Song: ‘Fairytale of New York’ performed by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl.
In the UK this has often been considered the nation’s favourite Christmas song! With an Irish folk vibe and a melody that moves us to dance, it’s also filled with much pathos.
As an argument ensues between the characters in the song there , there is a very real tension between love and hate, between an idyllic relationship that bursts into anger. There is a looking back to past dreams and disappointments, and the hope and promise of better times, the hope of dreams coming true.
There is the promise which goes back to Christmas Eve when the two figures in the song first first held hands, and danced through the night, the dreams of what could have been versus what actually is. In the midst of the “drunk tanks,” the arguments and broken dreams, the choir sings on and the bells ring out for Christmas Day, punctuating the grit and maybe promising more. What is “the more?”
Anyway, enough of all this! There will be time to talk and reflect soon, so let’s listen to the song!
Lyrics: You can find the Lyrics at: https://genius.com/The-pogues-fairytale-of-new-york-lyrics
Is the song familiar or unfamiliar to you?
What were your immediate thoughts?
How does this song make you feel?
Here are some areas for discussion. There are far too many here for one session, so just take your pick!
- “It was Christmas Eve babe in the drunk tank, an old man said to me, won’t see another one.” It’s a gritty start to a Christmas song, as we begin with the reality of life for some. But what is gritty about the birth of Christ? How do we portray this in our celebrations? How does the Incarnation connect with the gritty living out of life and the experience of those who are poor, struggling, or whose lives are sad or chaotic? How gritty is the sign given to the shepherds? A baby, wrapped in cloths, placed in a feeding trough. What does this represent to us? And how gritty are the shepherds themselves?! (Luke 2: 11-12)
- “You’re a bum, you’re a punk.” This song is almost an antidote to many other traditional sentimental Christmas Songs. Here, we witness an explosive argument with insults and expletives! Why does the way many people celebrate Christmas raise such emotional anxiety? In what ways does it bring out the best and the worst in us? What arguments are there at Christmas? Is Christmas to blame? Do people have an image of what a perfect Christmas is? What does your perfect Christmas look like? How does the way the church celebrates Christmas both contradict and connect with the way many others celebrate it? Are there pressures (from TV and film, literature, commerce) to have a certain kind of Christmas?
- “I could have been someone. Then so could anyone”. What does God want us to make of our lives? What is the “someone” God wants us to be? Does it match with the “someone” we want to be? Is there a yearning in some to “be “special” or “significant,” “successful” or “famous?” How does a culture of celebrity and fame affect us? How can we create a culture where all are valued and helped to appreciate their significance? (Psalm 139)
- “You promised me Broadway was waiting for me” The song is perhaps about lost youth and ruined dreams with the hope of something better still to come. What hope is there in the Christmas message? What does it say to those who are despondent about the past and want a different future? Consider how “Mary treasured up all these things in her heart.” What did she treasure? What do we treasure? (Luke 2:19)
- Looking over your own life, how have your hopes and ambitions changed? Have there been disappointments or new opportunities?What different directions has your life taken? Looking back, with retrospect, can you see God in the journey of your life? (Matthew 28:20)
- “And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day”. As the argument ensues, and the song moves on, the band continues to play, and the bells ring out. What are the sounds you associate with Christmas? Think about the Christmas Bible stories of Christmas and what sounds are there? When the shepherds leave the hills, the song of the angels subsides and they are left with an infant’s cries. Perhaps you can consider the canticles of Luke 1, especially the song of Mary, for instance, and how that speaks to the world, how it speaks to us. (Luke 1: 46-56)
- “Sinatra was swinging, all the drunks they were singing”. In the song, we are given a picture of partying, drinking and getting drunk, a common experience for many at Christmas with office parties, and family gatherings, sometimes with a little excess! It’s hardly a “Silent Night” yet alone a “Holy Night!” How important are times of silence and reflection at Christmas especially when people are so busy? Do you give time for contemplation?
- “You scumbag, you maggot.” There have been times when this song had to be edited for broadcast, with words either bleeped out or changed altogether with controversies in recent years about particular words used. How important is our use of language? How does language change? What do we feel about the language used in the song?
- “I built my dreams around you”. As their two lives intermingle, and the relationship’s highs and lows are played out, we are left with an image of what was, how life is now, and what life may be for them. In the Book of Revelation, we are given an image of all time held by Christ. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8). How do we see our past, present and future as being held by God? Are we able to cherish the present moment? Are we anxious about the future? What does the future with God look like? (1 John 3:1-2)
- “The Fairytale of New York”. The title, in itself, offers a prompt for thought and discussion. Whilst New York is a backdrop for many Christmas Movies which play out like fairy tales, how is the story of Christ’s birth viewed by others, by us? As a children’s story, a fairy tale? What is the real, happy ending? (John 18:37 “I was born for this…”)
At the end, identify what we have gained or learned, and what has changed for us Is there anything we can act upon?
After the discussion, a particular reading from the Bible may have come to mind, which can be read, and the session completed with a time of prayer in whatever way suits the group.
You may want to play the song again as part of gathering everything together
In Session 3: ‘Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ performed by Judy Garland.
South Cardiff Ministry Area 