High Pockets
Practically Family
- Messages
- 569
- Location
- Central Oklahoma
Edward said:It's one of the finest songs ever written. I will always stand over my categorisation of Shane Magowan as "the Irish Dylan". He's as important a songwriter - or should be, anyhow. It's a beautiful song entirely devoid of cloying sentimentality.... I mean, how many Christmas hits are actually about two old, slowly-dying alcoholics who hate each othr because they love each otehr but they hate each other?? lol Genius on every level. There's also a certain tragic poignancy to it since Kirsty's untimely death back in 2000, just as it was starting to get heavy rotation again for the year. I remember when it was released in December 1987; the Pet Shops Boys butchered Elvis' Always on my mind and beat it to be Christmas number one that year.... but hey, who remembers yer sythesiser rubbish now, eh, lads? lol
Fairytale is the ultimate Christmas pop song for me, and it really is the one that gets me beyond all others. I've started it in the listening rotation for the season as of December first, alongside Elvis Christmas songs, and some Rat Pack bits.... Christmas truly begins for me, though, on 19th December when I make my now annual run down to Brixton Academy to see the re-formed Pogues play live - Fairytale complete with stand-in for Kirsty and artificial snow being launched from the ceiling is a central part of their encore every year. As it should be. Cue mass Irish-community singalong, and bitter, cynical, tragic sentimentality in a way only the Irish (well, okay, and Dylan) can truly master... lol
Well said,.....
I can't really put into words the reason that I enjoy not only listening to the song but watching the video, (I've never been very good at that sort of thing anyhow),.....but every Christmas season I look forward to digging it up and enjoying it a few more times right along with everything from Gregorian Chant to Bing Crosby to the B.C Clarks Jewelry Store jingle, (a silly little anniversary sale jingle that to most people in Oklahoma is as much a part of Christmas as the decorations on the tree).
I find it hard to post a YouTube link the Fairytale of New York due to fact that some may find a few of the lyrics offensive, but here's that jingle I was talking about. It's been around for as long as I can remember:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LJBB65r-9o