A few weeks ago I thought I’d order the Pogues’ CD “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” because it’s an album I lost in our fire (see previous post - had it on cassette!!) and being the Christmas season, my favorite Christmas song is on it - “Fairytale of New York.” I’m pretty much a Scrooge as far as Christmas is concerned. It’s like pulling teeth to get me to get our tree up or do anything Christmas-y. I hate shopping and don’t know what to get anyone and don’t have much money to spend on it. I stress and grouch. Christmas songs get on my nerves or, now that mom is gone, make me cry. Mom loved Christmas. I’m the polar opposite. Humbug. But I love this song and listen to it every Christmas. I wanted the CD so I wasn’t confined to youtube. Now I can listen in the car and force it on my child when we go to dad’s each evening!! So I ordered the CD. I got it ——— the day the singer died. Shane MacGowan, rest his soul. I saw online that he had been released from the hospital. I knew he had been ill. He was very white - like my mom was one day when I stopped in. It was an unusual white. Not just pale. White. What goths try to be with make-up, but this was natural and for real. I told my son I’ll bet he dies soon because he was white like mom was that one day. And he did. The day I got that CD. Except I didn’t know it til later, after I had already put it on and gone to dad’s and forced “Fairytale of New York” on my kid. I saw while at dad’s that he had passed away that day, and it felt weird. And very sad. I hadn’t listened to the Pogues, besides that song, in ages. I had forgotten how wonderful they were. I LOVE Irish music. I had, and lost, music by other Irish-type bands, my other favorites being Black 47 from New York City (“Funky Ceili” being their hit) and Great Big Sea from Newfoundland. Those were my three bands I had CDs from that were Irish music I loved. Oh!! Let’s not forget Ashley MacIsaac!! Cape Breton fiddler. Anyway, this CD is so good. I’m still listening. I didn’t know Shane’s voice could get so deep like on the opening song “If I Should Fall from Grace with God.” My love for the Pogues, and this music, has been revived. I’ve been watching clips from the funeral on youtube. I now know who his wife, sister, and father are. I now know Johnny Depp was a personal friend. I’ve learned so much about him lately and the wonderful legacy the music he left behind is. RIP Shane. It’s a bittersweet Christmas without you but the song lives on.
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