http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/1207/breaking42.html

Pogues' Christmas hit reaches 25 YEARS

.It was christmas eve babe

In the drunk tank

An old man said to me: won't see another one

And then they sang a song

The rare old mountain dew

I turned my face away and dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one

Came in eighteen to one

I´ve got a feeling

This year´s for me and you

So happy christmas

I love you baby

I can see a better time

Where all our dreams come true.

They got cars big as bars

They got rivers of gold

But the wind goes right through you

It´s no place for the old

When you first took my hand on a cold christmas eve

You promised me broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome you were pretty

Queen of new york city when the band finished playing they yelled out for more

Sinatra was swinging all the drunks they were singing

We kissed on a corner

Then danced through the night.

And the boys from the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay

And the bells were ringing out for christmas day.

You´re a bum you´re a punk

You´re an old slut on junk

Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed

You scumbag you maggot

You cheap lousy faggot

Happy christmas your arse I pray god it´s our last.

And the boys of the NYPD choir's still singing Galway Bay

And the bells were ringing out

For christmas day.

I could have been someone

Well so could anyone

You took my dreams from me

When I first found you

I kept them with me babe

I put them with my own

Can´t make it out alone

I´ve built my dreams around you

And the boys of the NYPD choir's still singing Galway Bay

And the bells are ringing out

For christmas day.

I heard this song for the first time (at least the first time that I can remember) last month as background music at McD's here in Tokyo.

I remember when this song was released. Always thought it was one of the Pogues best.

While this is not "Irish" music, whenever I do hear a bit of it I always kick myself for not visiting Ireland. Somehow I think I had a lovely woman there for me.

Decades past and I'm well settled with a lass 15yrs my junior.

Perhaps in my last life I was Irish, perhaps in my next I will make it back home.

I was very lucky, insomuch that I used to work in London early on in the Pogue's career.

They used to sing at the 'Pindar of Wakefield', a Pub on Grey's Inn Road where I worked ... not far up the road from the King's Cross Tube Station.

Great guys ... amazing drinkers.

Hearts of gold (in those days)

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