SHANE MACGOWAN

I've been reading about an Irishman named Shane MacGowan. He was born of Irish parents on December 25, 1957. They gave him the name Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan. (I have no idea where he got his name, but I plan to find out) He was born in England because his parents were vacationing there when he made his arrival.

He won a scholarship in music to Westminster College but was expelled in his second year when he was found in possession of drugs. In 1976 he started his own punk rock band called The Nipple Erectors. Later, he was forced to change the name to The Nips. This group had little success. He attempted to gain fame, also without success, by putting on free performances in Covent Garden.


In 1982, he founded another punk/Irish rock group called The Pogues. Pogues is short for Pogue Mahone which is the Anglicized version of the Old Irish "pog mo" which means "kiss my ass." The Pogues had great success in the British Isles and moderate success world wide. Shane did most of the song writing for the group and sang in his raspy whiskey voice. Shane left the Pogues for much of the 1990's but now performs with them again. While he was away from the Pogues he formed a new group he called Shane MacGowan and the Popes.


By now, you must know that MacGowan is a real character. He is also said to be the most important and poetic Irish songwriter in the last thirty years. In any case, he is certainly a drunk. He brags, "The British press has been giving me six months to live for the last twenty years-they must be getting pissed off interviewing me by now." Here is his philosophy of life. "I'm just following the Irish tradition of songwriting, the Irish way of life, the human way of life. Cram as much pleasure into life (as you can) and rail against the pain you have to suffer as a result. Or scream and rant with the pain and wait for it to be taken away with beautiful pleasure."


Shane has an ugly set of teeth and an overused liver. He misses many of his scheduled appearances. He wears both pain and pleasure on his shirt sleeve as well as beer stains and cigarette burns. The lyrics of his songs are outstanding, earthy and straight from his experiences. Here is one of my favorites.

Its more pricks than kicks

That's what it is

I'm a scumbag, a lout,

that's the way things are.

But if you name me a street

I'll name you a bar

And I'll walk right through Hell

Just to buy you a jar.