Written and popularized by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan — formerly of The Pogues — and featuring the mellifluous vocals of the late British singer Kirsty MacColl, who, in December of 2000, was killed in a mysterious boating accident in Mexico, “Fairytale of New York” was released as a single in 1987, and despite lyrics almost as controversial as singer Shane MacGowan’s teeth, the song went stratospheric: voted best Christmas tune of all-time three years running — 2004, 2005, and 2006 in polls conducted by VH1 — and 27th greatest song NEVER to reach #1 in the UK, the BBC Radio also voted it the 84th greatest song of all-time.
Drunken Shane MacGowan and The Pogues are of course inimitable and brilliant, but the following poppy punk-rock version, by No Use For A Name, is a real toe-tapper too:
Not so keen on that later version, Ray – it just sounds to me like a zillion other ‘not-so-noo punk’ tracks of the last 15 years. And like most of the others it’s been mastered to sound as fucking loud and as lacking in dynamics as possible. To quote the kidz of today: “Meh.” Give me pre-Loudness Wars Pogues any day.
And now having shot down your musical taste (but suspecting you’re big enough to take it – or leave it), I bid you compliments of the season, Ray, and the very best for 2011.
Seasons greetings to you as well, Dave! You may gun down my musical tastes any time you like, just don’t threaten to gun down this guy.
That irate black man was hilarious. It’s like every online game of Call of Duty I’ve ever played.
MEET ME SOME MUTHA-FUCKIN’-WHERE, BITCH!
Pretty unbelievable, isn’t it?