Greatest Christmas song ever? ~ How it was written ~ Painful birth of classic ~ Shane as Sinatra
Producer Steve Lillywhite ~ Kirsty MacColl vocals ~ Kirsty MacColl stage fright
Unofficial NYPD choir ~ Lure of Big Apple ~ Not just for the Irish ~ Alternative Christmas
Most played Christmas song ~ Lyrics censored ~ The video ~ Lyrics and chords
The first draft of the lyrics to Fairytale of New York was written by Jem Finer of the Pogues. The words were then refined several times by both Finer and Shane MacGowan before they emerged as the version of the song we know today.
The chords are presented here in the key of D Major, the key used by the Pogues on their classic recording featuring Kirsty Mccoll in 1987.
Lyrics and Chords
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
Eve babe, in the
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
drunk
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
said to me, won’t
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
see
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
another
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
sang a song
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
Mountain Dew and I turned my
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
face
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
dreamed
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
about
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
you
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
lucky one Came in eigh
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
teen to one
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
feeling This
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
year’s for
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
you and me
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
Christmas, I love you
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
baby
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
better time When
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
all our
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
dreams come
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
true
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
cars,
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
bars
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
rivers of
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
gold
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
wind goes right through you
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
old
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
first took my
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
hand
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
cold Christmas
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
Eve
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
promised
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
waiting for
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
me
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
handsome – You were pretty
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
City
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
band finished
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
playing
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
howled out for
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
more, Sinatra was swinging
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
singing
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
kissed on the
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
corner
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
danced through the
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
night
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
boys of the NY
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
PD
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
choir
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
singing Galway
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bay
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
bells were
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
ringing
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
Out for Christmas
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
day
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
You’re a bum – You’re a punk
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
junk
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
there almost
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
dead on a
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
drip
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
bed
You scum bag – You maggot
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
faggot
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
Christmas your
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
arse
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
God
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
last
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
boys of the NY
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
PD
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
choir
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
singing Galway
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bay
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
bells were
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
ringing
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
Out for Christmas
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
I could have
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
been
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
anyone
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
dreams
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
found
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
with me babe
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
with my own
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
all
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
dreams
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
around
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
boys of the NY
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
PD
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
choir
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
singing Galway
Bm
Cm
C#m
Dm
D#m
Em
Fm
F#m
Gm
G#m
Am
A#m
Bay
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
bells were
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
ringing
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
Out for Christmas
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
day
The Pogues had originally written the song in the key of C Major. But shortly before recording they changed to D Major. Guitarist Phil Chevron said that might seem like a small change but the band felt that it gave the song an extra energy.
Greatest Christmas song ever? ~ How it was written ~ Painful birth of classic ~ Shane as Sinatra
Producer Steve Lillywhite ~ Kirsty MacColl vocals ~ Kirsty MacColl stage fright
Unofficial NYPD choir ~ Lure of Big Apple ~ Not just for the Irish ~ Alternative Christmas
Most played Christmas song ~ Lyrics censored ~ The video ~ Lyrics and chords
