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Shane MacGowan has written a fair few classics, but none have had more appeal than this bittersweet Christmas song. Inspired by the novel of (almost) the same name by Irish writer J.P. Donleavy, the song mines a similar seam of lowlife drama and whiskey stained romanticism. MacGowan wrote it specifically with Kirsty

Shane MacGowan Song facts

Composer
Jem Finer/Shane MacGowan

Genre
Pop

Album
If I Should Fall From Grace With God

Year of release
1987

UK Chart Position
2 MacColl in mind as a duet partner, and certainly her dulcet tones offset Shane’s boozy croak. That’s not meant as a criticism either – MacGowan’s rough and ready vocals add to the song’s charm. Musically, it revolves around familiar folk chord changes, but MacGowan’s gift for a winning melody and pertinent lyrics carries it beyond mere pastiche. Fellow Pogue Jem Finer takes the credit for the marvellous string arrangement, which is sentimental without being cloying, even though MacGowan still maintains it was all largely his own work. Such is the song’s enduring power that it has entered into the folk canon, and will probably be getting sung in pubs long after memories of its defeat by the Pet Shop Boys in the Christmas number one stakes have faded.
Mick Fitzsimmons

Spider Stacey and Kirsty MacColl on the song

Richard Thompson

Radio1's Newsbeat talked to The Pogues' Spider Stacey and Kirsty MacColl about making this number two hit from 1987 - "It's a straightforward attempt to get a hit with this kind of lush ballad".
 
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Christy Moore

  Folk legend Christy Moore smoothes out the rough edges with his version from 1991's Smoke and Strong Whiskey album.

It's uplifting, maudlin, witty, profane and cloyingly sentimental all within the space of four fabulous minutes.

James Corrigan, Exeter
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