I hate to write two diaries in such close proximity (my other one tonight was pushing to kick Republican ass in a special election in Iowa coming up), but since my music diaries tend to strike a chord with people (ouch! sorry, couldn't resist!), and since the Pogues are among my favorite bands, I thought I had to respond to the news that the guitarist for the Pogues, Philip Chevron, has died.
I'm Jewish so I don't know the proper Irish thing to say upon someone's death, but I CAN say, Philip, you had an impact on me.
In his honor I feel the need to listen to and diary some of my favorite Pogues music.
Join me below for some excellent mix of traditional Irish and punk.
I can't remember exactly how I discovered the Pogues, but I know it was during grad school. It made sense. I discovered Irish music and I discovered punk at about the same time. I KNEW of both before but it was in grad school that I started actually LISTENING to both. On the Punk end I eventually even learned that I am related to Henry Rollins, former lead of Black Flag. On the Irish end I actually got to hear the Chieftains live in a small venue at the top of a hotel along Sunset Blvd in Hollywood...and their guest was Roger Daltry. I could have really schmoozed had I wanted to because it WAS a very small venue and I had a dramatically shattered leg at the time, so they would have taken notice. But I just sat back and listened. WONDERFUL all around.
So at the juncture of say the Chieftains and Henry Rollins just may be the Pogues. Certainly for me that juxtaposition of deeply traditional Celtic and deeply angry working class punk that the Pogues managed worked very well for me.
As I understand it they originally called themselves something like "Pogue Mahon" (actually I think the real Irish is: póg mo thóin) which means "Kiss my ass." It got shortened to Pogues.
One of my favorite Pogues song is a vendetta song going back hundreds of years maintaining an Irish hatred for what Oliver Cromwell did to Ireland. The song is Young Ned of the Hill: (NOTE: not that I share their hatred of England and Cromwell...I just am impressed with the intensity of the song and how long the anger has lasted). (NOTE: hoping these videos don't have ads, but forgive me if they do! They are worth it!)
Reminds me of a story a good friend of mine told me in grad school. When she finally found the perfect man and got married (after years of assholes) they honeymooned in Ireland. At one point they were with a tour group and one of their "fellow" tourists started complaining that Ireland had so few old castles and how England was so much better for seeing castles. My friend looked at her and said, "I think Oliver Cromwell burned the Irish castles."
And of course there was the Pogues' heartwarming Christmas song: Fairytale of New York:
Here is one of Philip Chevron's most famous songs, describing the Irish immigrant experience:
Another of my Pogues favorites, the Gartloney Rats:
Same with lyrics if you can't understand the drunken accent:
(a jbou song if I ever knew one!)
I have no personal connection to Ireland. There is no reason why the Pogues music would resonate with me. But it does. And Philip Chevron was a part of introducing an American Jew to the jive of Ireland. Rest in peace.