Shane MacGowan might have had a good life, but he deserved a better one. He was a lyrical poet who knew just how to apply beauty or aggression to his words. Many might not know the entire oeuvre of the Irishman - the depth of MacGowan's catalog was deep and wonderous - but the ones people likely do know are unforgettable.
Does it actually feel like Christmas, for instance, without listening to "Fairytale of New York" a few dozen times? Punk groups such as the Dropkick Murphys borrowed a lot from MacGowan and his group, the Pogues. MacGowan changed music in more ways than he likely knows and the world was better off having him in it as long as we did.
Sadly, however, Shane MacGowan passed away on November 30 at age 65. He had struggled greatly with his health for some time and was hospitalized in December 2022 with viral encephalitis. MacGowan had been in the hospital since June, mostly in intensive care, before being recently released. His wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, announced the news.
Pogues leader Shane MacGowan passed away on November 30
MacGowan wrote much of his beloved Ireland. He poetically described Irish culture in a unique way, and he did not mind getting into an argument with someone if they disrespected his home country. He fused punk and Celtic melodies unlike anyone else.
What follows are just a few of the social media posts about his death. The first post is a very funny anecdote from actor Kiefer Sutherland who had not met Shane MacGowan before spending a memorable night with the singer. The story is classic MacGowan.
My reaction to hearing about Shane MacGowan's death was the same as my reaction to Lemmy's, which was, how the f**k did he make it past 60? Glad he did though. I life very well lived.
— James Hogg 🖋 (@JamesAHogg2) November 30, 2023
Here's a fabulous anecdote about the great man from Kiefer Sutherland. Worth a watch. pic.twitter.com/TOyN0qQVh1
Bruce Springsteen might be a rock icon, but he was heavily influenced by folk musicians. MacGowan would have fit perfectly with those Springsteen revered.
Bruce Springsteen talking about a dinner with Shane MacGowan on his radio show a couple years ago.
— Ray Padgett (@rayfp) November 30, 2023
"All I know is with the exception of Bob Dylan and Chuck Berry… I’m not sure about the rest of us, but I know they'll be singing Shane MacGowan songs 100 years from now." pic.twitter.com/OY6zrU5TJs
Billy Bragg is among those musicians who we might not even know had MacGowan not paved the way. Shane MacGowan made it OK for radio to play artists that weren't simply boring 1970s rock bands like Aerosmith.
Sorry to hear of the demise, after a long illness, of one of the greatest songwriters of my generation, Shane MacGowan. The Pogues reinvigorated folk music in the early 80s and his songs put the focus onto lyric writing, opening doors for the likes of myself and others.
— Billy Bragg (@billybragg) November 30, 2023
Wartburton description is perfect. "Maverick" might be the best word for MacGowan.
RIP SHANE MACGOWAN - an untameable, wild, creative & talented maverick.
— Michael Warburton (@MichaelWarbur17) November 30, 2023
FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK (1987)
pic.twitter.com/onDKxzZLh8
McDonald speaks wonderfully here. MacGowan also once said of the IRA, to whom McDonald's Sinn Fein was once directly tied, "I was ashamed I didn’t have the guts to join the IRA – and the Pogues was my way of overcoming that."
Ireland has lost one of its greatest and most beloved musical icons.
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) November 30, 2023
Shane MacGowan was a poet, dreamer and social justice champion. He was a republican and a proud Irish man.
Nobody told the Irish story like Shane. He sang to us of dreams and captured stories of emigration... pic.twitter.com/CAhaLJrdwu
So while this is a sad day, take some time to listen to some bits of excellence from Shane MacGowan. It will make your day better. And that likely would make him quite happy.