Shane McGowan

[Oneblindmouse]

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

He was such a talent, but the drink destroyed him.

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel "If anyone is stupid enough to think the misogyny is Shane MacGowan speaking as himself that’s their own problem"

I don't think that. I object to it being portrayed as a lovely Christmas song.

Is it portrayed as that? Anyone who thinks it's lovely would want to listen to the words.

RIP Shane. Saw you many many times in the Olympia as my official "start" into Christmas. Just loved your gigs and the madness and the cosy atmosphere and you telling us all to fuck off. We loved you! RIP Shane.

Fairytale ending: Shane MacGowan explains ‘faggot’ reference in Christmas song – The Irish Times

With Fairytale of NY I think the beauty of it is the deliberate contrast of the joyful melody and festive lyrics of the chorus against the verses which obviously detail a destructive relationship that is only getting worse.

@Uricon2 - yes, thank you - that is the song! But the documentary I saw had him singing it acapella at a pub table. It sent shivers down my spine. Even in the documentary linked above, it's not him singing it.. But thank you for telling me the title of the song and thank you to @Scruffington too. I'm still on a mission to find the right footage and hear him sing it.

I think it captures the fact that Christmas is actually a time when (sometimes due to alcohol) emotions are heightened, losses, regrets and tensions in relationships come to the surface, so the romance and beauty of Christmas are entwined with all sorts of raw and less positive feelings. That’s why it’s become a popular Christmas song, because it speaks to how people actually experience Christmas and how those feelings are all jumbled up, not because everyone is too stupid to notice what the words are saying.

Typical mumsnet.

Can't leave a thread about a fucking death to run without jumping in with irrelevant bullshit.

I absolutely loved the Pogues. Lovely to read here of the love for the Body of an American, one of my favourite tracks. Rum, Sodomy and the Lash and If I should fall from grace with God in particular are works of both songwriting and musical genius. Will raise a glass tonight.

"The word was used by the character because it fitted with the way she would speak and with her character. She is not supposed to be a nice person, or even a wholesome person. She is a woman of a certain generation at a certain time in history and she is down on her luck and desperate. Her dialogue is as accurate as I could make it but she is not intended to offend! She is just supposed to be an authentic character and not all characters in songs and stories are angels or even decent and respectable, sometimes characters in songs and stories have to be evil or nasty to tell the story effectively. If people don't understand that I was trying to accurately portray the character as authentically as possible…”

@CurlewKate It's not portrayed as a lovely Christmas song but as a brilliant Christmas song. The tune is beautiful, and the lyrics are genius. But no one ever said it was cosy. We have Buble for that.

Agree, I had a little tear today listening to it thinking of him and Kirsty McColl both gone now. It's a song that reminds a lot of us of our youth 😢

Damn. I thought the song was Kitty total because of footage of him singing it in the pub.
I assume he must have broken into song in quite a few pubs

He was practically sleep singing

One of my favourite songs. RIP lovely

So we're looking for an acapella version of this sung by Shane?

@SequinsandStiIettos

Thank you so much for the "Haunted" link
Love Sinead and Shane together
She looks absolutely stunning in that video which I've not heard for many years

Sad to see how many we've lost this year

It was NEVER portrayed as a lovely Xmas song!

I loved him he was seriously talented but battled his demons. I read an article he was interviewed in and he said he started drinking before he started school

@SequinsandStiIettos - yes! Exactly. I know I didn't dream it because I'd never heard the song before. My memory is that he was being interviewed in a pub and suddenly started talking about the potato famine and then started singing. He was pissed but coherent, like in the documentary above. And he sang it so beautifully. I never forgot it, although until today I'd only ever heard it once.

Don't you think 'people' already have? It is a beautiful song.
This is not the time or the place for stupid, pompous comments.

Like many people Shane’s music was more than just music to me, it evokes specific times and memories and brings them back to me. I love The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, A Rainy Night in Soho and Boys from the County Hell. The latter was my dads favourite and I remember us merrily singing along in the car when I was small 😂 he loves the Pogues and I remember dancing to all the hits at his 40th.

Aw I'm struggling totes I've just fastforwarded through three docs including a French one with Antoine de Caunes from Rapido
I'll keep looking over the weekend. Tis a magical musical unicorn.
But I have a Xmas movie itch right now so shall scratch that first Xx

I love his music. Pogues were amazing, a soundtrack to my 20th... I was very sad today, even cried. RIR Shane...