and 'There's a guy works down the chip shop' stick out for me.

I think Kirsty was great but I don't like the song. I would probably like it if it wasn't Shane McGowan singing. He makes me cringe.

icenoslice some of her best songs:

Innocence
Terry
They don't know (covered by Tracey Ullman!)
See that girl
Soho Square
Caroline
He's on the beach

Really miss her

Yeah, love some of those, her version of 'They don't know' is far superior. And 'He's on the beach' is ace.

Haha 70, lucky you! They were playing Lady Fucking Gaga when ds was born

I've never forgiven her for massacring A New England. She had a lovely voice but made some terrible recordings. There's A Guy Worked Down the Chip Shop is one of the worst pop records ever IMO.

Oh I like her version of New England. And Days.

I think 'There's a guy works down the chip shop' is funny!! But I didn't Ever know her songs when they were in the charts, only later, so I never heard them on the radio. I think that makes a difference

Lockedout Lovely article. Made me all goosebumpy

I'll concede that her version of Days is lovely, but FONY is (to me) absolutely toe curlingly awful.

I thought the NYPD choir were singing "all in vain" - some sort of contrast between the happy Christmas songs and a stark reality?

And Couthy - definitely "old sloven drunk"

Mystified to what I thought "Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed" was - don't recognise it AT ALL, but no idea what I sing instead.

(Retreats into happy memories of getting last two tickets to a Kirsty MacColl concert where I was clearly listening to different versions of the songs to everyone else and how she seemed such a genuinely nice person.)

I thought it was "a dripping wet bed"

Still hate the song though!

It is THE BEST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER. so there. And I met some "boys from the NYPD" (not necessarily in the choir though, in fact most unlikely) and they were ace too.

Can I just ask why people like it so much?

Firstly the tune. Secondly the instrumentation. Thirdly the aching sadness of the lyrics. Fourthly the love expressed in it. Fifthly Irish inspired music is generally quite jolly and catchy.

Everything Ariel said. It's just a masterpiece IMO.

Yup, what Ariel said.

It's two imperfect people who have been together for a very long time in an imperfect relationship. Not dysfuntional, just not all sunshine and roses. It's beautiful.

I love it - best Christmas song ever and a memorial to the lovely Kirsty..
also to add to what Ariel said, it's the duet thing and the reality of a relationship gone bad.

Sixthly the harmonies. There's something inherently catchy and sinaglongable about harmonies in thirds. Almost anyone can do them.

Ah, thanks for the reply
I think thats why I dislike it...the tune grates on me and I hate the irish folky thing and her voice (sorry, sad to say when she has passed away but its not for me). I find the words to gritty and not like any thing Id relate to.

It seems like a real Marmite song, love it or hate it. It's weird that I should hate it really as a lot of my favourite recordings a duets and I love harmonies. I like the Pogues (or did, haven't listened to them for years), Kirsty has a lovely voice and yet there's something about this song that really sets my teeth on edge, it's very twee and doesn't come over as being the least bit authentic to me at all, just staged and insincere.

Omifuckinggod, I have just heard it MURDERED on our local news. A band in Tunbridge Wells have issued a 'swing' version. Kneecapping too good IMHO.

I love FTONY with a passion. So many fab memories. My favourite, I think, Christmas 2001, I was young, single, solvent and thinner. I was getting drunk in an Irish bar in Cardiff with my lovely friend Andrew. FTONY came on and he pulled me up to dance and we just twirled like the giggling, drunken buffoons we were, him spinning me round until I couldn't breathe for laughing, whilst he did a credible Shane McGowan impression. We've lost touch, I'm really sad and I miss him but every time I hear that song it makes me grin.

Love the Pogues, love Fairytale of New York, but the Kirsty MacColl bit, well I think many singers could have done an equally good job.
Kirsty MacColl always came across as lovely in interviews and her death was tragic but I do think she was quite overrated. All her best releases were covers. I think she got a very big leg up in the business from her father and her husband's reputations.

She was certainly well-connected -
but lovely anyway....here she is, very young
and not to hijack here they are in FTONY
Happy Christmas!

Hello to the other Strange Communion fans. St Stephen St Murders is an ace song. Sol Invictus is also a fave. May have to buy the Tracey Thorn too...

I have met Shane McGowan loads. He used to own a pub called Filthy McNastys in Islington which was my local for years and he was always there cadging cigarettes. He was thoroughly bad news and lots of fun.

I went there busty to try and get pissed hang out with him, he wasn't there!

<puts in a vote for He Never Mentioned Love from Kirsty>

I do love FTONY, I think it's overplayed though, but what Xmas song isn't?

I was trying to pick my favourite Kirsty song, but can I just have the entire Kite album please? And In these shoes, which is my karaoke favourite.