A Country Fan Remembers Shane MacGowan of The Pogues (RIP)
There will be plenty of more qualified people to offer proper last rites to Shane MacGowan of The Pogues in the coming hours and days, especially those from the punk, rock, and traditional Irish folk realms who are more intimate with the details of his life and contributions.
But it’s hard for a country fan to not get a little misty-eyed and reminisce fondly upon this man who contributed grandly to the traditional roots music world, despite his personal struggles that like his notoriously crooked teeth, were part of his legacy as well.
Traditional Irish folk is a seminal building block to original country through the Appalachian influence and Irish immigrants. With the way MacGowan preserved, revitalized, and revolutionized Irish music throughout his career with The Pogues and beyond, there is definitely a cross-genre similarity between MacGowan and the post-punk revivalists of country who helped save the music and spark the independent insurgency coming out of the ’80s and ’90s.
Despite the stereotype of MacGowan and The Pogues being punk primarily, major sections of their catalog were most certainly traditional Irish folk, and exclusively in nature. MacGowan was a banjo player himself, and other traditional instrumentation is prominent throughout the music that MacGowan contributed to through The Pogues and later The Popes. Shane took a dedicated pride in preserving and popularizing his Irish roots, not dissimilar to how country and bluegrass artists do the same with their original influences, including ones brought over from the Old World.
Along with Shane MacGowan’s personal contributions, there would be no Dropkick Murpheys, Flogging Molly, or a dozen other Irish-infused roots and punk bands from the United States if it weren’t for The Pogues. And despite the band firing him at one point, there would be on Pogues without Shane MacGowan. Shane’s legacy was far from isolated to Ireland or the UK, or simply to Irish and punk music.
Specifically, Shane MacGowan and The Pogues had a long working relationship with alt-country icon Steve Earle. When you hear the iconic Irish-inflected opening of Earle’s “Copperhead Road,” don’t think that wasn’t influenced by MacGowan and The Pogues. And if you have any question about that, check the liner notes of the Copperhead Road album to confirm Steve Earle recorded the song “Johnny Come Lately” with The Pogues themselves.
That same year (1988), Steve Earle wrote the liner notes to The Pogues’ most successful album, If I Should Fall From Grace with God. Shane MacGowan was born on Christmas Day in 1957, and many consider the song “Fairytale of New York” with Kirsty MacColl from that album an under-appreciated Christmas Carol.
As we enter the Holiday season, it’s sad to hear of the passing of Shane MacGowan on Thursday, November 30th at the age of 65.
Thank you for the music Shane MacGowan, from a country fan.
November 30, 2023 @ 11:02 am
Thank you for writing this, Trigger. I was always hoping he would somehow manage to come back and record more music, but that was obviously becoming less likely as time went on. I hope he’s at peace now. I think this evening I’ll have a few shots and put “Rum, Sodomy & the
Lash” on the turntable. RIP Shane
November 30, 2023 @ 12:33 pm
I read this morning that he was working on something. So there could be a posthumous release.
November 30, 2023 @ 11:09 am
No! Wow, as hard as he lived, it’s amazing that he made it to 65. An absolute original.
“The Song With No Name” from his album “The Snake” is one of my all-time favorites.
Godspeed, Shane.
November 30, 2023 @ 11:33 am
Great piece, Trig.
The Pogues and bluegrass somehow led me to Fred Eaglesmith and Uncle Tupelo who somehow led me here. So yeah, there’s connections.
November 30, 2023 @ 11:56 am
It’s rare to hear “Fairytale of New York” on American radio due to backlash over a certain word in the second verse, but it’s a Christmas perennial on UK radio, and even nearly topped the chart over there in its year of release. Shane’s death practically assures it of being this year’s Christmas No. 1, a coveted accomplishment across the pond. RIP Shane.
November 30, 2023 @ 8:46 pm
“We were beaten by two queens and a drum machine”
December 1, 2023 @ 5:24 am
LOL. And by a country song, too! Pet Shop Boys’ version of “Always on My Mind” took the holiday honors that year.
December 1, 2023 @ 9:11 am
Yep! Every bar in Dublin plays Fairytale of New York twice a night in December.
November 30, 2023 @ 12:02 pm
His last album with the Popes, Crock of Gold, was basically a country album with Irish flourishes. The song Lonesome Highway could easily be a Hank Williams song.
November 30, 2023 @ 12:35 pm
One of my favorites and a huge talent. Rest in peace.
November 30, 2023 @ 1:07 pm
Huge loss to both punk and roots music. Some people perform, and some embody the music – he was the music, as was Sinead. I hate to see them go.
November 30, 2023 @ 1:15 pm
It’s last ‘rites’, not ‘rights’, but otherwise a fine tribute, sir. Was a fan ever since SE turned me on to them in ’88. Always embarrassed by the overly delicate sensibilities of those here in the states who feign shock and outrage over the word faggot in FToNY. Fuckin tossers, the lot of em …
November 30, 2023 @ 4:11 pm
I was more offended by the old slut on junk. I thought my sister had emigrated to the UK the first time I heard that line.
November 30, 2023 @ 2:11 pm
Thanks for this article. As a huge fan of the man, I’ve spent the day reading the tributes in the news and on message boards. This is quite different than anything I have read so far – glad to hear he meant so much to you and that you felt compelled to write about him. Thanks again.
He had no recipe – truly, there’s only one Shane MacGowan!
November 30, 2023 @ 3:17 pm
One of my all time favorite lyricists. His vocal delivery was a huge part of his charm and appeal for me. Wish he had sobered up while still young but it was not to be. A sad day
November 30, 2023 @ 3:49 pm
The Pogues were one of my favorite bands in high school. Yesterday and the day before I felt a craving to listen to them like I haven’t felt in years, maybe even since high school (30 years ago, alas), so I put on their first album Red Roses for Me. Then this morning Euro South time the news hit that MacGowan had died. Made me think of a brilliant song from a couple of years back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzmKjntMYfc
I just wanna spend eternity
Right where I am
On the sunny side of the street.
I hope the good Lord obliged, Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan.
November 30, 2023 @ 4:51 pm
“Johnny Come Lately” is a complete banger.
Given that Steve and Shane are both known for their self-destructive ways, it should come as no surprise that they found some creative synergy. Thankfully they got that record made for posterity.
I never thought about the Pogues influencing “Copperhead Road” and that ominous intro.
Rest in power, Shane. Hopefully Kirsty MacColl – speaking of underappreciated! – with meet him at the gate.
November 30, 2023 @ 5:46 pm
Speaking as someone who wad around for the beginning of today’s version of folk punk in the ’90s… There would be no folk punk without the Pogues
November 30, 2023 @ 6:05 pm
Interesting video of the Johnny Come Lately session:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fK_TZY7pihU
Hope the link works
November 30, 2023 @ 6:09 pm
Very nice tribute. My favorite singer ever and the one to get me onto the path of traditional, roots, and country music in general when I was a teenager. The Pogues mixed country and traditional music with “contemporary” music (punk, rock, whatever you want to call it) breathing into it freshness in a way that is similar to Hank 3, Turnpike, Legendary Shake Shakers, Slim Cessna, the list goes on. But, most of all, he was a true poet. May he rest in peace. And I appreciate you putting up a nice picture of him unlike most of the big news sites. Going to have some Catholic whiskey in his honor.
November 30, 2023 @ 6:14 pm
Shack Shakers* not referring to the hamburger chain.
December 4, 2023 @ 9:16 am
You get it. Thanks Trigger. He was our last great poet. One of the best we ever had.
December 1, 2023 @ 2:42 am
‘Fairytale of New York’ is a Christmas staple here in the UK. It always re-appears at this time of year along with all the other Christmas pop tunes, and for my money it is the best one of those. That may be a low bar to clear, but I think it is a classic, one of my favourite songs.
December 1, 2023 @ 7:25 pm
Hey A Pair of Brown Eyes-Were the Pogues popular for a long time in the UK? Were they most popular in Ireland, I would assume? I do wish we heard Fairytale in New York in the States, but it doesn’t appear that will happen, though it would in a just world! I think Shane at his peak was arguably one of the best songwriters and poets of the past 50 years-such romanticism, humor, hummable melodies and Irish attitude.
December 4, 2023 @ 7:49 am
Don’t know how big they were in Ireland at the time, but they certainly seemed to have been embraced there, judging by some of the tributes I’ve seen to Shane online.
They had quite a presence in the mid to late 80s here in the UK, without being mega-stars or anything. All us Indy and Punk kids knew about them and a lot of us loved them. They occasionally made it into the charts, but Fairytale of New York had a huge impact, and I’d say it was what they are mostly known for by the British public, that and Shane’s teeth.
December 1, 2023 @ 3:22 am
Pogues version of the Aussie folk song “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” is absolutely gutting.
We will not see his like again.
December 1, 2023 @ 7:00 pm
I am very pleasantly surprised to see something written about the great Shane McGowan. But yes, there was definitely a traditional Irish sound along with the punk influence. I was fortunate to see him and the Pogues with my British cousin in 1987 in Finsbury Park in North London. His music seemed to revolve around the themes of alcohol, politics, sex/love and Catholicism. I would recommend what I think are their two best albums-“Rum, Sodomy and the Lash,” and “If I Should Fall from Grace with God.” I would recommend listening to the punky Irish “The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn” and for their romantic, beautiful side- “Misty Morning Albert Bridge.” A great poet that I wish had been more popular on this side of the pond!
December 2, 2023 @ 7:07 pm
The Irish Tom Waits except he lived his character, unfortunately. Man, Rainy Night in SoHo hit hard last night.
December 2, 2023 @ 11:19 pm
For the past couple of days I’ve been googling Shane. I’ve been a fan since ‘88 and his death hit me harder than I thought reasonable. I stumbled across this site as a result of my searches.
The connection to country music here is very astute and correct, but not at all obvious to a cursory review. Steve Earle helped connect the dots, but the dots were already there. Gaelic -> Appalachian -> what we today call “country” is a clear path. Given the state of Nashville, many would not see this. Kudos to the writer for getting it.
For those who may be confused: The Pogues are said to have fused Irish folk with punk rock, but the actual music is not actually punk, or even punkish. Their music was high energy, yes, and Shane’s background in the London punk scene points to the source of that energy, but there’s no simple E-chord bashing going on here. It’s intricate, largely acoustic, traditional stuff, played fast and amplified.
RIP Shane
December 3, 2023 @ 3:45 pm
Thank you Trigger for that fine tribute to a very gritty, no-frills artist.
I have to admit that “Fairy Tale of New York” is the song I best recollect from Shane’s repertoire.
It’s among my favorite Christmas Season songs, and the strong irony of the lyrics makes me smile wryly every time I hear it.
December 5, 2023 @ 12:20 am
I only saw the Pogues live one time in the late 80’s.
That drunken soul Shane is maybe the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard. So out of tune and so much truth and beauty.
December 5, 2023 @ 1:38 am
Thank you for that. Shane was one of the great ones. “Red Roses For Me” was one of two albums that were revelations to me and shaped my taste in music (the other being “The Crossing” by Big Country), and eventually brought me here.
And I always thought the connection to punk was more the attitude The Pogues started out with. The music itself was always Folk Rock, especially once the founders actually learned how to play their instruments, and seasoned musicians like Terry Woods and Philip Chevron joined their ranks.
And “Fairytale of New York” is a Christmas classic in Germany, too!