Christmas classic Fairytale of New York by The Pogue's almost didn't happen
As soon as you hear 'It was Christmas Eve babe' when you're out and about, you'll likely drop everything and get up to dance - but the song 'Fairytale of New York' almost didn't happen.
For many people, the Pogue's song really symbolises the start of Christmas, and it's often ranked as a festive favourite for many Brits - and after the tragic death of Shane MacGowan, it could hit number one in the UK for the first time since its release.
The duet is with Kirsty MacColl, who tragically died in a speedboating accident in December 2000 as she rushed to save her young son's life.
The song sees a couple heavily hilariously criticising one another, allowing some home truths to be heard, and it was first released in 1987. But it didn't get to number one due to The Pet Shop Boy's cover of 'You Were Always On My Mind'.
It's even been celebrated as an 'anti-Christmas song' thanks to its biting lyrics celebrating love in times of crushing disappointment. Despite the song's place as a firm Christmas classic, many fans may not know the true origins of the song, and the fact that the track almost didn't come to air following a series of rows among its many contributors.
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The song has faced criticism, however, thanks to the use of the word "f****t", and even "s**t", with debate raging about whether the word should be censored. The Guardian explained: "The song has not, and should not, be outright banned, but we shouldn't have to accept slurs of any form - especially in this instance when there is a perfectly acceptable alternative lyric in the rerecorded version from 1992." The words were even dubbed as "archaic slang."
Shane MacGowan thought the song was 'sloppy', as he said: "I sat down, opened the sherry, got the peanuts out and pretended it was Christmas. It's even called 'A Fairy Tale of New York', it's quite sloppy, more like (Pogues songs) 'A Pair of Brown Eyes' than 'Sally MacLennane', but there's also a céilidh bit in the middle which you can definitely dance to.
"[...] But the song itself is quite depressing in the end, it's about these old Irish-American Broadway stars who are sitting around at Christmas talking about whether things are going okay."
The song could well be Christmas Number One this year (Getty Images)And it wasn't just the 'sloppiness' that almost saw the song never released. The Pogue's frontman Shane maintained the song started as a bet when the Irish band's producer at the time Elvis Costello joked they'd never be able to write a Christmas single.
This version of events has been argued by The Pogues' manager Frank Murray who previously claimed it was his idea to set the band to work on a festive track, predicting it would have an 'interesting' sound. Pogues accordion player James Fearnley previously said Murray suggested they cover the Band's 1977 song Christmas Must Be Tonight prompted the group to think: "It was an awful song. We probably said, f**k that, we can do our own."
But whatever the inspiration was for the track, the Pogues were said to be in huge disagreement with the results of the final number, and after a series of charged rows, the song was shelved indefinitely, before being brought back to life years later when MacGowan finally took a trip to 'magical' New York City.
Banjo player and writer Jem Finer said he came up with the original concept for the song - a sailor pining for his wife at Christmas - however his wife Marcia did not like the idea and branded it 'corny'. She suggested the song take inspiration from a couple rowing at Christmas. The song that transpired tells the story of an Irish immigrant telling stories of Christmases past, including a night sleeping off a drinking binge in one of New York City's drunk tanks. The song continues as a conversation between the man and his spirited partner, which was later brought to life by Kirsty McColl.
After hearing Kirsty's vocals, MacGowan was so impressed that he insisted on re-recording his own: "I was madly in love with Kirsty from the first time I saw her on Top Of The Pops. She was a genius in her own right and she was a better producer than he was! She could make a song her own and she made Fairytale her own."
In 1986, MacGowan's band toured America and after spending some time in New York for the first time he was inspired to rewrite the song as it is best known today. "The story could apply to any couple who went anywhere and found themselves down on their luck," he told The Guardian. Shane also described the song as the most "complicated" he'd ever written or performed.
The song remains as popular as ever, with bookies predicting the song will be Christmas Number One for 2023. Alex Apati of Ladbrokes told the Mirror: "The Pogues were already clear favourites for this year's festive top spot, before the tragic news. We'd be amazed - at this point - if Fairytale of New York wasn't top of the charts come Christmas Day."
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