Fairytale of New York should be banned from radio

[Alrighteo]

This is from one of the UK tabolids

Walk round any M&S this year and in between Mariah and Bing you can hear the joyous Yuletide sentiment of someone threatening to 'smack the ho' if she 'steps up'. Ho ho no thanks.

I know all the lyrics off by heart as do most of my friends ! It’s one of my favourite Christmas songs - but not as good as I believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake .

Good god, you can't ban everything that might offend someone. A few of the words obviously aren't PC, but as pps have said, it was a different time.

This is why The English and folk music don't mix!

Ah yes Alex Dyke the dj who would like to see breastfeeding in public banned!

A 'faggot' in 80's Ireland didn't mean a homosexual btw. It meant an arsehole.

Shane McGowan is a genius. Not everyone has a Hallmark Christmas and some do struggle and dream of better days at this time of year. It encapsulates what a lot of people feel at this time of year.

Some people have arses tighter than a hen's hole.

How dull would life be if all art was just vases of flowers. Urgh. Art should be offensive, evocative, infuriating, mesmerising, confusing, inspirational, unbelievable, beautiful, soft, engaging, thought provoking, discussion worthy.

It's a well-written song about a life that for many of us (thankfully) falls outside our experience. It emphasises the fact that Christmas (and other celebratory occasions) are horrible for some people.
I'd rather listen to this a thousand times over than some warbling schmalz any day.

My other favourite is Don’t let the Bells End by The Darkness - will that be censored because it sounds like (and is meant to sound like) Bell End?

Bellend

This is why The English and folk music don't mix!

I love folk music - but not that particular song. If I said I didn't like 'Last Christmas' by Wham, would that mean I didn't like pop music? If I said I didn't like 'Away in a Manger' would that mean I didn't like carols?

I think the song is good but don't get why it's considered a christmas song.

I was also taken back that couple of years ago they chose it for a song the kids sang at the primary school christmas concert - minus some of the swearing.

In any case, it doesn't make sense in the context of the song - she's in a relationship with him, he's promised her he'd get on Broadway and he's thinking about her while he's in the Drunk tank and she wants nothing more to do with him. She's not calling him gay. You need to look at the usage of the word faggot at the time in Ireland.

"Art should be offensive, evocative, infuriating, mesmerising, confusing, inspirational, unbelievable, beautiful, soft, engaging, thought provoking, discussion worthy."

FONY doesn't fit most of those criteria though.

don't get why it's considered a christmas song

First five words of the song.........

It was Christmas Eve babe

The NYPD choir singing

An old man saying he wouldn't see another Christmas etc etc.

I like it. I'm sure Shane Mcgowan is delighted by this fuss bumping up his royalties!

It's an excellent piece of writing, music, lyrics and performance. It's the story of many immigrants. I wouldn't choose it for a school Carol concert but ban it? Akin to book burning, get over it.

FONY doesn't fit most of those criteria though.

It wasn’t an exhaustive list. But the premise of the demand to have it banned is that it is offensive.

It is the only Christmas song I really like (though Jona Lewie's Stop the Cavalry is OK) and I love the lyrics, especially the end

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 all alone
I've built my dreams around you

It is a song of love, and addiction, and falling foul of the law and of human spirit in spite of it all.

I always find it interesting that people complain about the 'faggot' line and much less commonly the 'old slut on junk' one.

It's a beautiful song and I love the Pogues but I'm very much if you're not into it or it makes you feel a bit off, don't play it but don't ban it. I play it at home but I won't shout along in the pub to it because of the F word that could be offensive because I'm not a dick and I don't know who's around who might be upset. I am going to put it on now though 😁

And is also being discussed right now. So.... discussion worthy. (that’s at least 2 of the list)

Love it. If you don't like it turn it off

Ooh, yes. Stop the Cavalry is a much better example of a Christmas song with a serious theme.