Fairytale of New York

"Fairytale of New York" is a cover of the Christmas classic by The Pogues. Written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, the song follows an Irish immigrant's Christmas Eve reverie about holidays past while sleeping off a binge in a New York City drunk tank. When an inebriated old man also in the cell sings a passage from the Irish ballad "The Rare Old Mountain Dew", the narrator (MacGowan) begins to dream of a former lover. The remainder of the song (which may be an internal monologue) takes the form of a call and response between the couple, their youthful hopes crushed by alcoholism and drug addiction, as they reminisce and bicker on Christmas Eve.

The Longest Johns released their cover of the song in December 2019.

## Factoids

As of 2011, "Fairytale of New York" was the UK's most-played Christmas song in the 21st century.

## Lyrics

>
> It was Christmas Eve babe
>
> In the drunk tank
>
> When an old man said to me, "Won't see another one"
>
> And then he sang a song
>
> "The Rare Old Mountain Dew"
>
> I turned my face away
>
> And dreamed about you
>
>
>
> Got on a lucky one
>
> Came in eighteen to one
>
> I've got a feeling
>
> This year's for me and you
>
> So happy Christmas
>
> I love you J.D.
>
> I can see a better time
>
> When all our dreams come true
>
>
>
> They've got cars big as bars
>
> They've got rivers of gold
>
> But the wind blows right through you
>
> It's no place for the old
>
> When you first took my hand
>
> On a cold Christmas Eve
>
> You promised me
>
> Broadway was waiting for me
>
>
>
> You were handsome
>
> You were pretty
>
> Queen of New York City
>
> When the band finished playing
>
> They howled out for more
>
> Sinatra was swinging,
>
> All the drunks they were singing
>
> We kissed on a corner
>
> Then danced through the night
>
>
>
> [CHORUS 1]
>
> The boys of the NYPD choir
>
> Were singing "Galway Bay"
>
> And the bells were ringing out
>
> For Christmas day
>
>
>
> You're a bum
>
> You're a punk
>
> You're an old slut on junk
>
> Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
>
> You scumbag, you maggot
>
> You cheap lousy carrot
>
> Happy Christmas your arse
>
> I pray God it's our last
>
>
>
> [CHORUS 2]
>
> The boys of the NYPD choir
>
> Still singing "Galway Bay"
>
> And the bells were ringing out
>
> For Christmas day
>
>
>
> I could have been someone
>
> Well so could anyone
>
> You took my dreams from me
>
> When I first found you
>
> But I kept them with me, babe
>
> I put them with my own
>
> Can't make it all alone
>
> I've built my dreams around you
>
>
>
> [CHORUS 2]
>
>
>
>
>

## Recordings

#### Streaming/Purchase

* Amazon Music
* Apple Music/iTunes
* Deezer
* Pandora
* Spotify

#### Full Band Streams

* TLJ Christmas Party!! (18 Dec 2019)
* It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Streams-mas (16 Dec 2020)
* THE SING ALONG! JINGLE JAM 2021 - DAY 6! w/ The Longest Johns (9 Dec 2021)
* It's The Most Wonderful Stream of the Year (22 Dec 2021)
* Jingle Jam 2022 (10 Dec 2022)
* Hark the Herald Angels Stream (21 Dec 2022)
* Jingle Jam 2023 | Day 4 (4 Dec 2023)
* It Was Christmas Stream Babe (20 Dec 2023)

#### Gaming Streams

* Jingle Drops Jingle Drops - 15/12/2020

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairytale\_of\_New\_York
2. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20111215120515/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8957971/Fairytale-Of-New-York-is-true-sound-of-Christmas.html