The Pogues react to Fairytale of New York debate

19 November 2020, 15:06 | Updated: 10 December 2020, 15:43

The band have appeared to respond positively to the news of an edited version of their hit Christmas song being played by some radio stations this year.

The Pogues have appeared to respond to the debate surrounding their Fairytale of New York single.

Christmas is almost upon us, which means the famous festive hit is due to get a another outing this year, which has been the case since its release in 1987.

The song - which features vocals from The Pogues' Shane MacGowan and the late singer Kirsty MacColl - has long been a topic of debate during the festive period, with people asking if it should be censored due to the modern meaning of the lyrics such as "f******".

This Christmas has been no different, as it was announced that some radio stations would be playing a censored version this year. Despite the original version not being banned entirely, opinion has been as divided as ever, with the song trending on Twitter featuring arguments from both sides of the fence.

However, the band's Twitter account seems to have made their thoughts clear this time around, telling opponents of the move to "f*** off" in true Pogues style.

One of the most prominent voices in the debate was Laurence Fox, who wrote: "Here we go again. The cultural commissars at the @bbc are telling you what is and isn’t appropriate for your ignorant little ears. Wouldn’t it be nice if we sent the (proper) version to the top of the charts?"

However, taking on what is believed to be their official Twitter account, the band made their feelings for the actor plain, writing: "F*** off you little herrenvolk s***e".

The band went on to retweet others who found the move more positive and slammed those who were complaining.

They retweeted one commenter who said: "This is all I’m gonna say on it for the whole year: the word itself being in Fairytale Of New York doesn’t bother or offend me, but straight people being so angry & outraged at its removal and literally fighting and arguing for the right to sing it bothers me deeply".

They shared another view which noted the timing of the story, which has coincided with the news that the government "have axed funding for anti LGBT Bullying programs in school.”

The band and those close to them have had different responses on the censorship of the track across the years.

Back in 2007, the mother of the late Kirsty MacColl, Jean, said the ban was "too ridiculous", while the band thought it was "amusing".

It's worth noting that the lyrics of the edited version itself were resung by MacColl before her tragic and untimely death in 2000.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, one thing certainly not up for debate is the song's popularity. It's often being cited as one of the best Christmas songs of all time and it's certainly one of the top-earners over the festive season.

QUIZ: Do you know these Fairytale of New York lyrics?

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