The Parting Glass:

An Annotated Pogues Lyrics Page -
Red Roses for Me

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"Red Roses for Me" is also the name of a play written in 1943 by Sean O'Casey (1880-1964). O'Casey, nee John Casey, was born in Dublin to Protestant parents but gaelicized his name as he became involved in Irish republican politics. His writing career began as a contributor to the socialist press of the day, and he became involved in socialist politics -- joining Jim Larkin's Irish Transport and General Workers' Union and James Connolly's Irish Citizens Army. He eventually broke with the ICA and his earliest successes on the stage -- "The Shadow of a Gunman" (1923), "Juno and the Paycock" (1924) and "The Plough and the Stars" (1926) -- all revolve around Irish nationalist politics. In 1926 he left Ireland for England and settled there permanently. One of the songs in the play is called "Red Roses" (click the link for a window with the full lyrics).

Transmetropolitan
(Shane MacGowan)

"In the rosy parks of England
We'll sit and have a drink
Of VP wine and cider 'til we can hardly think..."

"VP Wine" refers to VP Sherry, a British wine (and not a "true" Sherry for you wine enthusiasts out there). The "VP" is an abbreviation for the company that produced the wine, Vine Products, based in Kingston upon Thames.

"To heaven or to hell
And kick up bloody murder in the town we love so well..."

"The Town I Loved So Well" (click the link to open a window with the full lyrics) is a tune by Phil Coulter that was recorded by the Dubliners (among others, but noteworthy for the subsequent collaborations between the Pogues and the Dubliners). It's also a great way to kick off the album in that the band shows its pedigree -- rooted in traditional Irish music but with a modern sensibility. The song itself describes the devastation to Derry (we can see the Irish Republican leanings of the song in the use of the name "Derry" for the town; the English refer to it as "Londonderry") wrought by British occupation as the Troubles began to heat up again (also see Six to Go, Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six). Thanks to Nina for the tip.

"Going transmetropolitan (yip-i-aye)
From the dear old streets of Kings Cross
To the doors of the ICA..."

King's Cross is a London neighborhood.

The ICA is the Institute of Contemporary Arts, at the time a trendy, lefty institution that hosted some punk gigs and avant garde art shows.

"From Brixton's lovely boulevards
To Hammersmith's sightly shores
We'll scare the Camden Palace poofs
And worry all the whores
There's lechers up in Whitehall
And queers in the GLC
And when we've done those bastards in
We'll storm the BBC..."

Brixton and Hammersmith are London neighborhoods.

Camden Palace was the main nightclub for the "new romantics" and other trendies of the early 80s London club scene (in his interview in the "Great Hunger" BBC special, Shane expressed a pretty low view of the new romantic movement).

The GLC is the former Greater London Council which was -- in the 1970s and early 80s at least -- the quite left-wing city wide government body and a thorn in Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher's side (Thatcher was a Conservative and during her run as prime minister oversaw the dismantling of the British welfare state, fought the Falklands War, and allowed Bobby Sands and the other Irish hunger strikers to die in Long Kesh, with the hunger strike itself being a reaction to Thatcher's new policy of treating IRA prisoners of war as regular common criminals). She eventually disbanded the council, so that today the borough councils have at least limited autonomy for very local issues, with Parliament retaining control over major city-wide issues. In one of those neat ironies of history, in spring 2000, London elected its first executive mayor and the good citizens saw fit to elect to the position Ken Livingstone, aka "Red" Ken, who was Thatcher's chief enemy in the GLC.

Whitehall is the street synonymous with government in London, as Downing Street (the residence of the Prime Minister), Scotland Yard, and Parliament Square are all attached to it.

A huge thanks to John for providing most of the details on this.

"Going transmetropolitan
From Surey Docks to Somers Town
With a KMRIA
From a five-bob bet in Williams Hills
to a Soho sex-shop dream"

KMRIA is an acronym for "Kiss My Royal Irish Arse" (thanks to John and Gerardo for that one). There's a short section in Joyce's Ulysses entitled "K.M.R.I.A" (thanks to Gerardo for the heads up on that one). The text, in its entirety, reads:

"-- He can kiss my royal Irish arse, Myles Crawford cried loudly over his shoulder.
Any time he likes, tell him.

While Mr. Bloom stood weighing the point and about to smile he strode on jerkily."

-- Ulysses, Part II, chapter 7, lines 990-994

And what the heck, as long as we're on Joyce here and this is the first Pogues song on the first Pogues album, later in Ulysses we get this exchange with Stephen Daedulus and Monk Mulligan:

,
-- Pogue mahone! Acushla machree! It's destroyed we are from this day! It's destroyed we are surely!

All smiled their smiles.

-- Ulysses, Part II, chapter 9, lines 775-777.

.

The photo of Joyce (above left) was used for the cover on the US release of "If I Should Fall From Grace With God." "Ulysses" was first published in Paris on 2 February 1922, and if you haven't read it yet, you really are missing something joyous (no pun intended). James Joyce (1882-1941), of course, is one of the giants of world literature. He was born in Dublin, left for Paris when he was 20, and, except for a brief return at the death of his mother, pretty much left Ireland for good by 1912. Despite his critical success, he struggled with poverty throughout his life.

William Hills is a betting shop (thanks again John.)

"From a fried egg in Valtaro's
To a Tottenham Court Road ice cream..."

Valtarro's (on Kingly Street on the west of Soho) is one of the last of the old Italian run cafés that were once common in the area.

Tottenham Court Road is the big road to the north-east of Soho (thanks Pete for the details on this lyric).

Going transmetropolitan
From Arlington House with a two-bob bit
To the Scottish shores today..."

Arlington House, located in the Camden section of London is a homeless shelter; currently about a third of its residents are Irish emigrants.

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Battle of Brisbane
(Shane MacGowan)

Brisbane is the state capital of Queensland, Australia that began less auspiciously as an English penal institution. In July 1825, after an unsuccessful attempt to settle at Redcliffe, a penal colony was established on the present site of Brisbane, by order of the then Governor of New South Wales, Sir Thomas Brisbane, and it quickly gained a reputation for being among the harshest in the colony, thanks in part to the appointment in March 1826 of Captain Patrick Logan as the new commandant. Logan was murdered in 1830.

I've received a bunch of email from folks in Australia on this one (thanks especially to Bernie and Veronica, and to Charles for passing along the following link). In local lore, the "Battle of Brisbane" refers to a clash between Australian and American servicemen stationed in Brisbane that raged from 26 to 27 November, 1942. In the end, the MPs killed one Australian serviceman and wounded 5 others.

The Auld Triangle
(Brendan Behan)

"The Auld Triangle" (click the link to open a window with the full lyrics) was written by Brendan Behan (1923-1964), noted Irish playwright and author. His best known works are probably the autobiographical Borstal Boy (1958) and his plays The Hostage (1958) and The Quare Fellow (1959). His plays were performed to wide acclaim in London, New York, and Paris. He was also a left wing (i.e., socialist), republican (Irish) political activist. He was arrested by the British in 1939 for his role in an IRA Liverpool bombing and was sentenced to three years in jail. He was later deported back to Dublin, where, in March of 1942 he shot a police officer during commemoration ceremonies marking the 1916 rising. He went on the run and was eventually arrested in June of 1942 (despite standing orders that he be shot on sight). He was subsequently sentenced to 14 years for the shooting, but was released as part of a political amnesty in 1946. In 1947 he was again arrested in Britain for violating the terms of his deportation (namely, he returned to Britain). His great success as a playwright followed shortly thereafter and he rode a wave of popularity and critical acclaim throughout much of the 1950s and early 1960s. Unfortunately, he died of causes related to his alchoholism following several unsuccessful treatment programs. He received a republican burial in 1964 (also see "Streams of Whisky" below, and "Thousands are Sailing").

A hungry feeling, came o'er me stealing
And the mice they were squealing in my prison cell
And that auld triangle, went jingle jangle
All along the banks of the Royal Canal.

The Royal Canal connected Dublin to the Shannon River. Constuction of the canal dates to 1789, but it fell into disrepair over the years and was shut down in 1961. In 1987 the Irish government developed plans (and, more importantly, allocated funds) for its restoration. The Mountjoy prisons (separate facilities for male and female inmates) are located along the banks of the canal. Although Behan began writing plays when he was interred at Curragh prison (1943) he also did time in Mountjoy prison. His best known play -- "The Quare Fellow" -- is based on a convicted murderer he met while imprisoned there.

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Waxie's Dargle
(Traditional)

Says my auld wan to your auld wan
"Will ye go to the Waxies dargle?"
Says your auld wan to my auld wan,
"I haven't got a farthing.

"Auld wan" would be someone's wife; getting this reference right makes the song that much more humorous (see below). It's basically two guys talking about the activities of their wives. A "waxie" is slang for a candlemaker; with candlemaking being one of the few trades open to women in the 18th century. The"Waxie's Dargle" was an annual ball or company outing that the candlemakers held every year in the seacoast town of Bray, due south from Dublin. Dargle may refer to the Dargle river. A"farthing" was at one time a currency in England equal to one quarter of a penny.

"I went up to Monto town
To see Uncle McArdle..."

"Monto Town" was, for awhile anyway, the largest red-light district in Dublin, centered around Montgomery Street (now called Foley Street, located near what is now Connolly Station). It was closed down after the Irish civil war. It is celebrated in a "traditional" tune, covered by the Dubliners (one of Shane's favorite sources of inspiration), entitled "Take me up to Monto."

What will ya have?
I'll have a pint!
I'll have a pint with you, Sir!
And if one of ya' doesn't order soon
We'll be chucked out of the boozer!

Combining the "Monto town" reference with the chorus above, we get the image of two married ladies out for a night on the town in one of Dublin's wilder neighborhoods, getting drinks from men not their husbands. A boozer is a pub or bar.

Says my auld wan to your auld wan
"Will ye go to the Galway races?"
Says your auld wan to my auld wan,
"I'll hawk me auld man's braces."
I went up to Capel Street
To the Jewish moneylenders
But he wouldn't give me a couple of bob
For the auld man's red suspenders.

The Galway Races are an annual summer horse racing event held in... wait for it... Galway! It's also the title of a traditional Irish folk song, covered by the Pogues as part of the "Medley" on their "If I Should Fall from Grace" release.

The "auld man" would be the wife referring to her husband, and his pants were held up by his "braces" or, as the last line has it, his suspenders. As we know from our Shakespeare ("The Merchant of Venice") one of the few occupations available to Jews in Christian Europe was moneylending (unlike some versions of Christianity, Judaism had no restrictions on charging interest on a loan, which makes money lending a profitable -- and economically essential -- enterprise). A "bob" is a shilling, which was equal to about 5 pennies.

Says my auld wan to your auld wan
"We got no beef or mutton
If we went up to Monto town
We might get a drink for nuttin'"

The chorus essentially shows how ladies might get a drink for free (no shortage of "gentlemen" willing to buy), but given the reference to Monto town and its reputation, its also possible that it may be a sly reference to more, ummmm, profitable (if morally questionable) ways to get money for a drink.

Here's a nice piece of advice
I got from an auld fishmonger:
"When food is scarce and you see the hearse
You'll know you have died of hunger."

A fishmonger sells fish. It was also a job that women could take.

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Dark Streets of London
(Shane MacGowan)

"I liked to walk
In the summer breeze
Down Dalling Road
By the dead old trees
And drink with my friends
In the Hammersmith Broadway"

Dalling Road is a tree lined street in Hammersmith , a borough in West London (thanks Paul).

"Every time that I look
On the first day of summer
Takes me back to the place
Where they gave ECT..."

Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT is the current euphemism for "electroshock therapy;" so the place where they gave ECT would be a mental institution. Shane spent at least some time at St. John of Gods, a mental hospital in Dublin, a theme which recurs thoughout his writing (see "Cotton Fields," "Sunnyside of the Street," and "St. John of Gods"). In A Drink With Shane MacGowan (2001, Grove Press, ISBN: 0-8021-37900-3, p.86) Shane relates that he did not receive ECT while he was institutionalized, but it was in use at the hospital:

.Victoria: "Did you have ECT?"

Shane: "No, but they were prepared to use it if someone wasn't controllable by any other method. So, I'll always sign a petition against ECT... I think it's disgusting" [ellipsis in the original].

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Boys from the County Hell
(Shane MacGowan)

"My daddy was a blue shirt and my mother a madam
And my brother earned his medals at My Lai in Vietnam" 

"Blue shirts," the name echoing the "brown shirts" of Hitler's Nazis and the "black shirts" of the British and Italian fascists, was the popular name in Ireland for the Army Comrades Association (formed on 9 February 1932), a haven for Irish fascists and sympathizers. In the Spanish Civil War they formed the bulk of the Irish contingent (about 700 men) fighting on the side of Franco and the fascists (who also wore blue uniforms) led by the founder of the ACA, Eoin O'Duffy (for Irish fighting on the Republican side of the war, see the reference to Frank Ryan who appears in "Sick Bed of Cuchulainn"). Although not nearly as violent or "successful" as their German models, the Irish blueshirts gained a reputation for street hooliganism. They were an active force in Irish politics from about 1933 through the Second World War, with the group ultimately evolving into Fine Gael, one of the two major parties in contemporary Irish politics today. See R.F. Foster, 1988. Modern Ireland (New York: Viking).

"My Lai " was an infamous massacre conducted in March 1968 by U.S. forces upon the men, women, and children who lived in the Vietnamese village of My Lai. A platoon of the 23rd Infantry Division under the leadership of Lieutenant William Calley murdered at least 300 Vietnamese civilians. Calley was subsequently court martialed for his role in the massacre and sentenced to life at hard labor. He was spared the bulk of the prison time when that great champion of justice, President Richard M. Nixon, inteceded on his behalf. See Stanley Karnow, 1983. Vietnam (New York: Viking); and Neil Sheehan, 1988. A Bright Shining Lie (New York: Random House). The lyrics printed in the "Poguetry" collection use the line "raping gooks in Vietnam," with "gooks" being American slang for the Vietnamese. Ken wrote (thanks!) to note that the word has its origins in yet another American military adventure in Asia -- the Korean War (1950-1953). In the Korean language, "gook" translates roughly as "country," so that, in the Korean language, Korea the country is called "Han-gook," China is "Jung-gook", England is "Yung-gook" and the US is... "Mi-gook," pronounced as the note in the scale (you know, "doe-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-doe). American troops just off the boat heard the Korean greeting of "Mi-gook! Mi-gook" ("Americans! Americans!") as broken english and started refering to all Koreans as gooks. This eventually mutated into GI slang for Asians of any kind.

The basic tenor of these lines -- the listing of a pathological pedigree, to use Dana's phrase -- also has roots in traditional Irish music. For instance, in "The Cobbler" we get:

Oh me father was hung for sheep stealing
Me mother was burned for a witch
Me sister's a dandy housekeeper
And I'm a mechanical switch

Click the link for a window with the full lyrics. Thanks Dana for the heads up on this one. Thanks to Dan for pointing out an error in my description of My Lai (Calley was with the U.S. Army, not the U.S. Marines).

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Sea Shanty
(Shane MacGowan)

A "chanty" or "chantey" was a song sung by seamen to provide some rhythm while working.

"I met with Bill James we fought over crusts
He called me a whore and I booted his crutch
The we shared out the jack and we thought it a treat
The compliments pass when the quality meet..."

"The quality" is a slang reference to the gentry or upper classes, from the lower class perspective. The last line itself comes from a scene in Brendan Behan's "Borstal Boy" (for more on Behan, see "Auld Triangle," above; for more on the Borstal system, see "B&I Ferry") Behan relates how the prisoners would shout to each other through the windows:

"I never went in for conversations myself, even with Charlie, who was only beside me because my accent stuck out and the others would shout, "Kip in, you dirty Irish bastard", as they did once or twice. Besides, if I had a book at all, I'd sooner read. Sometimes two chinas from the same district or town would start off a conversation and get really into it, and as they knew the same places and the even the same people, it was worth listening to. But then some fellow was sure to shout out, "Kip in there, you bastards," in an angry tone, and the conversation would be spoiled and end up in an exchange of abuse with the interrupter. "Kip in yourself, you bloody puff", one of the conversationalists would shout and the interrupter would answer, "I'll do you, you bastard, at exercise, see if I don't, you shit'ouse." "Get stuffed you bloody puff" Compliments pass when the quality meet [italics added]. The interrupter would be only shouting to hear his own voice and also there were prisoners who seemed to delight in hearing of other prisoners being punished, and would shout if they agreed with the silence rule. in another way it was a safe was of breaking the silence" (p. 112, Corgi books, 1961). Thanks to Dave for passing that along.

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Whiskey, You're the Devil
(Traditional)

This is a traditional Irish tune, click here to open a window with the full lyrics.

Now brave boys we're on the march
For Portugal and Spain
Drums are beating, banners flying
The devil a home will come tonight

The reference to marching off for Portugal and Spain may be to the Napoleonic Wars (also see "Cotton Fields"). Many Irish were conscripted (and to be fair, many volunteered, although in no small measure to escape the poverty that British rule imposed on Ireland) into the British Army. So the lines may refer to the Duke of Wellington's (i.e., Arthur Wellesley's) campaign in the Peninsular War against Napoleon's army. Thanks to Adrian for suggesting this interpretation.

Now the French are fighting boldly
Men are dying hot and coldly

I always interpreted the middle verse about the French as a reference to the 1798 rebellion in Ireland for a couple of reasons (but it doesn't seem to go very well with the above verse about Portugal and Spain). First, France sent some 1000 troops under the leadership of General Jean Humbert to assist the Irish in the rebellion. Humbert, accompanied by Matthew Tone (Wolfe's brother) and Bartholomew Teeling, landed at Kilcummin, Killala in Co. Mayo on 22 August 1798. They occupied Killala and proceeded to chase the English to Castlebar, where they were victorious, so that by 31 August the "Republic of Connaught" is declared. The victory was short-lived, as the Franco-Irish forces were defeated by 16 September in Wexford (also see "Boat Train" and "Rainbow Man"). Tone and Teeling were both eventually captured and executed -- Teeling on 24 September and Tone on 29 September (both were executed in Dublin). Second, the rebellion became a rich source of Irish traditional tunes, including such gems as "Roddy McCorley," "The Croppy Boy," "The Wind that Shakes the Barley," and "Boolavogue." On the other hand, some Irish (the "Wild Geese" -- remnants of the Irish aristocracy that fled the Island after King James's defeat at the Battle of the Boyne) fought on the side of the French (thanks Leon, I forgot about them). Indeed, it may refer to the "Flight of the Earls" following the loss of Limerick (see "Come to the Bower").

Give every man his flask of powder
His firelock on his shoulder.

I've received some conflicting information on the "firelock" reference, and as it's beyond my area of expertise, here's both. Adrian wrote to say that the firelock was an early rifle (ca. 1547) in which the bullet was propelled by an explosion of gun powder. However, at the time of either of the military actions mentioned above it had long since been replaced by flintlock rifles (which were introduced in 1683). After reading that, Leon wrote that "firelock" and "flintlock" were synonyms, which would put us back into the 18th century after all.

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Streams of Whiskey
(Shane MacGowan)

"Last night as I slept
I dreamed I met with Behan..."

Most likely a reference to Irish playwright and author Brendan Behan (see "Auld Lang Triangle" ).

"I am going, I am going
Any which way the wind may be blowing
I am going, I am going
Where streams of whiskey are flowing"

Given the causes of Behan's death (alcoholism, see "The Auld Triangle" above) this chorus detailing his philosophy of life is rather poignant.

On the other hand, in the "The Poor Mouth" (originally published in gaelic as "An Béal Bocht"), Flann O'Brien (writing under the pseudonym "Myles na Gopaleen") includes an account of "Hunger-stack," a mountain whose summit had a cave with not one but two streams of whiskey; one of which flowed freely and provided sustenance, while the other was afire and provided warmth and light in the cave. The protagonist of the novel -- a desperately poor gaelic-speaking man -- scales the mountain during a brutal windswept storm in search of gold coins alleged to have been taken there some years earlier by another desperate irishman. The novel is a pretty funny farce, full of allusions to other gaelic stories, so I'm not certain if the idea is original to O'Brien or is itself from some earlier tale.

Flann O'Brien was a pseudonym for Brian O'Nolan (nee Brian O Nuallain; 1911-1966). He is frequently listed in the same rarified air as James Joyce and Samuel Beckett in twentieth century Irish literature. He was born in Strabane, county Tyrone to a gaelic speaking family. He eventually studied at University College in Dublin and soon established himself in the Dublin literary community. For his first novel ("At Swim-Two-Birds," published in 1939) he adopted the name Flann O'Brien and it stuck for his subsequent writings (except for those in gaelic, where he used Myles na Gopaleen). In addition to his novels he also wrote a newpaper column in the Irish Times under the "Myles" alias that was originally written in gaelic, then alternated between gaelic and english, before eventually becoming completely english. I'm not sure if he and Behan had ever met, but it seems at least probable. Both were fond of the bottle (O'Brien went into an extended alcoholic decline in the 1950s after losing his job in the Irish Civil Service in 1953) and frequented some of the same pubs in Dublin. Thanks to Jim for putting me on the trail tracking down the reference.

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 Dingle Regatta
(Traditional)

A regatta is a boat race, an annual one of which is held in Dingle. Dingle Bay is in Co. Kerry, on the extreme west coast of Ireland (it bills itself as the westernmost peninsula in Europe) and it is simply beautiful. If you get the chance to visit Ireland, the "Ring of Kerry" tour is a must.

Here's some thoughts from Jem about his contribution to the Pogues' version of this tune: "This instrumental is half a traditional tune, "Dingle Regatta," and half a tune I wrote. My writing career started with making up instrumental interludes, intros etc. This was the first tune I wrote that was too big to fit inside a song!"

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Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go
(Shane MacGowan)

"I fell and rolled in the hungry grass
That tells the tale of a terrible past..."

The "hungry grass" and its "terrible tale" likely refer to the Great Hunger. Towards the end of the first verse we get the lines:

"Four million people starved to death
Could smell the curse on their dying breath..."

This is echoed in the next verse:

 "I remembered the dunes on a Sligo shore ..."

As Shane eloquently described it years later in a tune ("The Dunes," click the link for a window with the full lyrics) written for and recorded by the great Ronnie Drew of the Dubliners, many of the dead from the Great Hunger were buried in the sand along the shore.

For more on the Great Hunger, see Christine Kinealy, 1995, This Great Calamity (Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart Publishers). Also see "Waxie's Dargle."

 

"To hell which is circular all around"

In the "Inferno" section of "The Divine Comedy," Dante describes hell as containing 9 circles.

Also, in the first verse, the lyrics published in the "Poguetry" collection (Faber & Faber, ISBN 0-571-14198-6) omit four lines as sung on the album and cd (thanks Dave for the heads up there, I didn't notice 'til you asked). After the lines:

"I screamed and ran and dreamt I fell
Down in the depths of a freezing hell..."

As best I can tell, the missing lines then continue the trip into the depths, with Spider and Shane on alternating lines, starting with Spider:

"With a man coming up with the bugs inside
Bouncing teeth in a skull that died
We laughed to old times and the bad old days
They're wrapping me up and taking me away"

Then it picks up with the rest of the song beginning with "Four million people starved to death ..."

The last line above may be another reference to being institutionalized. Medical personel often use strait jackets to control and restrain the violent or potentially violent deranged to ease their trip to the loony bin. It may also refer to the practice of wrapping a corpse for burial (either version works in the context of the lyric, I think).

"What the hell's that over there
A putrefying corpse sitting in that chair..."

Jeff (thanks!) passed along an interesting read for this line. He pointed out that in The Third Policeman, another brilliant Flann O'Brien work (see "Streams of Whiskey" and "Paddy Rolling Stone"), a murderer is condemned to an eternity of reliving the same terrible adventures over and over again without realizing each time that he has already experienced the same torments. When the main character, who is also the narrator/murderer, dies, he is unaware of the fact (in fact, he does not learn of his death until the very end of the book--which he, of course, forgets as soon as he begins his journey all over again). A strange sensation comes over him and he spies the man he killed sitting in a chair across the room staring at him. During the fairly good-natured conversation that follows, the corpse instructs him to seek out the three policemen and his horrible quest begins. The working title for the novel was "Hell Goes Round and Round," itself probably an allusion to Dante's "Inferno" (see above).

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Kitty
(Traditional)

The credits on the cd and album list this as a traditional tune, but so far I have been unable to locate the lyrics for it anywhere other than on a Pogues-related site. The reason for this might best be explained by Shane himself: "'Kitty' is my favourite track on the album," says Shane. "it's a song that I learnt from my mother and I've only ever met one person, who wasn't out of my family or from round our particular little area in Tipperary, who knows it" (The quote is from Ann Scanlon's must read The Lost Decade). The versions I found are below:

Kitty
Paddy Rolling Stone version

Kitty
Wake of the Medusa version

Oh Kitty, my darling, remember
That the doom will be mine if I stay
'Tis far better to part, though it's hard to
Than to rot in their prison away
'Tis far better to part, though it's hard to
Than to rot in their prison away

So softly he then kissed her pale lips
'Twas the same story over an o'er
Hush Mavourneen, the police are watching
And you know that I must go ashore
Hush Mavourneen, the police are watching
And you know that I must go ashore

In a day I'll be over the mountain
There'll be time enough left for to cry
So good night and God guard you forever
And write to me won't you, good bye
So good night and God guard you forever
And write to me won't you, good bye

Oh Kitty, My Darling, remember
That the doom will be mine if I stay
'Tis far better to part, though it's hard to
Than to rot in their prison away
'Tis far better to part, though it's hard to
Than to rot in their prison away

So softly he kissed her pale lips
'Twas the same story over an o'er
Hush Mavourneen, the Police are watching
And you know that I must go ashore
Hush now Bernie, the Police are watching
And you know that I must go ashore

Any day I'll be over the mountain
There'll be time enough left for to cry
So good night and God gaurd you forever
And write to me once you get by
So good night and God gaurd you forever
And write to me once you get by

They are pretty similar, and I think there may be a small error in both in the second verse. The closing line is more likely "And you know that I must go, a stor." The gaelic phrase basically translates as "my darling" (and so echoes the opening English line and makes more sense lyrically). Likewise, "mavourneen" is another gaelic diminutive and not a surname. "Muirnín" is irish for 'darling', so "mo mhuirnín" would mean "my darling;" and "mavourneen" would be an english transliteration of the gaelic (thanks to Griff and Gary for the assist).

As for the other differences, I think I side more with the Paddy Rolling Stone lyrics. The last line with the final good bye seems to match the sentiments of the preceding line better. Similarly, I think the line is "mavourneen" both times.

During the 1798 Rebellion, Hugh Tallant maintained a record of the events of the day, including descriptions of the leaders of the rebellion. A century later, Randal McDonnel edited the journal and had it published as "Kathleen Mavourneen -- A Memory of the Great Rebellion." This inspired another traditional Irish tune (well, early 20th century at any rate) called "Kathleen Mavourneen." "Kitty" is the familar form of "Kathleen," and the sentiments of the second tune seem to follow those in the Pogues song. Click the link for a window with the full lyrics.

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Muirshen Durkin
(Traditional)

"Muirshen Durkin" is a traditional song (click the link for a window with the full lyrics). In Irish, "Muirshin" is the dimunitive for someone named Maurice (or "Muris" in gaelic), so it would be something like "Young Maurice" or "Little Maurice" (thanks Tom).

"So goodbye Muirsheen Durkin,
l'm sick and tired of working,
No more I'll dig the praties,
No longer I'll be fool.
For as sure as me name is Carney
I'll be off to California,
Where instead of diggin'praties
I'll be diggin'lumps of gold.

"Praties" are potatoes (thanks again John). In 1849, gold was found in California, sparking the great "gold rush" westward and providing the NFL with a moniker for its San Francisco franchise.

I've courted girls in Blarney, in Kanturk and in Killarney
In Passage and in Queenstown, that is the Cobh of Cork.
But goodbye to all this pleasure, for l'm going to take me leisure
And the next time you will hear from me will be a letter from New York,

Queenstown, in Co. Cork, was the English name for the Cobh of Cork (it reverted back to Cobh in 1922, pronounced like "cove"). It was a major port of departure for Irish emigrants to the U.S., and, for what it's worth, it was also the last port for the Titantic.

Goodbye to all the boys at home, l'm sailing far across the foam
To try to make me fortune in far America,
For there's s gold and money plenty for the poor and gentry
And when I come back again I never more will stray,

The vision of the U.S. as the land of opportunity in this tune contrasts nicely with "Everyman is a King in the USA, a tune written by Terry Woods and Ron Kavana that was released on the "White City" 12" single.

Repeal of the Licensing Laws
(Spider Stacy)

The "Licensing Laws" refer to a series of governmental acts in Ireland -- some 50 in all -- adopted from 1833 to 1997 that cover pubs and other rules related to alcohol. Most irksome, probably, are the hours they set on when pubs can be open for business. For instance, the latest revisions to the laws are proposing to increase the hours of operation to 11:30 pm on Mondays through Wednesdays, and to 12:30 am from Thurdays to Saturdays.

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