Shane MacGowan once gave an honest response to the backlash from his famous Christmas song ‘Fairytale of New York’ and the use of a particular word.
You know the one - it’s a homophobic slur that, to be quite honest, shouldn’t be used, but let’s hear what the man behind it had to say.
Fairytale of New York is a classic Christmas song and loved by millions
Back in 1987, The Pogues - led by their charismatic frontman Shane MacGowan - teamed up with Kirsty McColl to create arguably the greatest Christmas song of all time - Fairytale of New York.
It tells a gritty and real tale of Christmas in the Big Apple, littered with references to poverty, drunkenness, and - refreshingly - a Christmas where everything isn’t perfect.
That’s probably why people like it so much - at this time of the year it can be difficult for many people, and therefore hearing constant refrains about how Christmas has to be absolutely flawless starts to grate.
However, there’s one line that has always stuck in a few people’s throats.
It’s the one where McColl calls MacGowan a ‘f****t’.
One article even suggested it was ‘as bad as using the N-word’.
It causes a debate each year - should it be censored, should it be allowed, what were the intentions behind it?
Well, luckily before he died a few years ago, MacGowan left his own thoughts, in his own inimitable style.
Kirsty McColl and Shane MacGowan promoting Fairytale of New York. Credit: Tim Roney/Getty
Shane MacGowan settled the debate as best he could
Discussing his intentions, MacGowan outlined the fact that the song is a story of two characters, not intended to be necessarily nice people.
He also said that the use of the word was never intended to be homophobic.
In a statement, he said: “The word was used by the character because it fitted with the way she would speak and with her character.
“She is not supposed to be a nice person, or even a wholesome person.
“She is a woman of a certain generation at a certain time in history and she is down on her luck and desperate.”
He continued: “Her dialogue is as accurate as I could make it but she is not intended to offend!
“She is just supposed to be an authentic character and not all characters in songs and stories are angels or even decent and respectable, sometimes characters in songs and stories have to be evil or nasty in order to tell the story effectively.”
That all seems fair enough, but there have always been those who have argued against the slur and the song as a result.
In the aforementioned article criticizing the song, one comment read: “For some, ‘f****t’ is just another weapon turned against homophobes, a way to snigger at ‘the straights’ being bone-headed and ignorant.
“But for others it will always evoke very specific memories of being bullied either online or in real life, or having to listen to their mates band it about as an insult.”
However, there isn’t a consensus.
Another person commented: “Fairytale of New York was written by an Irishman. ‘F****t’ is an old Irish slang word for a lazy person or a waster, and that’s the meaning that Shane McGowan intended when he wrote the song.
“Nothing to do with homophobia.”
Another said: “Sorry as a gay man, it doesn’t offend me, never has [and] never will, some people just need to get over themselves.”
It doesn’t seem like we’ll be sorting this annual Christmas debate out this year - let’s try again in 2026, shall we?