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The greatest Christmas song ever made? These drunk Irish punks beg to differ.
TMDB
76
IMDb
79

The Story of 'Fairytale of New York' (2005)

Bittersweet nostalgiaPunk chaosChristmas melancholy

Overview

DocumentaryMusic

A look at the creation of The Pogues' song "Fairytale of New York".

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Content warning

Standout Aspects

Acting

Richard E. Grant's velvety narration vs. Shane's chaos.

Production

Studio footage capturing a miracle that shouldn't work.

Writing

MacGowan's lyrics: poetry from a man falling apart.

Best for:Solo: A quiet winter night with whiskey and feelings.·Friends: Before a night out, to feel something first.·Background: While decorating — it'll hit different after.
Heads up:Drug Use: Shane's addiction struggles shown unflinchingly.·Language: That slur in the lyrics — debated, not erased.
N

Director

Nick Mattingly

ReleasedDec 19, 2005
Runtime56m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonemixed
Feelheavy
BBC Manchester

Top Cast

Richard E. Grant

Richard E. Grant

Narrator

Shane MacGowan

Shane MacGowan

Self

Spider Stacy

Spider Stacy

Self

Matt Dillon

Matt Dillon

Self

Jools Holland

Jools Holland

Self

Ask about The Story of 'Fairytale of New York'

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

The NYPD choir didn't actually exist — the video features the Pogues' friends pretending to sing 'Galway Bay'.

Cultural

The song was initially banned by the BBC in 2007 for that lyric, then unbanned, then debated every December since — becoming part of its mythology.

YouTube

The Story Of The Pogues & Kirsty McColl Fairytale of new york The full Story

The Story Of The Pogues & Kirsty McColl Fairytale of new york The full Story

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