Thank You for Hearing Me: The Definitive Sinéad O'Connor Discography

“Fairy Tale of New York (featuring Sinéad O'Connor)”

by Damien Dempsey

Composed by Shane MacGowan/Jem Finer

1 version

3:51

It's All Bells: Jingle All the Way various artists album

Lyrics

(Source: The Pogues' official site)

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.
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
Were singing "Galway Bay,"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day.

Notes

The Pogues' original version is called "Fairytale of New York."

Curiously, even though the Pogues' original version was sung as a duet by Shane MacGowan and Kirsty MacColl, Sinéad doesn't sing Kirsty's parts here. It kind of takes away from the humorous and poignant aspect of the song!

Produced by Damien Dempsey

(Source: as guessed)

Musicians

(Source: as guessed)

Damien Dempsey lead vocals , acoustic guitar
Sinéad O'Connor background vocals

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Questions, comments, or corrections? Email me at jason@tibbetts.net.