Song number 6

Fairytale of New York

In 2005 my friend Mike Priehs burned me some CDs and let me borrow a handful of music documentaries. Among the documentaries were We Jam Econo (a documentary about The Minutemen), The Devil and Daniel Johnston (one of my absolute favorite music documentaries) and If I Should Fall From Grace: The Shane MacGgowan Story. That last documentary, along with a burned copy of the album If I Should Fall From Grace With God, introduced me to The Pogues. I love a lot of Pogues Songs, If I Should Fall From Grace With God, The Broad Majestic Shannon, Lullaby of London, The Body of an American (which any fan of The Wire will recognize) and lots more. 

But the song that sticks out the most to me is Fairytale of New York. A Christmas single with Kristy MacColl that was released in December of 1987. 

The song isn’t the traditional Christmas cheer but it’s tragically beautiful. The song opens with an irish immigrant sitting in a New York drunk tank on Christmas Eve. MacGowan isn’t the best vocalist in the world but he’s great as the lead singer of The Pogues and I can’t help but think that he was perfect to sing the ballad of a drunk irishmen. The first minute and twenty five seconds is just MacGowan and piano and ends with a wishful and hopeful line 

“I love you baby

I can see a better time

When all are dreams come true”. 

Then the band kicks in. MacColl and MacGowan spin a beautiful image of love and Christmas in New York City. Then comes the heartbreak, anger and broken dreams of young love.

My favorite part is this back and forth at the end of the song:

(MacGowan) I could have been someone,

(MacColl) well so could anyone

you took my dreams from me 

when I first found you

(MacGowan) I kept them with me babe

I put them with my own

can’t make it all along

I built my dreams around you.

Fairytale of New York is my favorite Christmas Song and one of my favorite songs period. Thanks, Mike.