Who Wrote Fairytale of New York? The Story Behind The Pogues' Christmas Classic

By Chris Kennedy | Published 13th Oct, 2026

Fairytale of New York was written by Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer of The Pogues, but the story behind one of Ireland's best-loved Christmas songs is a little more complicated than you might think. First released on 23rd November 1987, the song features MacGowan alongside Kirsty MacColl in a Christmas duet that has become a festive favourite in Ireland, the UK and beyond.

Unlike most Christmas songs, Fairytale of New York isn't about happy families, presents or festive cheer. Instead, it tells the story of a couple whose dreams haven't quite worked out as planned. With its mix of Irish folk music, arguments, humour and a memorable chorus, the song has become a Christmas tradition, even though it took several years to get right.

Who Actually Wrote Fairytale of New York?

The songwriting credits for Fairytale of New York belong to Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer, two members of the London-based Irish folk-punk band The Pogues. Finer, who played banjo in the group, came up with the original melody and idea, while MacGowan helped turn it into the story of a couple arguing and remembering better times in New York.

Interestingly, the song wasn't originally supposed to be about a couple spending Christmas in New York. Finer's first idea involved a sailor looking across the Atlantic and thinking about his home in County Clare. It was his wife, Marcia, who suggested changing the story to a conversation between two people at Christmas, giving the song a completely different direction.

The Fairytale of New York Story Began With a Christmas Bet

There are a few different stories about how Fairytale of New York first came about in 1985. Shane MacGowan claimed that The Pogues' producer, Elvis Costello, had bet the band they couldn't write a successful Christmas single. However, the group's manager, Frank Murray, maintained that it was his suggestion to try writing a Christmas song in the first place.

Whatever the real starting point, the idea clearly stuck. Finer had been working on a couple of different songs, but neither was quite right. He eventually passed the material to MacGowan, who began reshaping the music and lyrics. What started as a fairly simple idea would eventually become one of the most recognisable Christmas songs ever recorded.

Why Is It Called Fairytale of New York?

The title Fairytale of New York was inspired by the 1973 novel A Fairy Tale of New York, written by Irish-American author J. P. Donleavy. Jem Finer had been reading the book and left a copy lying around the recording studio, where it caught MacGowan's attention. He decided the title would work for the song they were putting together.

The title also suited the story that was beginning to take shape. New York is often seen as a place where people arrive hoping to build a better life, but the couple in the song have discovered that things don't always work out that way. It's a Christmas fairytale, just not the kind with a particularly happy ending.

The First Recording of Fairytale of New York

The Pogues first attempted to record Fairytale of New York in January 1986, during sessions with Elvis Costello for their Poguetry in Motion EP. At that stage, bassist Cait O'Riordan was singing the female part opposite MacGowan. However, the band weren't particularly happy with the results, and the song still needed quite a bit of work before it was ready.

Costello reportedly suggested calling the track Christmas Eve in the Drunk Tank, taking inspiration from its opening lyrics. MacGowan wasn't keen on the idea, believing radio stations would be unlikely to play a Christmas song with that title. The band stuck with Fairytale of New York, although the song itself was still far from finished.

Shane MacGowan Reworked the Song After Visiting New York

Much of the song's early writing took place while MacGowan was recovering from double pneumonia during a Pogues tour of Scandinavia in late 1985. He later explained that his illness had given him some unusual images and ideas for the lyrics. Those early thoughts would help shape the characters and the troubled relationship at the centre of the song.

A visit to New York in March 1986 gave MacGowan further inspiration. The Pogues were touring America for the first time, and the city made a lasting impression on him. He rewrote parts of the lyrics and added a slower piano introduction, which would eventually be combined with the livelier melody to create the version everyone knows today.

How Kirsty MacColl Ended Up Singing Fairytale of New York

Although Kirsty MacColl is now inseparable from Fairytale of New York, she wasn't the original choice for the female vocals. Cait O'Riordan had been expected to sing the part, but she left The Pogues in October 1986. This created another problem for a song that had already spent more than a year going through changes and unsuccessful recording attempts.

When the band returned to the studio in 1987, producer Steve Lillywhite was working on their third album. During the sessions, he took a recording of Fairytale of New York home and asked his wife, Kirsty MacColl, to record a guide vocal. She put considerable effort into the performance, and when Lillywhite played it to the band, they knew they'd found their singer.

MacColl's contribution made a huge difference to the finished song. Her clear, powerful voice worked brilliantly against MacGowan's rougher delivery, making the exchanges between the two characters feel like a genuine argument. MacGowan re-recorded his vocals alongside hers, and the finished recording was completed with additional harp, horns and strings before its release later that year.

What Is Fairytale of New York Actually About?

Fairytale of New York tells the story of an Irish immigrant spending Christmas Eve in a New York drunk tank, remembering a relationship that once seemed full of promise. As the song develops, the man and woman look back on their younger days, when they believed they could make a better life together in America.

Rather than remembering everything fondly, the couple begin arguing about what went wrong. Their hopes have been damaged by addiction, disappointment and years of difficult circumstances. Yet underneath the insults and bitter exchanges, there's still a sense that they care about each other. It's that unusual combination of affection and anger that makes the story so memorable.

The song also paints a picture of New York through the eyes of Irish immigrants. References to Broadway, Christmas celebrations and Frank Sinatra help create the setting, while the Irish folk influences give it a connection to home. It's easy to see why the song has remained particularly popular with Irish audiences, both at home and abroad.

Why Was Fairytale of New York So Controversial?

FFairytale of New York has attracted controversy over the years because of some of its lyrics, particularly the language used during the argument between the two characters. The song includes a homophobic slur, along with other insults, which has led to debates about whether certain words should be removed or censored when the track is played.

MacGowan defended the lyrics, explaining that the characters were deliberately written as flawed people speaking in a way that reflected their circumstances. Others have argued that the language is offensive regardless of the fictional setting. As a result, some radio stations and broadcasters have chosen to play edited versions, while others have continued using the original recording.

Was Fairytale of New York a Christmas Number One?

Despite becoming one of the biggest Christmas songs of all time, Fairytale of New York never reached Christmas number one in the UK during its original release. The single climbed to number two in December 1987, but was kept off the top spot by the Pet Shop Boys and their cover of Always on My Mind.

It was a different story in Ireland, where Fairytale of New York spent five weeks at number one. The song also received a major boost when The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl performed it on BBC's Top of the Pops on 17 December 1987, helping introduce the track to an even wider audience.

The song's popularity didn't disappear after that first Christmas. Thanks to downloads and, later, streaming, Fairytale of New York has returned to the UK singles chart repeatedly over the years. It's one of those rare Christmas songs that continues to attract new listeners while remaining a favourite with people who remember hearing it when it first came out.

Why Is Fairytale of New York Still So Popular?

Part of the appeal of Fairytale of New York is that it doesn't sound like a typical Christmas single. There's no attempt to pretend that everything is wonderful just because it's December. The characters are struggling, the relationship is messy, and the lyrics are sometimes uncomfortable, but the music is lively enough to make people sing along every year.

It also helps that MacGowan and MacColl sound so convincing together. Their voices are completely different, but that's exactly what makes the duet work. Add in the piano introduction, the unmistakable Irish folk sound and a chorus that's difficult not to join in with, and it's easy to understand why the song has lasted for decades.

Final Verdict

Fairytale of New York was written by Shane MacGowan and Jem Finer, with Kirsty MacColl providing the unforgettable female vocals that helped make it a Christmas classic. What began as an idea in 1985 took two years, several recording attempts and plenty of changes before The Pogues finally released it in November 1987.

Nearly four decades later, it's still one of the first songs many people associate with Christmas in Ireland. It might not be the happiest festive song ever written, but that's probably part of why people love it. Fairytale of New York tells a story that feels real, and for many music fans, Christmas simply wouldn't be the same without it.

READ MORE | 10 Essential Shane MacGowan Songs