Fairytale of New York
It was Christmas Eve, babe
In the drunk tank
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, baby
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 goes 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
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 faggot
Happy Christmas, your arse, I pray God it’s our last
The boys of the NYPD choir, still singing “Galway Bay”
And the bells are 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
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
The boys of the NYPD choir, still singing “Galway Bay”
And the bells are ringing out for Christmas Day
Listen to the song
Hør sangen
About the carol Fairytale of New York
“Fairytale of New York” was written by Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer of The Pogues and released in 1987, featuring English singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl. The song appeared on The Pogues’ album If I Should Fall from Grace with God and was released as a single in November 1987. MacGowan sings the male character while MacColl performs the female character, creating a dramatic duet built around two people looking back on a troubled relationship during Christmas. Wikipedia
The song tells a very different Christmas story from traditional festive music. Set around Christmas Eve in New York, it follows two characters whose relationship has been damaged by disappointment, addiction and arguments. The Christmas setting creates a sharp contrast with their bitterness and memories of what their lives might have become. Despite its harsh language and bleak moments, the song also contains nostalgia for dreams that once seemed possible.
Its connection to Christmas comes from the setting, references to the holiday and the emotional contrast between celebration and hardship. Rather than presenting Christmas as perfect, “Fairytale of New York” shows how complicated the season can feel for people dealing with difficult relationships or circumstances. Its mixture of Irish folk influences, rock energy and MacColl’s memorable vocal contribution has made it one of the most recognizable alternative Christmas songs.
