Shane McGowan

[Oneblindmouse]

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2023/11/30/shane-macgowan-fairytale-of-new-york-singer-dies-aged-65/

[Eve]

I saw the photo shared of him a few days ago and he looked very seriously unwell.

[jays]

Ii considered him a legend, loved him. He came through on my line when I was a student working in Directory Enquires many moons ago looking for the number of his own pub! We was a real character, that’s so sad. Wrote some truly beautiful songs.

[Oneblindmouse]

His death is especially poignant for my family as Fairytale of New York was my daughter's father's favourite song of all time.

Her DF died two years ago today.
He asked for the song to be played at his funeral, and it was.

He was my ex husband but we became good friends over the last few years of his life. A massive loss to our family.

[Scruffington]

Ah Shane.
 
So many great fucking tunes. I think my very favourite is The Body of an American.
 
And A Pair of Brown Eyes. And Sally McLennane. And A Rainy Night in Soho.
 
So many. Bloody love The Pogues.
 
RIP

[Sluj]

Such sad news though I know he was ill for several years. The best live concerts I ever went to were the Pogues, especially the one I went to in Camden with Joe Strummer as a guest. Fabulous party atmosphere at the concerts with total strangers reeling with each other.

[Scruffington]

The same year as Sinéad too.

[OhComeOnFFS]

Such an amazing song writer and singer.

Mind you in a way it's surprising he lived so long. I remember seeing him in a couple of pubs in London in the late 70s when he was legless - never thought he'd live for so many decades afterwards!

[MargaritaHargitaysLittleSister]

So sad. They've just played Fairytale on the radio. Not ashamed to say I shed a few tears. RIEP

[Scruffington]

I'm blasting Rum Sodomy & the Lash.

A brilliant album.

[kiwimelonlime]

I absolutely Love Shane, was so sad to hear the News this Morning! His Music was the soundtrack to my twenties and I'm still known to throw a few tracks on during the School Run all these years later ☹️

[CremeEggThief]

I am sad about this, but he had a grest innings, considering.
I didn't think he had much time left when I saw a recent article about him.
RIP to a real musical legend!

[DramaAlpaca]

Farewell to one of the most gifted songwriters of all time.

DH and I got together at a Pogues gig, and went to many more. Fairytale is 'our' song.

RIP Shane.

[Scruffington]

Not sure if there are any Wire fans but one of the greatest TV scenes ever (McNulty's wake ) features The Body of an American.

[jays]

@Scruffington

I'm blasting Rum Sodomy & the Lash.

A brilliant album.

Doing the same right now.

[0scillate]

Loved Shane but quite honestly don't know how he managed to live as long as he did!

[Psychoticbreak]

@Scruffington

The same year as Sinéad too.

And Christie Dignam.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Rip Shane.

I saw an advert for a Pogues tribute band the other day, for the first time.

[Scruffington]

How could I have forgotten Christy.

[TotalOverhaul]

@Scruffington

Ah Shane.
 
So many great fucking tunes. I think my very favourite is The Body of an American.
 
And A Pair of Brown Eyes. And Sally McLennane. And A Rainy Night in Soho.
 
So many. Bloody love The Pogues.
 
RIP

Yes, such a brilliant writer and singer. I have been trying for years to track down a political song he sang for a TV documentary in a pub when being interviewed (maybe by Melvin Brag). It was about the potato famine - called something like The Great Hunger and it was so powerful.

[CurlewKate]

Very sad. But people should actually listen to the words of Fairytale of New York.

[Scruffington]

@TotalOverhaul

Yes, such a brilliant writer and singer. I have been trying for years to track down a political song he sang for a TV documentary in a pub when being interviewed (maybe by Melvin Brag). It was about the potato famine - called something like The Great Hunger and it was so powerful.

That doc The Great Hunger is available on youtube to watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=KOu6PbfLO1g&ab_channel=DarrenWilshaw

[TotalOverhaul]

@Scruffington - thank you so much! I've been looking for it for years. Don't know why it never showed up on my search.

[TotalOverhaul]

@CurlewKate

Very sad. But people should actually listen to the words of Fairytale of New York.

They do. It's not supposed to be a schmaltzy song. It's not hideously cheesy and insincere like Cliff Richard - it's very clearly about a couple of drunks having a row at Christmas and yet all the sourness transforms in the line 'I built my dreams around you'. I love the lyrics.

[Uricon2]

Is the song 'The Dunes'? Heard it once, never forgotten it.

Shane was a great, great talent. RIP

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

@CurlewKate

Very sad. But people should actually listen to the words of Fairytale of New York.

The lyrics are brilliant and brilliantly characterised.
If anyone is stupid enough to think the misogyny is Shane MacGowan speaking as himself that’s their own problem.