As many fans of rock and roll found out this morning, Shane MacGowan, who rose to popularity as the frontman for the Irish punk band The Pogues, died today. The singer was 65 years old. His wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, shared the news of his passing on Instagram with a joint statement from MacGowan’s sister Siobhan, and father Maurice.
Videos by American Songwriter
But in Pogues fashion, we here at American Songwriter didn’t want to only dwell on the sad side of things, we wanted to celebrate the band by diving into one of its most beloved songs, “If I Should Fall from Grace with God,” a raucous number befitting the band’s energy. This is the story behind the pint-raising, whiskey-drinking track.
[RELATED: Shane MacGowan, Singer of the Influential Band The Pogues, Has Died at Age 65]
A Rock and Roll Prayer
The beautiful and bountiful land of Ireland is known for many things, from Guinness to rock and roll music. But it’s also known for its religious faith. Here, in “If I Should Fall from Grace with God,” MacGowan seemingly weaves all together in this song that gets your heart pounding like a shot of adrenaline.
The song is much like a rock and roll prayer, delivered from the pulpit of the pub. Released in 1988 on the LP of the same name, it is one of the group’s most successful songs, along with the track, “Fairytale of New York.” Peaking at No. 58 on the U.K. Singles Chart, “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” was a request of remembrance and service from the singer to his best mates.
[RELATED: The Story and Meaning Behind The Pogues’ Drunken Holiday Classic “Fairytale Of New York”]
MacGowan opens the song by singing,
If I should fall from grace with God
Where no doctor can relieve me
If I’m buried in the sod
But the angels won’t receive me
Let me go, boys, let me go, boys
Let me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry
That opening stanza with its subsequent refrain tells you much about the band, its roots, and its people. It’s a request, delivered with more passion than fits in a cathedral, and it’s a hopeful one. Although centered around the idea of death and mortality—the song is not one that wallows. Instead, it reminds us of the past, present, and future, as well as family lineage.
In a world where death can cripple and crumble one’s heart, MacGowan acknowledges that reality, but beseeches his friends (and listeners) not to trip up on loss. Instead, shout it away, like a crow from one’s windowsill. He continues,
This land was always ours
It was the proud land of our fathers
It belongs to us and them
Not to any of the others
Let them go, boys, let them go, boys
Let them go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry
The song continues in this way, part reminder, part ask, part prayer, and part modicum of peace and hope for an untortured life. It’s a bold and beautiful message, one not often found in pop music today—especially how MacGowan delivers it so passionately as if he doesn’t mind if his vocal cords rip out of his neck.
Other Releases
While an earlier version of the song, played slower, appeared on the soundtrack for the star-studded movie, Straight to Hell, the more famous and recognized version of the song is played much faster (which you can hear below), released in 1988.
But the song also enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in 2010 in a car commercial for the Subaru Forester, which features the track as a mother drives her hockey-loving children from event to event, locale to locale. Sometimes chores can require that extra boost of spirit.
Final Thoughts
It’s a treasure that songs like this exist. Of course, they hearken back to older Irish folk songs that are played in pubs and bars all across the country even today. For a land known for its music, its melancholy, and its stories passed down through the generations, this track from The Pogues was both the next evolution and a nod to its country’s history.
Death is real. Worry and sadness are real. But it’s these kinds of cathartic tracks that help human beings through it. It’s easy to imagine this song played dozens of times by a group of buddies after one of their fallen friends had to be buried. Songs like this help us cope with the impossible grief.
Given the passing of MacGowan today, raise a glass, put on “If I Should Fall From Grace With God,” and let it wail through your speakers.
Photo by Sydney O’Meara/Getty Images
