I opened the NY Times this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see a Bob Mehr-penned article about a Shane MacGowan tribute album . The collection is entitled 20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan, and features big-name artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, and U2.
Some lunatic wrote “MacGowan is wildly overrated. He wrote 10-12 great songs, tops” as a comment. I took the bait and wrote this:
Shane brought us brilliant craic. Bono keeps selling us Big Macs.
Shane MacGowan brought Irish music and history to the world, and he did so with an authenticity sorely lacking in megaband U2 who literally wrap themselves in the US flag. Shane brought us brilliant craic. Bono keeps selling us Big Macs.
With The Pogues, Shane MacGowan brought Ireland to the world
The MacGowan-led Pogues brought music to places it had never been before, merging traditional Irish poetry with mainstream English pop. Pogues records made their way into my library, right between my Dead Kennedys and Clash records. My dad, whose mom was born in England, once said, “I hate most of the music you play, but that Irish stuff is OK. Who are they?”
Without MacGowan, that doesn’t happen, and countless people like me do not get introduced to Irish music and history. How many artists have achieved something similar?
My introduction to Shane MacGowan
My introduction to Shane MacGowan was seeing the Pogues video for Dirty Old Town, the 1949 Ewan MacColl song. It was beautiful, authentic, human. Shane transcended history, teaching a new generation about a great song and great songwriter from the past. Again, how many artists have achieved something similar?
(A couple of years later, the woman who would become my wife would sing “Dirty Old George” whenever the opportunity presented itself.)
If anything, Shane MacGowan is underrated.
If anything, Shane MacGowan is underrated. People who didn’t know Shane’s music at all would make fun of his teeth and his drinking, completely ignoring and dismissing his brilliance.
Shane’s work wasn’t preachy, nor was it pretentious. He didn’t talk down to us and pretend to be God like Bob Dylan or Bono. He was more like a good teacher: he welcomed everyone, uplifted our spirits, and invited us to learn.
Without Shane’s poetry I wouldn’t have been interested in Ireland or The Troubles. I wouldn’t have read books about Ireland, known Brendan Behan, etc. I would have been poorer, more ignorant. And without Shane to counter the phony, corporate garbage that is Bono and U2, I would very likely hate Ireland and all things Irish. Thank you, Shane MacGowan.
Shane MacGowan planted seeds. They are still growing.
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