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BBC Radio 1 will air a censored version of the Pogues’ New York fairy tale that removes the words “fagot” and “slut” from Kirsty MacColl’s lines. Radio 2 will continue to broadcast the original version, while 6 Music will allow its DJs to choose the version they want to play.
The BBC said, “We know the song is considered a Christmas classic and will continue to play it this year, with our radio stations choosing the version of the song that is most relevant to their audience,” suggesting that the sensitivity on the words varies. between Radio 1 the younger audience and the older listeners of Radio 2.
Adopting the characters of an argumentative but sentimental married couple, MacColl sings to Shane MacGowan: “Scumbag, maggot / Ugly lousy fag / Merry Christmas your ass / I pray to God it’s our last”.
The new version of Radio 1 will contain the phrase “you’re cheap and you’re thin”, with the word “slut” at the beginning of the line silenced. The rest of the song remains unchanged.
MacGowan defended the song in 2018, saying, “The word was used by the character because it suited the way he would speak and his character. He shouldn’t be a good person, nor a healthy person. She is a woman of a certain generation at a certain point in history, and she is unfortunate and desperate. His dialogue is as accurate as possible, but he doesn’t intend to offend! He should only be an authentic character and not all characters in the songs and stories are angels or even dignified and respectable. Sometimes the characters in the songs and stories have to be evil or evil in order to tell the story effectively. “
Upon its release in 1987, he explained: “My part is the man who got thrown out of the tank drunk on the night of Christmas Eve. His wife is in the hospital. She’s sick and he’s just freaked out. Then they fight and he keeps bringing him back to the good old days and she keeps handing out all the shit. I have nothing in common with the real part I’m singing – Yul Brynner isn’t really the King of Siam – except in the sense that I’ve had arguments with women and it usually ended with some sort of reconciliation. “
The song has often sparked controversy. In 1987, the BBC opposed the word “donkey” which aired on Top of the Pops, with MacColl singing “donkey” in its place.
In a 1992 comeback performance, MacColl sang “You’re cheap and you’re thin”, while a 2000 cover by Ronan Keating and Maire Brennan changed the phrase to “You’re mean and you’re thin”.
In 2007, Radio 1 dubbed the words “fagot” and “slut” but did a U-turn, with controller Andy Parfitt saying the decision was “wrong … Radio 1 does not play homophobic lyrics nor condones bullying of any kind. It’s not always easy to get it right. “
Last year, BBC Radio Solent DJ Andy Dyke announced that he was banning Fairytale of New York from his show, calling it “a bad song”.
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