Dikt og slikt: Fairytale of New York

Ein av tidenes beste julesangar handlar verken om englar, nissar eller juletre. 

'Fairytale of New York' vart skriven av The Pogues-medlemmane Jem Finer og Shane MacGowan, utgitt som singel i 1987 og deretter på albumet 'If I Should Fall from Grace with God' i 1988.
Sangen handlar om to irske immigrantar i New York. Dei vart forelska i kvarandre og hadde håp og tru på framtida - men alt har blitt øydelagt av rusmisbruk. På julafta sit mannen i fyllearresten og minnest det turbulente forholdet. 

Lagnaden til dei to vokalistane - Shane MacGowan og Kirstie MacColl - gjer den spesielle julesangen ekstra spesiell. MacColl døydde på tragisk vis i 2000 og MacGowan døydde nyleg av sjukdom. Sangen er difor ekstra vemodig denne jula.

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

Det vekte oppsikt då BBC ville sensurera sangen i 2020 (NRK)

Om Fairytale of New York (Wikipedia)

Geir Rakvaag sine minneord (Dagsavisen)
Sangen vart framført i gravferda til MacGowan (Youtube)