A FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK
The birth of a classic
THE Pogues’ most famous song, recorded with Kirsty Maccoll, was released in 1987 as a Christmas single. Co-written by Macgowan and Jem Finer, it had a long and tortuous gestation. “Shane and I decided to write a Christmas song sometime in 1985,” says Finer. “Initially I wrote two: the first had a good tune and really bad lyrics. My wife Marcia gave a no-holds-barred critique and explained what kind of story and spirit a good Pogues Christmas song might have. In her suggestion a couple torturing each other under the cruel spotlight of a mammonic Christmas are caught by surprise, by something in the mystic air; a kiss, a dance, a memory of light and love; an opportunity for provisional redemption. I wrote a second song with that storyline, set in London. That’s what Shane took, relocated to New York and rewrote so ingeniously.” Macgowan had already written the “drunk tank” introduction, but kept editing the words to the main tune. Each time he did so, the arrangement shifted. Once the song was finally resolved, the challenge was to record it successfully. “There had been problems switching between the intro and the band coming in,” says producer Steve Lillywhite. “I said, ‘Look, we’ll simply record it as two separate pieces, then I’ll join the two together.’ We did Shane and piano live, as a duet, put the orchestra on, and that was the intro. The track we did in the normal way of recording bass, drums and Philip Chevron on acoustic guitars, then we added instruments one at a time.”
Bassist Cait O’riordan originally sang the female part, but she had now left the band. Lillywhite was married to Kirsty Maccoll, and suggested she have a go. “I said, ‘I have a studio at home. It won’t cost you anything, and if you don’t like it, no-one will care.’ Shane had the lyrics and started tearing out bits, saying, ‘This is what Kirsty’s got to do.’ He gave me the sheet of paper with holes in, I took that home, and Kirsty did the vocal. We went through every line to make sure that the nuance, swing and cadence was absolutely perfect. I’m so proud of her vocal. We played it to the band on the Monday morning and they went, ‘Oh my Lord!’”