***Fairytale Of New York - by Shane MacGowan/Jem Finer
from the album "If I Should Fall From Grace With God"
Fairytale of New York - as perfomed by The Pogues
G/D D G/D
Asus4/E D G/D D G
It was Christmas Eve babe In the drunk tank
D G/A A D
An old man said to me, won't see another one And then he sang a song
G D
The Rare Old Mountain Dew And I turned my face away
G Asus4/E D G/A
And dreamed about you
G/A D G
Got on a lucky one Came in eighteen to one
D G/A A
I've got a feeling This year's for me and you
D G
So happy Christmas I love you baby
D G Asus4/E D
I can see a better time When all our dreams come true
G/D D G/D Asus4 /faster now/ D A D G A D
D
They've got cars
A
Big as bars
Bm G
They've got rivers of gold
D
But the wind goes right through you
A
It's no place for the old
D Bm
When you first took my hand
D G
On a cold Christmas Eve
D
You promised me
A D
Broadway was waiting for me
D
You were handsome
You were pretty
A
Queen of New York City
D G
When the band finished playing
A D
They howled out for more
D
Sinatra was swinging
A
All the drunks they were singing
D G
We kissed on the corner
A D
Then danced through the night
G Bm A
The boys of the NYPD choir
D Bm
Were singing 'Galway Bay'
D G
And the bells were ringing
A D A Bm G D A D Bm D G D A D
Out for Christmas day
D
You're a bum
D
You're a punk
A
You're an old slut on junk
D G A
Living there almost dead on a drip
D
In that bed
D
You scum bag
You maggot
A
You cheap lousy faggot
D G
Happy Christmas your arse
A
I pray God
D A D
It's our last
A D
I could have been someone
G
So could anyone
D
You took my dreams
A
From me when I first found you
D
I kept them with me babe
G
I put them with my own
D
Can't make it all alone
G A D
I've built my dreams around you
G/D - xx0433
G/A - x05433
Asus4/E - xx2233 or 575785
***Version 2*** by Chris Ashley
Incidental: G/A=xo543x; A5=x07650
Intro (strings):
|G/D D G/D |Asus4/E D |G A |
E_____________________________________0_
B____0___2_3_________________3____3___5_
G__2___0_____2___0___________4______4_6_
D______________0___4__2___0__0__0_____7_
A____________________________0________0_
E_______________________________________
D
It was Christmas Eve babe
G
In the drunk tank
D
An old man said to me,
G/A A5
won't see another one
And then he sang a song
G
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
D
And I turned my face away
G Asus4/E D
And dreamed about you?
D
Got on a lucky one
G
Came in eighteen to one
D
I've got a feeling
G/A A5
This year's for me and you
D
So happy Christmas
G
I love you baby
D
I can see a better time
G Asus4/E D
When all our dreams come true
Strings:
|G/D D G/D | Asus4/E D | A |
E___________0___________________________
B_____0___2_____________________________
G__2____0______2____0___________________
D_________________0___4___2__0_0________
A_______________________________________
E_______________________________________
Pennywhistle, up tempo:
| D A |D G A D |
E____________________________________________________
B______0___________0_________________________________
G___2____2_______2___2_______________________________
D___________4__0_______2__4_2___2_4_2_0____________0_
A________________________________________2_2_0_2_4___
E_________________________________________3__________
D
They've got cars
A
Big as bars
Bm G
They've got rivers of gold
D
But the wind goes right through you
A
It's no place for the old
D Bm
When you first took my hand
D G
On a cold Christmas Eve
D
You promised me
A D
Broadway was waiting for me
Pre_chorus:
D
You were handsome
You were pretty
A
Queen of New York City
D G
When the band finished playing
A D
They howled out for more
D
Sinatra was swinging
A
All the drunks they were singing
D G
We kissed on the corner
A D
Then danced through the night
Chorus:
G Bm A
The boys of the NYPD choir
D Bm
Were singing Galway Bay
D G
And the bells were ringing
A D
Out for Christmas day
Pennywhistle:
| D A Bm G|D A |
E_____0_2_0___0_2_0_____5_7_5_2_____0_2_3_5_0_
B__3________3_______3_0_________3_3___________
G_____________________________________________
D_____________________________________________
A_____________________________________________
E_____________________________________________
| D Bm D G|D A A |
E__5_7_5_2_____0_2_0_________2_5_2___0_2_0___
B__________3_3_______3_____3_______3_______3_
G______________________0_2___________________
D____________________________________________
A____________________________________________
E____________________________________________
Pre_chorus:
D
You're a bum
D
You're a punk
A
You're an old slut on junk
D G
Living there almost dead
A D
On a drip in that bed
D
You scum bag
You maggot
A
You cheap lousy faggot
D G
Happy Christmas your arse
A
I pray God
D A D
It's our last
Chorus:
G Bm A
The boys of the NYPD choir
D Bm
Were singing Galway Bay
D G
And the bells were ringing
A D
Out for Christmas day
|D |G |D G |A D A |
E_2___________________2_________________
B_3_3_3_2_2_0_0_0_2_3_3_________________
G_2___________________2_______0_________
D_0___________________0_4_4_0___4_2_0___
A_____________________________________4_
E_______________________________________
Bridge:
A5 D
I could have been someone
G
Well so could anyone
D
You took my dreams from me
G/A A5
When I first found you
D
I kept them with me babe
G
I put them with my own
D
Can't make it all alone
G A D
I've built my dreams around you
Chorus:
G Bm A
The boys of the NYPD choir
D Bm
Were singing Galway Bay
D G
And the bells were ringing
A D
Out for Christmas day
|D |G |D |A |
E_2_________________________2____________________
B_3______3_3_2_2_0_0__0_2_3_3____________________
G_2_________________________2________0_0_4_4_2_2_:
D_0_________________________0_0_0________4_4_2_2_
A________________________________________________
E________________________________________________
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
Maarten Average |
#1 by Maarten Wuyts at Jun 23, 1973 at 1:26 AM EST |
| quiffporn, she's not strung out on smack, she's lying on her deathbed in hospital. seriously, that is what it actually IS. | |
|
No Picture
Hey Retard Wanna Be |
#2 by Hey Retard at Nov 8, 1974 at 3:47 PM EST |
| What nobody has mentioned yet is that the girl dies in this song. The above comments have it fairly right, although you'll probably find that it depicts how the poor irish live, even in ireland. So yeah, old couple on christmas eve, looking back at when they first met on christmas eve long ago and built their lives around each other, how their dreams were never realised, and now the woman is lying in hospital dying and dies as the bells ring out for christmas. Ultimate christmas song. Such a pity about poor Kirsty, so talented. Just like shane. It's such a beautiful song, yet so sad, which strangely makes it all the more beautiful. A subtle realisation that christmas isn't all smiles and happyness. Can't wait til the pogues concert this christmas | |
|
No Picture
brennan Average |
#3 by brennan collins at Jan 26, 1979 at 6:12 AM EST |
| I Love It So Much!!! it is my favourite Christmas song because it is not just cheesy happiness(though thats good to!) It is a bit of a more realistic portrayal of Christmas!-people still argue! I love the way it starts off slow and speeds up. Everything about it is brilliant | |
|
No Picture
Squats Average |
#4 by Squats at Apr 15, 1983 at 7:01 PM EST |
| this is a wicked good song....i love The Pogues. | |
|
No Picture
♥Chicken Average |
#5 by ♥Chicken On Heroine Shots♥ at Feb 3, 1987 at 2:22 AM EST |
| just a great song, no denying that | |
|
No Picture
Lead Player |
#6 by Michael Leathers at Jun 18, 1991 at 12:27 PM EST |
| It's the best christmas song - so true | |
|
No Picture
chris Wanna Be |
#7 by chris calle at Mar 30, 1992 at 5:28 PM EST |
| "I've built my dreams around you".....heartbreaking. This is my favorite Christmas song as well as it can make me laugh (Happy Christmas your arse) and then break my heart in the 2nd to last verse. | |
|
No Picture
Austin Rhythm Player |
#8 by Austin at Nov 21, 1992 at 8:09 PM EST |
| doesnt anyone else like this song? ohh well...:D | |
|
No Picture
KELSO Wanna Be |
#9 by KELSO Is a COOL kid at Jun 14, 1993 at 11:07 AM EST |
| I love this song, since i was really little this has been my favourite christmas song. It's so bittersweet, and happy christmas your arse is a genius line! | |
|
No Picture
Damien Wanna Be |
#10 by Damien Pritchard at Dec 7, 1993 at 12:16 PM EST |
| awwww does anyone know where i can download this???? Please!!! | |
|
No Picture
sebastian Average |
#11 by sebastian daalmeijer at Mar 30, 2003 at 11:06 AM EST |
| When you see the ould couples in the ould pubs in the Irish ghettos who spend the night getting drunker and and giving each other hell yet going home together at the end of the night cos all they have is each other then you know you're where this was written. | |
|
No Picture
Austin Wanna Be |
#12 by Austin Skitowski at Mar 7, 2004 at 11:18 AM EST |
| 'Complete antithesis of a Christmas Song'. I love it so much. I am of the opinion that it was about a young, reckless mand and woman who constructed their dreams around each other so much, they failed to realise it was doomed from the outset. However, there is a realisation that the young man in question appears to have stolen all that was pivotal for the young woman, and now it's all gone to rack and ruin, drink, drugs, sex. Happy Christmas your arse, I love it. It's going in all my Christas cards this year. The lines that get me are 'you were handsome, you were pretty'....evidently this has all been lost to some pipe dream that ended with lying on a bed on a drip in hospital. It is completely sad, and like I mentioned an antithesis to a true Christmas song, and a bloody welcome relief too. | |
|
No Picture
Brandon Average |
#13 by Brandon Weathers at Feb 24, 2005 at 12:11 PM EST |
| I think melodic trash is right about the song- it's one of the few songs that make me cry almost everytime I hear it- I see it as esplaining how life is genrally shit- it's only the other people that make it good- these two people may be in a bad place but at least they love each other, and thats all that matters... | |
|
No Picture
bec Average |
#14 by bec madden at Aug 7, 2005 at 7:42 PM EST |
| It also makes me think of the lonely misery the many Irish immigrants of the 80's must have gone through around Christmas time. These two cling to each other for happiness amid the drunken despair, but it all turns to shit in the end. | |
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