And scotland and all gailic nations and tbh any nation..any person.. this is a song for everyone because Christmas is not always mulled wine and smiles... Everyone on the planet can relate to this.
@@beattella1 I would be very interested to know why this sing is important in Poland . I am Irish and i have always loved this song but its totally unknown in Germany where I am now living . I would love to hear about the Polish love for it .
Two Irish people moving to New York for a 'better life' - but he likes the drink too much and she's disillusioned 😂😂. The most popular Christmas song in the UK.
@@therealdeal9698 Yes. When I first learned of how and why she died, my first thoughts were of this Bruce Cockburn song, "If I had a rocket launcher Some son of a bitch would die"
Rather than being morbid they are celebrating the life - the genuine life of the man. This song was a classic the moment it was heard . P.s. Shane was pretty fking famous too man. ☮️
This song hits harder with time. There’s been a lot of controversy around the lyrics. The couple featured are not meant to be good people or aspirational-they’re one of those toxic couples that can’t seem to quit each other. Shane said he set out to write the anti-Christmas song and was so successful it became a Christmas classic. :)
Good people? Toxic people? They are people. They are characters in a story which reveal our own weaknesses and strengths and our love for friends or family members who battle life this way. I see nothing "anti Christmas" with this song. Dreams of a better life, in spite of alcohol or turmoil never leave one. To me it is a song about dreams at Christmas time. *All* of us have them
Rum Sodmyo and the Lash 1985 is a must own album ❤Shane McGowan punk rocker from the London class of 1976 and a very well read man, alas also an alcoholic. The Pogues were known for blending Irish celtic folk with a punk energy attitude, Fairytale of New York was world wide hit and made Shane a very wealthy man. Thank you Shane may you Rest in Peace ✌️ He was Irish man to the end❤😎🎸
@@Chris66ableShane McGowan said he was Irish, Irish parents, grew up in Ireland when he was young. The BBC, sky news etc even said it. Irish music also
The Best Christmas song ever! It came out when I was 16. I've been listening to it ever since. Johnny Depp and Matt Dillon were friends of Shane's. It's Matt Dillon playing the cop dragging Shane into lockup. It reached number 1 for first time in iTunes chart in the UK since Shane's death. It only reached number 2 first time round. RIP Shane & Kirsty! Gone but never forgotten! ❤💔❤. I'm Scottish with Irish heritage. Us Celts need to stick together! 🍀
Haunted By The Ghost by Shane McGowan and Sinead O'Connor (also died this year) is a beautiful masterpiece. As an Irish person, it is really special to see this music being enjoyed by young people in other countries, thank you for this video.
There are beautiful Christmas songs. There are wonderful Christmas songs. There are iconic Christmas songs and there is Fairytale of New York. R.I.P. Kirsty and Shane
It's always a pleasure seeing people hear this song for the first time. Nearly 40 years ago for us in the UK, and it's such a strangley integral part to Christmastime. Its poignant because Kirtsy was taken so soon and an added sadness of Shane dying this year. But also because one of my best friends and soul mates, who also died far too young, loved this song, and everytime I hear it, it takes me back to drunken nights in bars with him at the centre of the crowd, as always, singing his heart out and 'showing-off' after he'd put it on the jukebox 20 times in a row. Enjoy. Your reaction was brilliant.
Ah the good old days before autotune, the software would've crashed trying to manipulate Shane.... Everyone is mentioning Shane and Kirsty's music and rightly so, but let's not forget the duet he did with another soul we recently lost as well. Shane and Sinead singing "Haunted by the Ghost" is another classic IMO.
Two wonderful musicians and song writers no longer with us. it was fantastic seeing someonee as young as yourself really get into this. For many of us in the Uk and ireland the Christmas season hasnt started until we hear this played in a shop or station etc. The sugery sweet Christmas songs get on your nerves after a while but this never does.Yes you got it right this is a couple whos relationship is passionate at times and toxic at others and Christmas brings a lot of memories both good and bad.
That was beyond wonderful watching you get into this gem. Shane also did a duet with Sinead O'Connor who passed away in July. I hope you check that out: Haunted (1995).
They were seriously an epic band…check out “boys from the country hell”, “rainy night in soho” , “if I should fall from grace with god” “a pair of brown eyes” “ the sickbed of cuchlainn” “streams of whiskey” just to name a few , in many, as u can imagine after this, the lyrics are so brilliant and funny, I know you’d be trying not to laugh most of the time….not all the songs, but many are really funny in an epically debauched way. That being said …alcohol is a terrible terrible thing, lol…but seriously, ha:/ …& RIP to Shane, the legit poet,…Shane was friends with bob Dylan, bob Dylan was a huge fan of his, they hung out sometimes when Dylan would go to Dublin Ireland.
Shane was also friends Springsteen, Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream, Christy Moore, The Dubliners, Imelda May, Ronnie Wood and many more. It was nearly impossible not to be touched by his music.
Number 1 here again in Ireland, we have lost an incredibly talented man in Shane MacGowan. We don't wait til Christmas to listen to this! Safe home to our rebel poet R.I.P. It has been released as a special edition vinyl here all proceeds in aid of Homeless in Dublin Ireland. Johnny Depp carried Shane's coffin from the church. Listen to Haunted by Shane MacGowan and Sinead O'Connor who also sadly passed away this year too. Rainy Night in Soho is also exceptional
This song is everywhere in the UK at Christmas time! One of my favorite holiday songs as well. You should check out more from the Pogues. Shane McGowan was a great lyric writer and interesting person! I watched the funeral on the BBC and I thought it was very nicely done with lots of music and different stories about him.
This is a classic Irish Christmas song and Shane MacGowen revived Irish music with his twist of punk music. Kirsty McColl tragically died in a baoting accident whislt swimming. RIP Shane what a great man whose performances were fueled by alcohol and cigarettes xxx
Silas you are freakin' adorable.. and your reaction to this amazing band and song was so enjoyable!!! I am glad you were entertained and appreciated the music for what it was and the time that it came out!! I also loved that you checked out Dirty Old Town.. both of these songs have been faves of mine since I heard them years back!!! 🍀🤩🥰 Happy Christmas and New Years from your neighbour up north... Canada ☺🍁🍁🍁
Pity Americans don't know this song . Anyone in the USA reading this should forward this song on their friends etc its truely one of the best and in my view the best Christmas song of all time . Check out rainy night in soho, Irish rover , dirty old town , many excellent songs written by Shane , RIP Shane a true Irish man to the very end , RIP Kirsty lets not forget about her , what a voice and talent ❤
Ah, you reacted to this song, well done Silas. I remember commenting on one of your videos that you should react to it. You can`t lose by reacting to ``The Fairytale Of New York``. Probably the most popular Christmas song in Ireland and UK. Kirsty Maccoll was killed by a speeding boat December 18 2000 while holidaying in Mexico. She was swimming with her 2 sons and saw the oncoming boat and managed to push one of her sons to safety, but sadly the boat hit her and she was killed instantly. Great reaction Silas. Listen to it a few more times and you`ll grow to love it. 🎄👍
This time of year can bring many emotions to the surface, and they're not always those ones of 'peace and joy'... Here, hate, love, despair and hope mingle in a gloriously human mess with the traditionally uplifting sounds of Christmas... If you're looking for another bittersweet Christmas song, you can't do much better than Joni Mitchell's I Wish I Had a River (...to skate away on...). My second favourite Pogues song (of the regrettably few that I'm familiar with) is the small but perfectly formed Summer in Siam ("It's summer in Siam and the moon is full of rainbows..")
Speed boat. She was able to push her 2 young sons out the way, but the boat went over her and she was fatally injured by the propeller. The boat was driven by some multi millionaire's son. He was never charged. The blame was placed on a local guy working on the boat even though he wasn't steering the boat. The boat was in an area where boats were banned. Kirstys mum spent her whole life trying to expose the truth and get a conviction. She died without achieving that.
Kirsty died whilst scuba diving with her 2 sons, a yacht was heading for her son she pushed him away and was hit herself, was vacation Dec 2000. Took Shane 2 years to pen this song find the right female vocalist then Kirsty was suggested by her husband the Pogues then manager, she was a Country singer and her vocals were recorded separately at home for this song as she was suffering anxiety over performing at this stage and this helped her recover to perform it live with The Pogues. Is a very bitter sweet story. You should most definately listen to more of the Pogues (Shane got The Pogues together) and delve into Shane's career was a brilliant wordsmith, artist and human. Nick Cave and Johny Depp had been his friends for decades. Is wonderful you enjoyed this so much, enjoyed watching you get into it. Depicts the aspirations and hardships of Irish migrating to America through necessity
It somehow manages to be a Christmas song and an anti-Christmas song at the same time. And there's not a hint of schmaltz to it. I love how strongly you emote.
You definitely should check out Kirsty MaColls catalogue. Bad, In These Shoes, Days, New England, There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip shop, Can’t Stop Killing You, Treachery, Celestine, Caroline. SO many good songs
Great reaction Silas, but you hadn't heard it before because it isn't very well known in the US, it just doesn't fit with the more sentimental Christmas songs popular there. But in the UK and Ireland it is huge, it gets into the top 20 singles every year, it is the most played, most popular Christmas song. Sometimes the Atlantic is very wide! You should check out Slade, Merry Christmas Everybody and Wizzard, I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Say for more of a British Christmas flavour.
This song was popular with us in the US for the last 20 years or so. The first time I heard it was in the early 2000's when my son sung the Shane part, and his new wife sung the Kirsty part, to each other in a pub in San Francisco. My son has seen the Pogues in concert twice. It has been my favorite Christmas song since I first heard it.
It’s constantly on radio during this time of year in the US and has been covered by countless American bands. Not sure what made you think it isn’t popular here.
@@RomesThe59 Well that I can't find evidence that it ever charted in the US, numerous news reports describing the lack of success there and vox pops with Americans saying they hadn't heard of it.
Pogues are phenomenal, Shane was literally one of the first punk kids at the earliest Sex Pistoils shows. In early Sex Pistols footage you can see Shane in the audience cutting himself and spitting at the band in appreciation, this is featured in a documentary about Shane and the Pogues produced by Johnny Depp named "Crock of Gold". Many early fans shun the "Peace and Love" album primarily because it has more rock sensibilities than most of their stuff, but that is my personal favorite of theirs. It has a great blend of raw punk energy fuzed with traditional Celtic folk. The intro instrumental song "Gridlocked" is primarily a jazz tune, but is incredibly complex rhythmically and faster than sin, it's an all time favorite, I imagine if Slayer played jazz it'd be something like that.. Many songs are incredibly raw ("Cottonfields" is a standout) and others are completely gutwrenching. If you appreciate the longing of this song, I feel "Lorelei" could be the saddest most beautiful thing I can imagine. I can't recommend the band or that album enough.
Yes! Check out the Pogues!! Shane was a masterful lyricist and did not give a F@‘k! The Broad Majestic Shannon, Waltzing Matilda, A Pair of Brown Eyes, If I Should Fall From Grace, they’re all amazing. He was well loved. ❤
A couple other distinctive Christmas songs you might like are ”The Seasons Upon Us” by Dropkick Murphys and”Merry Christmas From The Family by either Robert Earl Keene (the original) or the version by Montgomery-Gentry. Cheers.
Great reaction,Silas!Shane MacGowan,legend!And we lost 2 of them this year,Sinead o'Connor as well!Yes,an epic funeral...Johnny Depp was one of his best friends.Happy Christmas from Ireland!
Kirsty was swimming in the waters just off a tourist beach somewhere in Cozumel, Mexico when she was struck by the propellors of a power boat. The person in charge of the boat wasn’t watching where he was going and apparently was in an area where no boats were allowed. The area was supposed to be reserved for swimmers only. There were reports that the skipper was drunk at the time as there was a party going on onboard at the time. The family of Kirsty attempted to bring charges against the boat’s owner, but there was talk that the president of Mexico himself blocked any action against the millionaire owner of the boat.
Great reaction! 🇮🇪 A brilliant song by brilliant lyricist Shane MacGowan, and sung beautifully by Kirsty and Shane. Definitely check out more of the pogues. Waltzing Matillda, Rainy night in Soho, The Sickbed of Cúchulainn, Sally Maclennane and The boys from the County Hell.
I loved how much you enjoyed that. Off the back of how you reacted to the instrumentation, I think you'd really like Irish trad music. Can I send you some of that to react to?
Great song, gets played to death throughout December in England., rightly so. It has become an iconic Chritsmass song and I NEVER get tired of it. As someone mentioned in the comments Kirsty was killed by a speedboat whike swimming. A bit of trivia though The cop leading the guy up the stairs @1.03 is the actor Matt Dillon!
The 'guy' Matt's leading up to the drunk tank is Shane❤ seeing him in that big hat and oversized coat makes him look the part. Such nostalgia for us 80s outcasts.
Yo .... Featuring the vocals of Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl. Both Kirsty and Shane have passed but their duet on Shane's composition will live forever. Shane is an Irish songwriting icon. I Would love to hear your reaction to another Irish icon: Imelda May. She is an amazing songwriter, singer, arranger, and producer. Her original material ranges from Rock-a- Billy (Johnny got a boom boom) to torch ballads (black tears) and fantastic covers like Kermit's "it ain't easy being green", U2s "still haven't found what I am looking for", or Les Paul and Mary Ford's "how high the moon" with the late, great Jeff Beck. Fair winds and Happy New Year.
My first time hearing this, and just called a family member I'd gone no contact with (or they called me it's hazy, too much rum in the eggnog). It seemed fitting to remember good times, childhood times, then remembered why I'd gone no contact (or was it the other way around). Meanwhile the Christmas traditions go on as does the relentless good cheer. I think it helps to be older to understand this, although I would never say "just you wait", lol. It all works out for some people. Sort of amazing to have the other kind of Christmas done so beautifully.
Shane was a serious interect. He wrote this song. The last true bard (in olden times these poets/musicians would travel Ireland entertaining kings & people). Bards were highly valued, top of the tree (could ruin you if they took a dislike to you, king or not). Would love to see you react to "Horse Outside" by the Rubberbandits, it's all about a wedding of individual's from a rough part of Limerick city. A few pointers, "... a bag of yokes" = drugs, "...Shergar" = one of the best race horses ever, "... lead your yon away", Irish refer to a woman as 'your yon' when they don't know her name, "... if it goes well, a finger and a shift", shift = makeout, figure out the finger yourself!
Fair play to Silas, a lot of college students would have jumped out of their windows wanting to kill small animals to relieve their distress about hearing naughty words, but he's shown it some respect. It's written elsewhere in these comments, but the sadness that they both died (and Kirsty at 41, bless her) around Christmas is an awful irony. It's an amazing testament to how people row and bicker over Christmas, and yet there's that tiny little bit of hope at the end
Kirsty MacColl RIP drowned on 18 December 2000, Shane MacGowan RIP died November 30, 2023. Nick Cave sang at his funeral and Johnny Depp carried his coffin out of the church.
This one is right up there for me, in my favourite Christmas songs, along with Father Christmas by The Kinks, Stop The Cavalry by Jona Lewie and I believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake.
Apparently this song does get played more in New York bars a bit at Xmas these days. It makes a very nice, slightly anarchic change from all the saccharin-sweet seasonal songs. I'm surprised it's not better known Stateside, though. Maybe it was a bit too sweary for US radio stations, or could be it subverts the 'American Dream' by reminding us of the people who have not done so well from it?
The best Christmas song ever written.. Look up Shane MacGowan’s Funeral clips… a funeral no church has ever seen before.. a send off he deserved… Look up his other music if you haven’t already..
So Shane became good friends with Kenny Casey of Dropkick Murphys, an Irish punk band from Boston. I met him at an Irish festival at Suffolk downs years back. He got so drunk he pissed himself. True story. But if you like this song, check out Thousands are Sailing, Bottle of Smoke, Dirty Old Town, Fiesta, If I should Fall from Grace With God, The Irish Rover, & Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six.
Love this song, it’s not the super sweet usual Christmas song but a more realistic view of a couple hoping for the perfect Christmas that kind of goes to shit. I think most of us have at least one or two like that! Also, more Pogues is worth listening to, all their stuff is great!
You have no idea how special this song is for the people of Ireland. RIP Shane, RIP Kirsty.
And scotland and all gailic nations and tbh any nation..any person.. this is a song for everyone because Christmas is not always mulled wine and smiles... Everyone on the planet can relate to this.
Not just for the people of Ireland. For Poles, this song is also very important. RIP Shaine RIP Kirsty
I do, I`m Irish!
@@beattella1 I would be very interested to know why this sing is important in Poland . I am Irish and i have always loved this song but its totally unknown in Germany where I am now living . I would love to hear about the Polish love for it .
Yes it took some good English guys to write a decent song for you.
Two Irish people moving to New York for a 'better life' - but he likes the drink too much and she's disillusioned 😂😂. The most popular Christmas song in the UK.
And ireland
Number 1 in Ireland right now
RIP Kirstie and Shane
Disillusioned = heroin junkie.
None of the plastic optimism of the US 😉
The rendition of this song at Shane’s funeral was one of the most moving musical events I’ve ever seen. Brings me to tears just thinking about it.
Me too. What a legend.
It was a superb version best one I've heard but for the original itself.
It was brilliant .
Had me dancing and in tears. RIP Shane
The BEST Christmas song of all time.. I will NEVER get over how beautiful this is... RIP SHANE
Kirsty MacColl was one of the most unique and gifted singer-songwriters of her generation. She died on 18th December 2000. Missed so much.
Died a hero, Kirsty MacColl😊
@@therealdeal9698Agreed. A very brave lady.❤
Dad was ewan MacColl, he wrote dirty old town, the first time ever I say your face, it was made famous when the legendary Roberta Flack recorded it.
@@therealdeal9698 Yes. When I first learned of how and why she died, my first thoughts were of this Bruce Cockburn song,
"If I had a rocket launcher
Some son of a bitch would die"
Absolutely love Kirsty - man in the chip shop swears he’s Elvis! Genius song writer, love her Dad Ewan as well!x❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Irish music can reach straight into the heart, and rip it out
I'm german, Pogues fan of the first hour. When i lived in the US for 7 years when i was young, nothing took me back home like the Pogues did.
Its not Irish !
@@Chris66ableit is very much Irish music!
@@Chris66able w t f
It doesn’t get more Irish
It even references two other Irish songs. The Rare Old Mountain Dew and Galway Bay
Rather than being morbid they are celebrating the life - the genuine life of the man. This song was a classic the moment it was heard . P.s. Shane was pretty fking famous too man. ☮️
I can tell you got goosebumps when Kirsty’s voice came in. Delve into her music, she’s incredible ✨
She was. Is. Such a sad end, but what a legacy she left.
My favourite Christmas song! It's still huge here in UK
It's not christmas until I've heard it.
My all time favourite Christmas song ! Very popular with us Brits !
Well it was written by Brits.
This song hits harder with time. There’s been a lot of controversy around the lyrics. The couple featured are not meant to be good people or aspirational-they’re one of those toxic couples that can’t seem to quit each other. Shane said he set out to write the anti-Christmas song and was so successful it became a Christmas classic. :)
Good people? Toxic people? They are people. They are characters in a story which reveal our own weaknesses and strengths and our love for friends or family members who battle life this way. I see nothing "anti Christmas" with this song. Dreams of a better life, in spite of alcohol or turmoil never leave one. To me it is a song about dreams at Christmas time. *All* of us have them
Rum Sodmyo and the Lash 1985 is a must own album ❤Shane McGowan punk rocker from the London class of 1976 and a very well read man, alas also an alcoholic. The Pogues were known for blending Irish celtic folk with a punk energy attitude, Fairytale of New York was world wide hit and made Shane a very wealthy man. Thank you Shane may you Rest in Peace ✌️ He was Irish man to the end❤😎🎸
One of my all-time favorite album. A great album to sing along to. Playing the album on St. Patrick's Day is a decades old tradition of mine.
Absolutely amazing song. This constantly keeps getting voted the greatest Christmas song ever here in the UK. RIP Shane and kirsty ❤
This is probably THE Christmas song in the UK.....and has been for many years!!
RIP Kirsty and Shane :( one of the best christmas songs ever. nice reaction!
Irish song at it's finest 🇮🇪 RIP Shane 💚🙏 and Kirstys anniversary in two days
Not Irish.
@@Chris66ableit is Irish.
@@CaseysRepository They are both English.
@@Chris66ableShane McGowan said he was Irish, Irish parents, grew up in Ireland when he was young. The BBC, sky news etc even said it. Irish music also
@@Chris66able100% Irish
The Best Christmas song ever! It came out when I was 16. I've been listening to it ever since. Johnny Depp and Matt Dillon were friends of Shane's. It's Matt Dillon playing the cop dragging Shane into lockup. It reached number 1 for first time in iTunes chart in the UK since Shane's death. It only reached number 2 first time round. RIP Shane & Kirsty! Gone but never forgotten! ❤💔❤. I'm Scottish with Irish heritage. Us Celts need to stick together! 🍀
Haunted By The Ghost by Shane McGowan and Sinead O'Connor (also died this year) is a beautiful masterpiece. As an Irish person, it is really special to see this music being enjoyed by young people in other countries, thank you for this video.
There are beautiful Christmas songs. There are wonderful Christmas songs. There are iconic Christmas songs and there is Fairytale of New York. R.I.P. Kirsty and Shane
I had never heard this before he passed away. Now I can't get enough. It makes me cry every time. Happy Holidays!🎄❄️☃️🎅🤶
Not the usual sugar coated Christmas song. That's why it's the very best.
The funeral was absolutely amazing they sung fairy tale of new York it was unreal. Yes watch DIRTY OLD TOWN ull love that one too 😊
It's always a pleasure seeing people hear this song for the first time. Nearly 40 years ago for us in the UK, and it's such a strangley integral part to Christmastime.
Its poignant because Kirtsy was taken so soon and an added sadness of Shane dying this year. But also because one of my best friends and soul mates, who also died far too young, loved this song, and everytime I hear it, it takes me back to drunken nights in bars with him at the centre of the crowd, as always, singing his heart out and 'showing-off' after he'd put it on the jukebox 20 times in a row.
Enjoy. Your reaction was brilliant.
Ah the good old days before autotune, the software would've crashed trying to manipulate Shane....
Everyone is mentioning Shane and Kirsty's music and rightly so, but let's not forget the duet he did with another soul we recently lost as well. Shane and Sinead singing "Haunted by the Ghost" is another classic IMO.
Two wonderful musicians and song writers no longer with us. it was fantastic seeing someonee as young as yourself really get into this. For many of us in the Uk and ireland the Christmas season hasnt started until we hear this played in a shop or station etc. The sugery sweet Christmas songs get on your nerves after a while but this never does.Yes you got it right this is a couple whos relationship is passionate at times and toxic at others and Christmas brings a lot of memories both good and bad.
Lisa O’Neill is the female singer of this song at Shane’s funeral. She is seriously talented. You might check out some of her work.
I never heard of her but was very impressed by her rendition. Thanks for mentioning her name. I will check out more
That was beyond wonderful watching you get into this gem. Shane also did a duet with Sinead O'Connor who passed away in July. I hope you check that out: Haunted (1995).
They were seriously an epic band…check out “boys from the country hell”, “rainy night in soho” , “if I should fall from grace with god” “a pair of brown eyes” “ the sickbed of cuchlainn” “streams of whiskey” just to name a few , in many, as u can imagine after this, the lyrics are so brilliant and funny, I know you’d be trying not to laugh most of the time….not all the songs, but many are really funny in an epically debauched way. That being said …alcohol is a terrible terrible thing, lol…but seriously, ha:/ …& RIP to Shane, the legit poet,…Shane was friends with bob Dylan, bob Dylan was a huge fan of his, they hung out sometimes when Dylan would go to Dublin Ireland.
"Dirty Old Town"!
Shane was also friends Springsteen, Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream, Christy Moore, The Dubliners, Imelda May, Ronnie Wood and many more. It was nearly impossible not to be touched by his music.
@@markuss7249
I feel the Pogues do the definitive version of Dirty Old Town but it was actually written by Kirsty MacColl’s dad Ewan
Number 1 here again in Ireland, we have lost an incredibly talented man in Shane MacGowan. We don't wait til Christmas to listen to this! Safe home to our rebel poet R.I.P. It has been released as a special edition vinyl here all proceeds in aid of Homeless in Dublin Ireland. Johnny Depp carried Shane's coffin from the church. Listen to Haunted by Shane MacGowan and Sinead O'Connor who also sadly passed away this year too. Rainy Night in Soho is also exceptional
i hope its going to the homel;ess IRISH PEOPLE please
One of the best reactions I've seen. You were quiet and innocent but felt it deeply...as this song should be felt
It should be said Kirsty McColl was not a member of The Pogues, this was a collaboration
Great reaction. My favorite song of theirs wasn't a single, I don't think, but it was on the same album as this one. "Thousands Are Sailing."
This song is everywhere in the UK at Christmas time! One of my favorite holiday songs as well. You should check out more from the Pogues. Shane McGowan was a great lyric writer and interesting person! I watched the funeral on the BBC and I thought it was very nicely done with lots of music and different stories about him.
Yes any Pogues song U can't go wrong,,They are Awsome,,Great Channel love Your reactions👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Luke Kelly
Boston Ma☘
This is a classic Irish Christmas song and Shane MacGowen revived Irish music with his twist of punk music. Kirsty McColl tragically died in a baoting accident whislt swimming. RIP Shane what a great man whose performances were fueled by alcohol and cigarettes xxx
You should definitely check out more of the Pogues. Shane was one of the greatest poets of our time.
Silas you are freakin' adorable.. and your reaction to this amazing band and song was so enjoyable!!! I am glad you were entertained and appreciated the music for what it was and the time that it came out!! I also loved that you checked out Dirty Old Town.. both of these songs have been faves of mine since I heard them years back!!! 🍀🤩🥰 Happy Christmas and New Years from your neighbour up north... Canada ☺🍁🍁🍁
Pity Americans don't know this song . Anyone in the USA reading this should forward this song on their friends etc its truely one of the best and in my view the best Christmas song of all time . Check out rainy night in soho, Irish rover , dirty old town , many excellent songs written by Shane , RIP Shane a true Irish man to the very end , RIP Kirsty lets not forget about her , what a voice and talent ❤
Ah, you reacted to this song, well done Silas. I remember commenting on one of your videos that you should react to it. You can`t lose by reacting to ``The Fairytale Of New York``. Probably the most popular Christmas song in Ireland and UK. Kirsty Maccoll was killed by a speeding boat December 18 2000 while holidaying in Mexico. She was swimming with her 2 sons and saw the oncoming boat and managed to push one of her sons to safety, but sadly the boat hit her and she was killed instantly. Great reaction Silas. Listen to it a few more times and you`ll grow to love it. 🎄👍
And the rich asshole speeding around in the boat got away with it.
It was awesome seeing your response. I wish I could hear The Pogues for the first time all over again.
❤Shane
This time of year can bring many emotions to the surface, and they're not always those ones of 'peace and joy'... Here, hate, love, despair and hope mingle in a gloriously human mess with the traditionally uplifting sounds of Christmas...
If you're looking for another bittersweet Christmas song, you can't do much better than Joni Mitchell's I Wish I Had a River (...to skate away on...).
My second favourite Pogues song (of the regrettably few that I'm familiar with) is the small but perfectly formed Summer in Siam ("It's summer in Siam and the moon is full of rainbows..")
Kirsty MacColl died in 2000 , she had to push her son out of the path of an out of control speedboat and was struck by it herself
I always thought it was a jetski. Could be wrong though.
Shit was it really that long ago 😮
Speed boat. She was able to push her 2 young sons out the way, but the boat went over her and she was fatally injured by the propeller. The boat was driven by some multi millionaire's son. He was never charged. The blame was placed on a local guy working on the boat even though he wasn't steering the boat. The boat was in an area where boats were banned. Kirstys mum spent her whole life trying to expose the truth and get a conviction. She died without achieving that.
She was fucking badass, RIP.
@rosemarmion1655 you must be right because I do remember she was fatally struck by a propeller.
Kirsty died whilst scuba diving with her 2 sons, a yacht was heading for her son she pushed him away and was hit herself, was vacation Dec 2000. Took Shane 2 years to pen this song find the right female vocalist then Kirsty was suggested by her husband the Pogues then manager, she was a Country singer and her vocals were recorded separately at home for this song as she was suffering anxiety over performing at this stage and this helped her recover to perform it live with The Pogues. Is a very bitter sweet story. You should most definately listen to more of the Pogues (Shane got The Pogues together) and delve into Shane's career was a brilliant wordsmith, artist and human. Nick Cave and Johny Depp had been his friends for decades. Is wonderful you enjoyed this so much, enjoyed watching you get into it. Depicts the aspirations and hardships of Irish migrating to America through necessity
Brilliant song! For well over 30 years! Not only should you check out the pogues but also Kirsty MacColl! Both were great singer songwriters!
It somehow manages to be a Christmas song and an anti-Christmas song at the same time. And there's not a hint of schmaltz to it.
I love how strongly you emote.
Best Christmas song ever! Glad you liked it, Silas! 😎😎❤❤👍👍
You definitely should check out Kirsty MaColls catalogue.
Bad, In These Shoes, Days, New England, There’s a Guy Works Down the Chip shop, Can’t Stop Killing You, Treachery, Celestine, Caroline. SO many good songs
So poignant, so beautiful, genius. Best Christmas song ever. In Britain Christmas isn’t Christmas till you’ve played this song 50 times. Perfection.
Silas, welcome to the besr Christmas song of all time. Love your enthusiasm.
Love love love this song. And loved your reaction. This 70 year old woman from New Zealand has subscribed 😊
Great reaction Silas, but you hadn't heard it before because it isn't very well known in the US, it just doesn't fit with the more sentimental Christmas songs popular there. But in the UK and Ireland it is huge, it gets into the top 20 singles every year, it is the most played, most popular Christmas song. Sometimes the Atlantic is very wide! You should check out Slade, Merry Christmas Everybody and Wizzard, I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Say for more of a British Christmas flavour.
This song was popular with us in the US for the last 20 years or so. The first time I heard it was in the early 2000's when my son sung the Shane part, and his new wife sung the Kirsty part, to each other in a pub in San Francisco. My son has seen the Pogues in concert twice. It has been my favorite Christmas song since I first heard it.
It’s constantly on radio during this time of year in the US and has been covered by countless American bands. Not sure what made you think it isn’t popular here.
@@RomesThe59 Well that I can't find evidence that it ever charted in the US, numerous news reports describing the lack of success there and vox pops with Americans saying they hadn't heard of it.
It is very popular in NYC certainly for those of us of a certain age.
You definitely need to check out more of The Pogues. Start with ‘If I Should Fall From Grace With God’.
Great reaction! Merry Christmas!
The Pogues are mental. Really good fun.
Not just one of the best Christmas songs, ever, but one of the best "doomed romance" song ever.
Pogues are phenomenal, Shane was literally one of the first punk kids at the earliest Sex Pistoils shows. In early Sex Pistols footage you can see Shane in the audience cutting himself and spitting at the band in appreciation, this is featured in a documentary about Shane and the Pogues produced by Johnny Depp named "Crock of Gold". Many early fans shun the "Peace and Love" album primarily because it has more rock sensibilities than most of their stuff, but that is my personal favorite of theirs. It has a great blend of raw punk energy fuzed with traditional Celtic folk. The intro instrumental song "Gridlocked" is primarily a jazz tune, but is incredibly complex rhythmically and faster than sin, it's an all time favorite, I imagine if Slayer played jazz it'd be something like that.. Many songs are incredibly raw ("Cottonfields" is a standout) and others are completely gutwrenching. If you appreciate the longing of this song, I feel "Lorelei" could be the saddest most beautiful thing I can imagine. I can't recommend the band or that album enough.
Love this song ❤
Yes! Check out the Pogues!! Shane was a masterful lyricist and did not give a F@‘k! The Broad Majestic Shannon, Waltzing Matilda, A Pair of Brown Eyes, If I Should Fall From Grace, they’re all amazing. He was well loved. ❤
"The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" was written by Eric Bogle
@@robertturcotte3344 I know. But I love the Pogues version!
This song reflects Christmas is a much more real way than most. So much to it i find it one of the few i never get bored of hearing.
A couple other distinctive Christmas songs you might like are ”The Seasons Upon Us” by Dropkick Murphys and”Merry Christmas From The Family by either Robert Earl Keene (the original) or the version by Montgomery-Gentry. Cheers.
Than there is John Waites Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
Look up the making of this video, brilliant!
One of my favorites
you should watch his funeral! They performed this, it was amazing, so moving
Great reaction,Silas!Shane MacGowan,legend!And we lost 2 of them this year,Sinead o'Connor as well!Yes,an epic funeral...Johnny Depp was one of his best friends.Happy Christmas from Ireland!
I listened to many reactions to this song last week - but yours is the best 👍
Kirsty was swimming in the waters just off a tourist beach somewhere in Cozumel, Mexico when she was struck by the propellors of a power boat. The person in charge of the boat wasn’t watching where he was going and apparently was in an area where no boats were allowed. The area was supposed to be reserved for swimmers only. There were reports that the skipper was drunk at the time as there was a party going on onboard at the time. The family of Kirsty attempted to bring charges against the boat’s owner, but there was talk that the president of Mexico himself blocked any action against the millionaire owner of the boat.
What an injustice.
The UKs favourite Christmas song..just brilliant.
Great reaction! 🇮🇪 A brilliant song by brilliant lyricist Shane MacGowan, and sung beautifully by Kirsty and Shane. Definitely check out more of the pogues. Waltzing Matillda, Rainy night in Soho, The Sickbed of Cúchulainn, Sally Maclennane and The boys from the County Hell.
I loved how much you enjoyed that. Off the back of how you reacted to the instrumentation, I think you'd really like Irish trad music. Can I send you some of that to react to?
Great song, gets played to death throughout December in England., rightly so. It has become an iconic Chritsmass song and I NEVER get tired of it. As someone mentioned in the comments Kirsty was killed by a speedboat whike swimming. A bit of trivia though The cop leading the guy up the stairs @1.03 is the actor Matt Dillon!
The 'guy' Matt's leading up to the drunk tank is Shane❤ seeing him in that big hat and oversized coat makes him look the part. Such nostalgia for us 80s outcasts.
My most favourite Christmas tune ever. I'm English but my partner of 17 years is from Ireland so I definitely have some Irish in me..
No bagpipes.. Piano accordion 😊welcome to best Christmas song ever 😊
Silas, tom waits voice will be forever engraved on your brain if you listen to “jersey girl” not springsteens version but toms original❤️🤘
One of my all time favourite Christmas songs
Best song ever Christmas comes its unavoidable ireland england its blown out everywhere
Yo .... Featuring the vocals of Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl. Both Kirsty and Shane have passed but their duet on Shane's composition will live forever. Shane is an Irish songwriting icon. I Would love to hear your reaction to another Irish icon: Imelda May. She is an amazing songwriter, singer, arranger, and producer. Her original material ranges from Rock-a- Billy (Johnny got a boom boom) to torch ballads (black tears) and fantastic covers like Kermit's "it ain't easy being green", U2s "still haven't found what I am looking for", or Les Paul and Mary Ford's "how high the moon" with the late, great Jeff Beck. Fair winds and Happy New Year.
My first time hearing this, and just called a family member I'd gone no contact with (or they called me it's hazy, too much rum in the eggnog). It seemed fitting to remember good times, childhood times, then remembered why I'd gone no contact (or was it the other way around). Meanwhile the Christmas traditions go on as does the relentless good cheer. I think it helps to be older to understand this, although I would never say "just you wait", lol. It all works out for some people. Sort of amazing to have the other kind of Christmas done so beautifully.
Second only to "I Believe in Father Christmas" as the best Christmas song ever. RIP Shane and Kirsty.
I also agree that those two are my favourite Christmas songs.
I've always liked The Kinks Father Christmas 🎅 🎄
#RIP Kirsty ❤
Shane was a serious interect. He wrote this song. The last true bard (in olden times these poets/musicians would travel Ireland entertaining kings & people). Bards were highly valued, top of the tree (could ruin you if they took a dislike to you, king or not). Would love to see you react to "Horse Outside" by the Rubberbandits, it's all about a wedding of individual's from a rough part of Limerick city. A few pointers, "... a bag of yokes" = drugs, "...Shergar" = one of the best race horses ever, "... lead your yon away", Irish refer to a woman as 'your yon' when they don't know her name, "... if it goes well, a finger and a shift", shift = makeout, figure out the finger yourself!
These young reactors never recognise my 80s heartthrob Irish American and a Pogues fan of course Matt Dillon as the peeler 😄
My favourite Christmas song.
Fair play to Silas, a lot of college students would have jumped out of their windows wanting to kill small animals to relieve their distress about hearing naughty words, but he's shown it some respect. It's written elsewhere in these comments, but the sadness that they both died (and Kirsty at 41, bless her) around Christmas is an awful irony. It's an amazing testament to how people row and bicker over Christmas, and yet there's that tiny little bit of hope at the end
Bring him to your generation. He deserves it. He has a very large following of Americans and Irish.
A dark but beautiful song, ironically the best one that gives me that amazing Christmas feeling
Yes, you should check out more of The Pogues.
Kirsty MacColl RIP drowned on 18 December 2000, Shane MacGowan RIP died November 30, 2023. Nick Cave sang at his funeral and Johnny Depp carried his coffin out of the church.
This one is right up there for me, in my favourite Christmas songs, along with Father Christmas by The Kinks, Stop The Cavalry by Jona Lewie and I believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake.
A genius RIP Shane
Apparently this song does get played more in New York bars a bit at Xmas these days. It makes a very nice, slightly anarchic change from all the saccharin-sweet seasonal songs. I'm surprised it's not better known Stateside, though. Maybe it was a bit too sweary for US radio stations, or could be it subverts the 'American Dream' by reminding us of the people who have not done so well from it?
The best Christmas song ever written..
Look up Shane MacGowan’s Funeral clips… a funeral no church has ever seen before.. a send off he deserved…
Look up his other music if you haven’t already..
I didn’t notice if anyone answered your instrument question but what you are hearing is an accordion brilliantly played by James Fearnley
Beautiful song
So Shane became good friends with Kenny Casey of Dropkick Murphys, an Irish punk band from Boston. I met him at an Irish festival at Suffolk downs years back. He got so drunk he pissed himself. True story. But if you like this song, check out Thousands are Sailing, Bottle of Smoke, Dirty Old Town, Fiesta, If I should Fall from Grace With God, The Irish Rover, & Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six.
Love this song, it’s not the super sweet usual Christmas song but a more realistic view of a couple hoping for the perfect Christmas that kind of goes to shit. I think most of us have at least one or two like that! Also, more Pogues is worth listening to, all their stuff is great!
A great Irish song 🇮🇪☘
My favorite, 'Christmas in My Soul' by R&R Hall of Fame singer songwriter, the brilliant and unique Laura Nyro
Probably the best Christmas song ever.
And I hadn't heard about Shane. That freaking breaks my heart.
❤
Great reaction young man well done
Probably in the top five most famous Christmas songs of all time