December 25th has almost come and gone without ANY acknowledgement of one legendary Irishman’s birthday.
He gave the country its Irish annual festive anthem, and now it is time to raise our glasses to him… Shane MacGowan celebrates his 58th birthday today.
Mr Christmas, that’s what we shall refer to him as until the season is over, was born on Christmas Day 1957.
The Pogues frontman will forever be intrinsically linked with Christmas in Ireland, thanks to ‘Fairytale of New York‘.
The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl 1987 classic festive hit made it to number one here, and re-enters into the Top 10 singles chart every year, proving our love for both the song and Shane has never faltered.
It didn’t have the same luck in the UK, missing out on the British top slot to Pet Shop Boys’ ‘Always On My Mind‘.
MacGowan apparently said: “We were beaten by two queens and a drum machine.” Of course, he did.
From the melodic opening piano chords to the brilliant lyrics and contrast between the two singers, thank you, Shane MacGowan, for providing us with a track that, no matter what part of the world you’re in, will never fail to bring you right back to the homeland and continue to make us all proud to be Irish with every single play.
A toast to the Birthday Boy… We’re holding out for an invite to the Big 60 and look forward to the documentary, ‘Shane MacGowan: A Wreck Reborn’.
