The Pogues' Shane MacGowan's response to Fairytale of New York lyric backlash

30 November 2023 , 13:54

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The Pogues' Shane MacGowan's response to Fairytale of New York lyric backlash

Shane MacGowan's comments about the criticism of an infamous Fairytale of New York lyric have resurfaced following the tragic news that The Pogues frontman has died aged 65.

In 2018, the folk singer addressed the controversy over the use of the word 'F****t' in a line sung by the late Kirsty MacColl after years of debate about the Christmas tune.

The term has widely been used as a homophobic slur in modern times, with some even calling for it to bleeped when played on the radio. However, others have argued that the word in this case refers to a 'bundle of sticks' and is the traditional Irish slang for a "lazy person". A number of high-profile figures have publicly condemned the lyric, including Irish DJ Eoghan McDermott who requested that RTÉ censor the song on its stations. "If people want to slur the gay community, this is their most powerful weapon," he argued in 2019. "One favours censoring, the other outright not playing it. Neither like it. Simples."

Kirsty MacColl sings the controversial lyric in the Fairytale Of New York song

Shane, who penned the song in 1987, gave his explanation behind the choice of the word in a lengthy statement in December 2018. "The word was used by the character because it fitted with the way she would speak and with her character," he wrote. "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 Kent born musician then insisted that while the character's dialogue is "accurate," it is "not intended to offend." He continued: "She is just supposed to be an authentic character and not all characters in songs and stories are angels or even decent and respectable, sometimes characters in songs and stories have to be evil or nasty in order to tell the story effectively." Shane also said that he would not object to the song being censored by broadcasters, adding that he has no interest in arguing about the matter.

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"If people don't understand that I was trying to accurately portray the character as authentically as possible then I am absolutely fine with them bleeping the word but I don't want to get into an argument," he said.

Shane's death was announced on 30 November, just a week after he'd been discharged from hospital in Dublin. The talented singer had struggled with poor health for over a decade, having been diagnosed with encephalitis or inflammation of the brain last year.

Emma Dooney