QotD: Singing A Holiday Tune

Audio: What's your favorite carol or holiday song?

I love old school Christmas songs mainly, Louis Armstrong is brilliant, as is Jona Lewie, but a real favourite has to be the Pogues with Kirsty McColl.

06 Fairytale Of New York
06 Fairytale Of New York
The Pogues

I love this song, I know some people find it a bit melancholy, but it's just such a classic.  I also have a major problem with anyone covering it, especially Ronan Keating and Moire Brennan who seem to try to make it into some nice friendly Christmas thing.  It just doesn't sound right, "cheap lousy faggot" gets changed to "cheap and you're haggard." A small change, but it kinda sums up the wishy-woshy feel to it when they do it.  Ronan is too much of a bland, boring wet pop star to pull off what Shane McGowan does with so much aplomb.  When something works this well, you shouldn't touch it.

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Suburban Mum
That's my favourite too! It came on the radio when we were in the car showroom picking up our new car last weekend, and I shouted "Yay, it's Christmas!" - it's the first time I've heard it this year - and then sung along to it, much to the bemusement of the salesmen. And yes you're right - the Ronan version is rubbish and changing "cheap lousy faggot" is just sacrilege.
Red Shoes
The best Christmas song ever. I agree heartily with your sentiments. I don't think I've ever heard Ronan's version played on the radio at Christmas apart from when it was released. It's always The Pogues. So yah, boo, sucks to rotten cover versions!
Pete
Sub! Good on ya, you have to sing! I really enjoy that song so much, the salesman should have joined in!

Red Shoeses, Yeah! Long live the original and all who listen to it!
malmo58
[this is good]
Nobody can match The Pogues on this number - they include it in the encore at their annual London Christmas concerts, with Jem Finer's daughter Ella standing in for the late great Kirsty - but Mark E. Nevin and Mary Coughlan did a pretty good job at the Kirsty tribute concert at the Royal Festival Hall in 2002. Agree that Ronan and Maire's version is utter pants.

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