Shane MacGowan - An Irish Airman Forsees His Death (Yeats) 

I have been looking for this recording for ages-ever since I first heard it on a giveaway cd with the Independent many years ago. THANKS!!!

This is one of the best things I have ever heard.

Love Ireland ,the Irish poets ,and if this man were born in Buenos Aires he should be the best tango singer the world has ever see

RIP our Shane 💚🩶

Rest well Shane.

That is superb commentary on war, life and death.

I will always love the careless charge through the text, Macgowan just letting the words flow.

MacGowan's "non" performance matches the speaker's refusal to BS about why he's in the cockpit, fighting for England. Bravo.

A lonely impulse of delight…

ooh, it's only Shane can deliver it like that, hits you in the gut, that voice!!! this is profound

I enjoyed listening to Shane reading this poem,honestly,and if you dont like it,well,..np.Its not up to any one of us to forgive Shane,or judge him for a life he has clearly enjoyed.He'll be one of those who skid into his grave sideways,all used up and emptied,and leave a withered,wasted corpse.But,..he'll be smiling,having lived his life the only way he knows,..his own.God bless you,Shane,and live long,for us,your fans.

This is so fucking outstanding 10/10 well done

Seek not abroad, turn back into thyself, for in the inner man dwells the truth - Saint Augustine

I have a shamefull love for the terrible beauty of this man, but i have a cheerful love for this drunken poet, Shane. So, i like both. No matter what for i am german and never touched those shores. But I consider William and Shane as irish men the most. But salami is not that bad either.

Not a lot of flight officers would have retained Shane's working man's twang. Great poem.

wonderful!

🙌💫🤩 WOW is that brilliant

@rinagcat BOLLOCKS to the haters. Regardless of whether you think the poem is any good (or not), Shane's delivery is sound. He doesn't piss about trying to give some poncey 'interpretation' - he reads the poem matter-of-factly, and he preserves the metre - both of these being traits that readers of poetry almost always ignore.

First sentence is brilliant.

Great!!! In other words: ¡Acojonante!

Greeaaat!

Best thing that's come outta his gob. Nice

@clare902 ..if this is awful then you fail totally to understand the meaning of this beautiful poem.

@iLoveSalami ...fair comment, I like this reading though.Am a big lover of WB and visited his grave last year and Lough Gil.Used to holiday in Mullaghmore. As for your love of Salami I express no predjudice and confess that I too have a selection of the pre sliced snack in my very own refridgerator!

@jcmangan Brilliant!!!

hey guys

@RIProrygallagher Its from a CD called Now and in Time to Be. It has quite a fine collection of different mainly Irish artists doing musical versions of Yeats. Waterboys' Stolen Child and Christy Moore's Wandering Aengus are first rate (and prob on You-tube too...) And yes, Rory left us too soon!

I do like this spoken version of Yeats' poem. Love Mike Scott's, though.

yeah thats big of youi WTF did you ever ever do as bold as he?

@LadyFullMoon71 yeah thats big of youi WTF did you ever ever do as bold as he/

@martcarey So, because one doesn't like an interpretation of a poem, it follows that one doesn't get the meaning of it or doesn't appreciate it in any other form? Where did you study logic?

@iLoveSalami ..my remark was to clare902 who simply dismissed this as "awful".

@martcarey All respect to you, fellow salami lover. Cool beans?

Seriously, I'd do something about that - what are you doing yourself?

@iLoveSalami do you mean that the poem is "awful" or Mr MacGowan's unique interpretation of this ? Then again ...your first love is a sausage so would guess both.

@LadyFullMoon71 ummmmmmmmmmmm that REALLY big of you WTF have you ever done that equalled the leasy of Shane?

About a world war one pilot, yeah?

Those that i fight i do not hate. Those that i guard i do not love. I wonder how many Russian soldiers are feeling this way right now.

People artists and their addictions. Is it only the tiny minority of artists and geniuses who consume the hundreds of tons of opiates, stimulants and whatnot flitting around the globe every year? Politicians, physicians, and just about everybody else is using illegal or illegally acquired something at some time. The artists and geniuses are the ones who get the most attention. The Pogues esp. MacGowen are my heroin, stalkers will run you down for liking them, but if they ever listened to him. They would never stop and the world would be a better place to live.

@martcarey Then I shall to dismiss it as awful; that you may answer me directly. "This is awful!"

@martcarey I think this interpretation is awful. The poem is beautiful when read. As for my first love being a sausage you are correct, but I am sorry to see you expressing prejudice against us salami lovers. We to have the ability to appreciate poetry.

HIDDEN TALENT 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥KEEP IT HIDDEN

its awful