I don't think this song is well known throughout the USA. Certainly in NYC and Boston, but the farther west you go, the less likely anyone knows the Pogues or this song.
I think you all will be surprised to know that many many people have never heard of The Pogues here in the US. They are not familiar with either Shane MacGowan or Kristy MacColl (RIP.) This is the best Christmas song ever. Similar to how "Die Hard" is the best Christmas Movie. :)
I've loved this song since it first came out and have been into their music since. Maybe it's where I live in Canada....just outside of Toronto....but I haven't found a lot of people that are familiar with this song, let alone the Pogues. I still get some odd looks when another is in the car with me and I'm cranking one of their CDs.
I've known of Shane McGowen & Kirsty MacColl for many, many yrs. If you listen to Irish music , you know them. Her father, Ewen MacColl wrote "Dirty Old Town" along with a million other songs. Oh, I live in Philly, PA USA
I have know about The Pogues for at least 2 decades plus and I live in St. Louis, right in the middle of the US. This song is always played on the good radio stations around Christmas. Shane and Kirsty are both legends if your musical tastes go deeper than your ankles.
I'm 47 and American. I first heard it when I was a teenager thanks to my 5 years older brother. He has loves British and Irish culture and has since he was a teen. He went to the University of Leeds for his Masters degree. I do love listening to this song. Yes, my last name is O'Keefe.
I love the Pogues They have always been a drinking man's band, can't understand the lyrics but I think they are unique and fun Merry Christmas from Sioux City Iowa. GO Hawkeyes
This song gets me every time. Known and loved worldwide...especially if you have at least a drop of Irish blood (and/or Irish whiskey) inside you. Right now I have both.
Merry Christmas from Houston 🎄new sub here, love you guys! So this is my first listen of this song... I was scratching my head at first but then yes the drop and following was a pure delight ❤️
One of my favorite songs. Definitely known in the NY Tri State area especially people in their 40s and 50s years of age. It was great watching the three of your heads bobbing in unison to the tune. Merry Christmas
One of my all time favs. Hard to believe thats a young Matt Dillon escorting Shane into the tank. Hopefully you guys did The Dropkick Murphy's- The seasons among us. Edit: Maybe next year you can do Alabama's Thistlehair the Christmas bear.
I know what you mean fellas, we were shut for the first time since the family took over the pub in 1984. The two hours 12-2pm are a special moment when everyone comes in dressed in the Sunday best and in the best of spirits. I would have been working it but still missed it, a special part of British/Irish culture that was lost this year. My favourite Christmas song and yeah they get 400K a year from royalties from this song, so Shane can get his teeth done :) Merry Christmas lads
There’s one by The Chieftains ft. Elvis Costello called “St. Stephen’s Day Murders” which deals with getting sick of your relatives during the holidays. It’s excellent.
It's a lot of peoples Number 1 Christmas song. Not quite mine but it's top 3 with A spaceman came travelling Chris De Burgh and I believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake
Here in San Diego, CA you'll only hear this tune in dive bars where old hipsters go to get drunk on xmas eve and forget about wokeness for at least 6 minutes or so 😉
It's a song that Americans over 40 know or those who specifically like The Pogues or Irish music. But sadly you don't hear it here much anymore for Christmas.
That naughty word is only naughty in N America. In UK it means bunch of sticks or meatballs. I think in the song its a throwaway handy insult used very generally in a irish context but possibly used also in the context of him being an alcoholic, as extreme alcoholics start to replace food with alcohol and get anorexic eventually looking like a bag of sticks. According to a song website though; "In 2007, the BBC began playing a version with the word "faggot" edited out. After a predictable outrage, they began playing the uncut version. MacGowan responded to the controversy in 2019 saying: "There is no political correctness to it. I've been told it's insulting to gays; I don't understand how that works. Nobody in the band thinks that's worth a second's thought." The singer added: "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."
The Pogues aren't huge in America. This song is in some movies though. I got into the Pogues from The Wire. Every time a cop died in the wire the cops play "The Body of an American" at the cop bar.
my fav Christmas song over here in Vancouver too..... use to be Bowie and Crosby beforehand...... here's hoping we have another year without having to say RIP to Shane eh..... f-ing amazing.
He meant the exact lyrics you wrote. You don’t bleep out a classic and one of the best written songs of all time. It was an argument they were calling each other bad names that’s why this song is about life and you don’t bleep it out like some buffoons
Those who like the song for its great juxtaposition of beautiful Christmassy music with gritty realism should know it is from their great album If I Should Fall From Grace With God, in a style referred to as Celtic Punk.
I always thought at 5:07 'when 'the band finished playing they held up the mall' not '....they howled out for more' as the lyrics subtitling say on some of these video's. Anyone else thinking this?
its massive in NEW YORK not just for the title but because of the huge IRISH contingent in the city and the sheer amount of irish pubs within a mile of each other :)
Oh it has a following. The Pogues have always been beyond radio programming. You had to seek it out. I never heard it until I met my wife. I'm Boston Irish, and I had to wait until a German girl from Jersey showed me. 🤷
Jan 26th in bed found you Spirits lifted lol 😂 Ha .. sent this song to some friends in US on Xmas day Hmmmm They just don’t get it !!! On any level ... RIP Kirsty xxx 😗
I'm a big Pogues fan, so I'm certainly very familiar -- but I don't think this song gets a lot of radio play in Los Angeles, to be honest. Maybe more in New York/East Coast?
Christmas is children's day .. I like a beer etc ... But did not drink at Christmas. Grew up with lots of alcohol at Christmas and did not want to create that insecurity us my children. Greetings from Norway. 😀
Despite the video being only 4 minutes long you just COULDN'T force yourselves to listen to it ALL THE WAY THROUGH and save your next 9+ minutes of commentary until it was finished. You think MAYBE continuity is important for the song??? Cheers from Canada North where I didn't value your analysis
Hi Office Bokes, may I recommend "Christmas Truce of World War I -- Joyeux Noel [2005 film]" - link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--cSrqRdlFeo.html - for a wonderful and heartwarming rendition of Silent Night among others and a retelling of the Christmas Truce of 1914? I'd love to watch your reactions to this. Thanks.
How did you do christmas songs and not react to Corey taylor merry xmas lol I know xmas is over but go back and react to that lol even if it is just for yourselves off of screen
