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.
Personalised framed prints
Stunning Illuminated Letters based on the ancient Book of Kells
Lyrics and Chords
[chordsandlyrics]
It was Christmas [D]Eve babe, in the [G]drunk tank
An old man [D]said to me, won’t [G]see [A]another one
And then he [D]sang a song
The Rare Old [G]Mountain Dew and I turned my [D]face away
And [G]dreamed [A]about [D]you [A]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Got on a [D]lucky one Came in eigh[G]teen to one
I’ve got a [D]feeling This [G]year’s for [A] you and me
So happy [D]Christmas, I love you [G]baby
I can see a [D]better time When [G]all our [A]dreams come [D]true [A]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They’ve got[D]cars,
Big as [A]bars
They’ve got [Bm]rivers of [G]gold
But the [D]wind goes right through you
It’s no place for the [A]old
When you [D]first took my [Bm]hand
On a [D]cold Christmas [G]Eve
You [D]promised me
Broadway was [A]waiting for [D]me
You were [D]handsome – You were pretty
Queen of New York [A]City
When the [D]band finished [G]playing
They [A]howled out for [D]more, Sinatra was swinging
All the drunks they were [A]singing
We [D]kissed on the [G]corner
And [A]danced through the [D]night
The [G]boys of the NY [Bm]PD [A]choir
Were [D]singing Galway [Bm]Bay
And the [D]bells were [G]ringing
[A]Out for Christmas [D]day [A]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[D]You’re a bum – You’re a punk
You’re an old slut on [A]junk
Lying [D]there almost [G]dead on a [A]drip
In that [D]bed
You scum bag – You maggot
You cheap lousy [A]faggot
Happy [D]Christmas your [G]arse
I pray [A]God
It’s our [D]last
The [G]boys of the NY [Bm]PD [A]choir
Were [D] singing Galway [Bm]Bay
And the [D]bells were [G]ringing
[A]Out for Christmas [D]day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[A]I could have [D]been someone
Well, So could [G] anyone
You took my [D]dreams
From me when I first [A]found you
I kept them [D] with me babe
I put them [G]with my own
Can’t make it [D]all alone
I’ve built my [G]dreams [A]around [D]you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The [G]boys of the NY [Bm]PD [A]choir
Still [D]singing Galway [Bm]Bay
And the [D]bells were [G]ringing
[A] Out for Christmas [D]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.
[/chordsandlyrics]
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
