If I Should Fall from Grace with God

Pogues, The

album cover

A Pub Band Grows Up

At first the Pogues didn't care much about falling out of God's favor, or anyone else's. On its international debut, the Elvis Costello–produced Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash, the seven-piece group that began in the London streets gave traditional Irish music a gleeful punk makeover. Emulating the dissonant squall of bands like the Clash, the Pogues—the name is a shortened version of the Gaelic phrase pogue mahone, or "kiss my ass"—transformed age-old chanteys and sing-alongs into music of extreme rowdiness. It was a match made in pub heaven, even if the band's erratic live shows reinforced every stereotype of the stumbling sloppy-drunk Irishman.

After Rum generated considerable next-big-thing hype and became a hit, singer and songwriter Shane MacGowan developed an introspective side. Once a happy lout, he was suddenly sprinkling sharp observations about class politics and privilege, belonging and alienation, into his songs, giving dimension to what had been party music. On If I Should Fall from Grace with God, still slurring his words, MacGowan hits some political ideas head-on ("Birmingham Six"), but more often slips stealthy insights into jolly-sounding up-tempo numbers (like the title track). MacGowan's more nuanced lyrics also demand that the band slow down now and then; one pleasure of If I Should Fall, which is easily the Pogues' creative zenith, are sullen pieces like "Fairytale of New York," a wistful novel of a song that features singer Kirsty MacColl. Even in these tender moments, MacGowan sounds like a reluctant observer of life's cruelties. He's put down his beer long enough to jot down a few thoughts that won't let go of him, but intends to resume his carousing as soon as possible.

Genre: Rock
Released: 1988, Island (Reissued 2006, Rhino)
Key Tracks: "If I Should Fall from Grace with God," "Bottle of Smoke," "Fairytale of New York," "Turkish Song of the Damned."
Catalog Choice: Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash.
Next Stop: Black 47: Fire of Freedom
After That: Dexy's Midnight Runners: Searching for the Young Soul Rebels.
Book Pages: 602–603