Ah, the blessings of the cursed. Shane McGowan’s torrid and mighty voice is mud and roses punched out with swaggering stagger, ancient longing that is blasted all to hell. A Bard’s bard, may he cast his spell upon us all forevermore - Tom Waits
At the top of the Pentonville road, I watched the sun setting, the town spread out before me, looked beautiful to me. Away from all the sighing, the suffering and the dying… I dreamed of a future, the young and the free Melts my heart that lyric. Shane… sent from the purest of Gods
"NW3" is probably the best Pogues song never released. Shane wrote it sometime between the summer and fall of 1987, just missing the recording of If I Should Fall from Grace with God, and this demo is from October of that year. The band tried to include it on subsequent albums, but it never quite seemed to fit. Shane's song "Mother Mo Chroi" from The Crock of Gold is merely a reworking of "NW3".
One thing I love about Shane's music is that he makes such specifice references, he often names the streets where the story takes place, so you can really tell it really comes from personal experiences. Think of the broad majestic shannon for instance, he's so specific ("i sat for a while at the cross of Finnoe", "the road leading up Glenaveigh"...) One day, while roaming around Ireland or England, i'll visit at least one of this places..
Sorry to bother you mate, I'm an italian guy crazily in love with Shane's music. I was wondering what this line means. Is he literally talking about the old folks tapping on the chair with their fingers to keep the time while they hum their songs or is there a play on words that I am losing? Thanks a lot! :)
@@bobdylan941 here you go bro - The Pogues' song NW3 tells the story of a young man who leaves his hometown of Dublin to seek work in London in 1962. He takes a boat to Liverpool and then goes to London where he starts working for "meals on wheels" in a wealthy area known as NW3. Although he is earning money, he is struggling and turned to alcohol to cope with the job's demands. He describes the area as filthy and filled with piss, where the elderly residents he serves are often sick and dying. While there, he dreams of a better future for himself and the young people around him. As the years go by, the man becomes disillusioned with the city and longs to return home. He reflects on his experiences, and although he doesn't blame anyone for his situation, he still feels cheated. He resents the fact that he never earned a decent wage and that he won't be able to provide a better life for his kids. He also looks down on the clientele he used to serve in NW3, feeling repulsed by their desperate and filthy conditions. In the end, he decides to leave London for good and bid farewell to the past. In the context of the song I'd say the line means that these old people are helpless, sometimes they hum, sometimes they talk madness because they went crazy, all the while waiting for their deaths.
It was 1962 I was two years out of school When I got on board a boat That was bound for Liverpool The day I went away I remember it so well Said goodbye to the North Wall And bid a fond farewell When I got down to the smoke It was 1963 I got a job doing meals on wheels Round NW3 I was terrorising grannies For ten lousy bob a week I was smashed and blacked And drunk and yawning in NW3 In the filth and piss they lived in They would sometimes hum an air Or talk in tongues of madness Keeping time upon a chair And for their wrists a numbered tab In Westminster morgue On a cold hard slab When I was still a young man In NW3 Now I'm spent of love and rage And I'm going home again Never did nobody wrong Never earned a decent wage So thanks for sweet fuck all Once more look at the North Wall Say goodbye to all of that And bid a fond farewell At the top of the Pentonville Road I watched the sun setting The town spread out before me Looked beautiful to me Away from all the sighing The suffering and the dying I dreamed of the future Of the young and the free But the years they went by quickly Now I swear I won't return here Where each day just bring me closer To the final misery My kids will never scrape shit round here I won't die crying in a pint of beer Or eat their stinking meals on wheels In NW3
[Verse 1] It was 1962, I was two years out of school When I got on board a boat that was bound for Liverpool The day I went away, I remember it so well Said goodbye to the North Wall, bid a fond farewell [Verse 2] When I got down to the smoke, it was 1963 I got a job doing meals on wheels 'round NW3 I was terrorizing grannies for ten lousy bob a week I was smashed and blacked and drunk and yawning in NW3 [Chorus 1] In the filth and piss they lived in, they would sometimes hum an air Or talk in tongues of madness, keeping time upon a chair And for their wrists, a numbered tab In Westminster morgue on a cold hard slab When I was still a young man in NW3 [Verse 3] Now I'm spent of love and rage and I'm going home again Never did nobody wrong, never earned a decent wage So thanks for sweet fuck all, once more look at the North Wall Say goodbye to all of that and bid a fond farewell [Verse 4] At the top of the Pentonville Road, I watched the sun setting The town spread out before me, looked beautiful to me Away from all the sighing, the suffering and the dying I dreamed of the future, the young and the free [Chorus 2] But the years they went by quickly. now I swear I won't return here Where each day just bring me closer to that final misery My kids will never scrape shit 'round here I won't die crying in a pint of beer Or eat their stinking meals on wheels in NW3
Now I′m spent of love and rage And I'm going home again Never did nobody wrong Never earned a decent wage So thanks for sweet fuck all Once more look at the North Wall Say goodbye to all of that And bid a fond farewell For real... farewell Shane
This should have gone on Peace and Love. Peace and Love is only 1 or 2 songs away from being a really decent album ie white city, Misty morning, young Ned, London lady etc are great. This addition would have really strengthened the album instead of some of the flannel of stuff like blue heaven etc
couldn't agree more. should have been on at least one of their releases. it was actually on a bootleg "live from sweden" before macgowan remade it as "mother mo chroi."
Love this track! Love the Pogues! They should've released this track earlier. Later Shane released this track. Under different title and lyrics. Mother Mo Chroi. With the Popes.
maybe thats just the reason, when being a genius, you realize most things,and so you cant handle reality that good,which equals that you start to use some type drug, for this example booze
Love this track! Love the Pogues! They should've released this track earlier. Later Shane released this track. Under different title and lyrics. Mother Mo Chroi. With the Popes.
+aaron coonfield That's right Aaron. He tried to use this melody several times during his tenure in the Pogues. He could never get it finalised for some reason, but he never forgot the melody, which was great, because it turned out to be a beautiful song when it emerged on the Popes record as "Mother Mo Chroí", with the great lyrics themed on his longing to return to his Éire, a feeling felt by a lot of the Irish diaspora who had to leave their homeland for another country. All the best, Davey.
Ah, the blessings of the cursed. Shane McGowan’s torrid and mighty voice is mud and roses punched out with swaggering stagger, ancient longing that is blasted all to hell. A Bard’s bard, may he cast his spell upon us all forevermore - Tom Waits
At the top of the Pentonville road, I watched the sun setting, the town spread out before me, looked beautiful to me. Away from all the sighing, the suffering and the dying… I dreamed of a future, the young and the free
Melts my heart that lyric. Shane… sent from the purest of Gods
God knows how this wasnt released. What a belter
"NW3" is probably the best Pogues song never released. Shane wrote it sometime between the summer and fall of 1987, just missing the recording of If I Should Fall from Grace with God, and this demo is from October of that year. The band tried to include it on subsequent albums, but it never quite seemed to fit. Shane's song "Mother Mo Chroi" from The Crock of Gold is merely a reworking of "NW3".
This IS without a doubt the best Pogues song never released
Even the unreleased Pogues songs are better than most bands. Beautiful
100 percent agree mate
300%
One thing I love about Shane's music is that he makes such specifice references, he often names the streets where the story takes place, so you can really tell it really comes from personal experiences. Think of the broad majestic shannon for instance, he's so specific ("i sat for a while at the cross of Finnoe", "the road leading up Glenaveigh"...)
One day, while roaming around Ireland or England, i'll visit at least one of this places..
Aye,That's One of His Best.
He voice sounds great here. Believable , like Tom Waites . That’s rare enough.
‘Talk in tongues of madness, keeping time upon a chair’. Absolute genius.
@tnew85 I agree, love that line !
Sorry to bother you mate, I'm an italian guy crazily in love with Shane's music.
I was wondering what this line means. Is he literally talking about the old folks tapping on the chair with their fingers to keep the time while they hum their songs or is there a play on words that I am losing?
Thanks a lot! :)
@@bobdylan941 here you go bro - The Pogues' song NW3 tells the story of a young man who leaves his hometown of Dublin to seek work in London in 1962. He takes a boat to Liverpool and then goes to London where he starts working for "meals on wheels" in a wealthy area known as NW3. Although he is earning money, he is struggling and turned to alcohol to cope with the job's demands. He describes the area as filthy and filled with piss, where the elderly residents he serves are often sick and dying. While there, he dreams of a better future for himself and the young people around him.
As the years go by, the man becomes disillusioned with the city and longs to return home. He reflects on his experiences, and although he doesn't blame anyone for his situation, he still feels cheated. He resents the fact that he never earned a decent wage and that he won't be able to provide a better life for his kids. He also looks down on the clientele he used to serve in NW3, feeling repulsed by their desperate and filthy conditions. In the end, he decides to leave London for good and bid farewell to the past.
In the context of the song I'd say the line means that these old people are helpless, sometimes they hum, sometimes they talk madness because they went crazy, all the while waiting for their deaths.
@@creed22solar123thanks a lot bro
Farewell Shane🍺🍻 thanks for changing my life “each year just brings me closer to that final misery”🇮🇪👑🍻
Probably the greatest pogues-song, period.
One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard
This track is pure gold.
It's worth getting the new Pogues' box set, worth every penny.
Well done Phil for putting it together.
TOBERT001 Nine years later, this comment rings as true as it ever did. Got my box set in the mail yesterday..
It was 1962
I was two years out of school
When I got on board a boat
That was bound for Liverpool
The day I went away
I remember it so well
Said goodbye to the North Wall
And bid a fond farewell
When I got down to the smoke
It was 1963
I got a job doing meals on wheels
Round NW3
I was terrorising grannies
For ten lousy bob a week
I was smashed and blacked
And drunk and yawning in NW3
In the filth and piss they lived in
They would sometimes hum an air
Or talk in tongues of madness
Keeping time upon a chair
And for their wrists a numbered tab
In Westminster morgue
On a cold hard slab
When I was still a young man
In NW3
Now I'm spent of love and rage
And I'm going home again
Never did nobody wrong
Never earned a decent wage
So thanks for sweet fuck all
Once more look at the North Wall
Say goodbye to all of that
And bid a fond farewell
At the top of the Pentonville Road
I watched the sun setting
The town spread out before me
Looked beautiful to me
Away from all the sighing
The suffering and the dying
I dreamed of the future
Of the young and the free
But the years they went by quickly
Now I swear I won't return here
Where each day just bring me closer
To the final misery
My kids will never scrape shit round here
I won't die crying in a pint of beer
Or eat their stinking meals on wheels
In NW3
Beautiful lyrics from Shane
[Verse 1]
It was 1962, I was two years out of school
When I got on board a boat that was bound for Liverpool
The day I went away, I remember it so well
Said goodbye to the North Wall, bid a fond farewell
[Verse 2]
When I got down to the smoke, it was 1963
I got a job doing meals on wheels 'round NW3
I was terrorizing grannies for ten lousy bob a week
I was smashed and blacked and drunk and yawning in NW3
[Chorus 1]
In the filth and piss they lived in, they would sometimes hum an air
Or talk in tongues of madness, keeping time upon a chair
And for their wrists, a numbered tab
In Westminster morgue on a cold hard slab
When I was still a young man in NW3
[Verse 3]
Now I'm spent of love and rage and I'm going home again
Never did nobody wrong, never earned a decent wage
So thanks for sweet fuck all, once more look at the North Wall
Say goodbye to all of that and bid a fond farewell
[Verse 4]
At the top of the Pentonville Road, I watched the sun setting
The town spread out before me, looked beautiful to me
Away from all the sighing, the suffering and the dying
I dreamed of the future, the young and the free
[Chorus 2]
But the years they went by quickly. now I swear I won't return here
Where each day just bring me closer to that final misery
My kids will never scrape shit 'round here
I won't die crying in a pint of beer
Or eat their stinking meals on wheels in NW3
this is a great great song. quickly becoming one of my favourite pogues songs
Arguably one of the best Pogues ever!
Love this song
Best song ever made
One of the best. Get the whiskey oot
@cfcolly as noted.its a pogues song.the sound of the band and his voice(clear)indicate its long before the popes.
Now I′m spent of love and rage
And I'm going home again
Never did nobody wrong
Never earned a decent wage
So thanks for sweet fuck all
Once more look at the North Wall
Say goodbye to all of that
And bid a fond farewell
For real... farewell Shane
Magical. Would’ve loved to hear the finished product
Imagine how it would have sounded with the same quality as If I Should Fall From Grace...
This should have gone on Peace and Love. Peace and Love is only 1 or 2 songs away from being a really decent album ie white city, Misty morning, young Ned, London lady etc are great. This addition would have really strengthened the album instead of some of the flannel of stuff like blue heaven etc
I feel like that could be said about any Pogues song, it's impossible to pick a favorite.
couldn't agree more. should have been on at least one of their releases. it was actually on a bootleg "live from sweden" before macgowan remade it as "mother mo chroi."
Love this track! Love the Pogues! They should've released this track earlier. Later Shane released this track. Under different title and lyrics. Mother Mo Chroi. With the Popes.
my saviour
@cfcolly probably the greatest pogues song almost never released.
Ace I love the pogues and I'm a hair metal man
so so awesome. shane :D
maybe thats just the reason, when being a genius, you realize most things,and so you cant handle reality that good,which equals that you start to use some type drug, for this example booze
lovely fucking tunes man, your a ledgend :-)
Didn't seem to fit? This would've sounded just fine on "Peace And Love."
I agree. That album needed a boost this song could have provided.
P.F. Sloans version is the best,he wrote it.
Those were actually released by Shane MacGowan and the Popes.
mike oldfield jai vu le musicsien the pogues NW3 BELLE CHANSON REMASTERISE EN 2005 AVEC DES BONUS
BONJOUR MIKE OLDFIELD JAI VU LA SERIE WARNER MUSIC RHINO ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES THE POGUES AVEC BONGO WITSTHELE
@MrRoebert I know exactly what you mean.
thats the popes, still great tho
Mother mo chroi is by far much better than nw3 ,the drums drag .
this is insane the drums are what make this recording 500x better than the inferior popes version
Love this track! Love the Pogues! They should've released this track earlier. Later Shane released this track. Under different title and lyrics. Mother Mo Chroi. With the Popes.
+aaron coonfield That's right Aaron. He tried to use this melody several times during his tenure in the Pogues. He could never get it finalised for some reason, but he never forgot the melody, which was great, because it turned out to be a beautiful song when it emerged on the Popes record as "Mother Mo Chroí", with the great lyrics themed on his longing to return to his Éire, a feeling felt by a lot of the Irish diaspora who had to leave their homeland for another country. All the best, Davey.
P.F. Sloans version is the best,he wrote it.