Do you really like the song?

Oreo
A poster said something about herd mentality, yep, that explains it and is what happens on forums.

Some fans might regard that as offensive. Personally I don’t, I find it hilarious. This song was released in the late 1980s and I originally had it on a cassette tape. Long before I had heard of internet forums 🤣

It really is ok not to like a song or indeed a performer. But to come on a forum the day after their funeral to accuse fans of herd mentality strikes me as rather bizarre 🤷‍♀️

Baggs

I had never heard this song until Shane MacGowan died recently. I couldn't understand what everyone was raving about. I thought his voice – certainly in this song – was horrible.

A poster said something about herd mentality, yep, that explains it and is what happens on forums.
I’d never heard of him and am happy not to have.

Jaffacake2

I have always loved this song. The instrumentals with drums,bells,whistles,it's great. Always thought of Shane as a troubled soul but having read about his childhood I have a better understanding of his drink and drugs usage. He was given 2 pints of Guinness a day from the age of 5 by his family,no wonder he had problems. Amazing poet and writer of soulful lyrics .

I don’t believe that for one second.Two pints of Guiness a day from the age of 5? 😂

polomint

I can't abide the song " fairytale of New York". I know its very popular but I just don't like it. In fact I will leave a shop if it is being played ! Do you really like it or just ordered to like it?

I dislike it too, always have.In fact just said it on the RIP thread about Pogues frontman.
Am surprised to see many older women liking punk rock ( or claiming to)😄

We like it, even though it’s weird. I like Christmas songs except Well here it is, Merry Christmas . . .

I have always loved this song. The instrumentals with drums,bells,whistles,it's great. Always thought of Shane as a troubled soul but having read about his childhood I have a better understanding of his drink and drugs usage. He was given 2 pints of Guinness a day from the age of 5 by his family,no wonder he had problems. Amazing poet and writer of soulful lyrics .

I had never heard this song until Shane MacGowan died recently. I couldn't understand what everyone was raving about. I thought his voice – certainly in this song – was horrible.

Apologies I think I duplicated links in my previous post. This hopefully is Imelda May singing You’re the One

youtu.be/khHisbryCvg?si=DDGi16TGjShZPnFK

A wonderful performance of Fairytale of NY during the funeral Mass in Tipperary yesterday.

youtu.be/1lg8MCg0N4Y?si=hTEHsN4_6AK_gyKW

And a beautiful rendition of You’re the One sung by Imelda May by special request of Shane’s family.

youtu.be/1lg8MCg0N4Y?si=hTEHsN4_6AK_gyKW

Certainly top of my list. But then I’m known to be contrary when it comes to popular music choices.

I love it too. It's how I gauge Christmas starting! If I've head FTONY and had a mince pie, Christmas has begun.

And to hear a crowd singing it yesterday, after the funeral carriage had gone, was incredibly moving.

It's a great song, IMO one of the better Christmas songs.

Grannynannywanny

^I can't stand it. I loathed it when I first heard it. Then came those who wanted to be different and said they loved it.^

Horses for courses but I bet there's a lot who claim to love it don't really.

There's a bit of herd mentality going on

What an odd thing to say. It’s like someone who likes the song saying “Louella just pretends to hate it to be different but she secretly loves it”

Surely we all have different tastes and that’s normal.

Agree Nanny I love it, I’m Irish and I sincerely love the Pogues! What’s wrong with that Louella?!

Always loved it !

It is a deep and warm song in our home. It is full of love, pain, sympathy, kindness and yearning - but I do wish shops couldn't play it!

Here’s a beautiful interpretation by the great Nitin Sawhney

x.com/thenitinsawhney/status/1730301774400024789?s=46&t=cR0Pa_B5bkzj2u6O2LXngQ

I love it and I'm not just pretending!

The best Christmas song ever. I love it

I absolutely love it. I see it as about both the experience of poverty, and the immigrant experience generally - even if the non-existent NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay.
My heart flips at the phrase 'Well, I'd a lucky one....' heard so many times in my childhood, heralding a treat!

And I don't expect everyone to like it, but lots do - it also does my heart good to hear the rhythms of folk music getting a wider audience than usual.

I always liked it as a Christmas song,far better than any other.
It tells life as it is for some people whether they have Irish roots or not. I don't think it reflects the Irish badly only if they want to think it themselves and the thousands lining Dublins Streets proved it yesterday.
A much underrated poet. I read a critic yesterday that said it was written under the influence of drink, though it compared his ability to James Joyce and Yeats.
One doesn't have to go far to other countries Wales, Dylan Thomas and England Coolridge et al for beautiful imaginative and sometimes raw poetry written under the influence of something. Rabbie Burns being another.

I am watching the funeral now, via youtube and sky and yesterday ordered a set of 5 pogues cds via ebay. I hope they come with words. The words to fairytale can be found via google

The funeral hs not started yet on youtube, hence me writing

I don’t care for it. Too depressing.

Calendargirl

I love it.

So poignant.

“I could have been someone”.

“Well, so could anyone!”

So true.

Oh Calendargirl I was going to select that line as my favourite in the song. I always join in and sing that bit because I think it is so poignant too!
Driving home for Christmas is my favourite seasonal song but Fairytale of New York is up there too

I have to admit it's not a song I like....I spent a number of years married to an alcoholic and it's a little too 'close to home' for me.
However, I really love Haunted, with Sinead O'Connor... beautiful song.

It was a fantastic send off Grandyma. It made me think about a recent thread on this forum where many people expressed negative views on funerals. There was support for unattended cremations with a celebration on a future date
My husband’s funeral last year was very important to me and his loved ones. We didn’t dance in the church but there was love filled laughter. We exhibited some of his art work and publication at the reception-wake. We are all different of course but this glorious send off for SMac is a reminder of the significance of ritual imo