81 - Language

Well, it's late November so we're now in the annual tedium of the censoring or banning of the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's Christmas classic single, Fairytale of New York. 

This year it seems particularly notable as it's Radio 1 who have decided to blur our the word "slut" and replace "you cheap lousy faggot" with "you're cheap and you're haggard" whenever it plays it as it thinks their listeners are too sensitive to hear a song featuring the omitted words. Other BBC radio stations have apparently left it to the DJ as to which version of the song is played...

I guess before I go on, I should go in to a bit of a history in to the censorship of the song.

Back in 1987, when the song was first released and was to be performed on Top of the Pops, they had no problem at all with the words "slut" or "faggot", and instead took issue with "Happy Christmas your arse, I pray God it's your last", insisting that "your arse" be replaced with "you ass". It is this performance, with Shane's unique lip-syncing, that is most often repeated on the Christmas TOTP2 compilations. 

Much less seen is the performance shown just after Christmas 1991, just in to January 1992. This is the origin of the alternative "you're cheap and you're haggard" version of the song, where Kirsty sings these very lyrics. And, therefore, how Radio 1 can play a version where Kirsty sings these alternative lyrics. 

There are many people who think this alternative originated with the dreadful Ronan Keating cover of the song; they are wrong. They're not wrong about it being dreadful, though; it is. Though after seeing him speak about it on the terrific BBC documentary about the song I understand why he covered it, his version just doesn't work as to sing Shane's part of the song you have to believe the singer could spend Christmas Eve in the drunk tank... can you imagine that about Ronan? No! Nessa, fer sure... (Now if we could have a release of the full version of the Nessa and Bryn version released I would be very happy...)

It has been noted by many that Shane McGowan himself doesn't care which version of FONY is played; well, yes, he's not daft. He'll be more than aware that whichever version is played he'll still get his royalties. If not played at all, then he gets nothing. Radio airplay of FONY is probably enough to keep him in whisky for a whole year... 

And all that's a load of preamble before I get to the point; what do I think? Well, my opinion is that if you're going to play the song, you should play the song as it was released in 1987, bad words and all. 

"'Cos you know sometimes words have two meanings..." Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven. 

It is the use of the word "faggot" that stirs up much negativity towards the song, and it is an unacceptable slur towards gay people. It's also an old Irish (and apparently Liverpudlian) slang for a lazy person. The question is which definition of the word would the Irish chap Shane McGowan have had in mind when writing the song?

I would certainly suggest the latter as it's the definition of the word that actually best fits the context of the story in the song; that of the ups and down in the relationship of a man and a woman, and there is not a single moment in the song that suggests the male character is gay. Therefore, logically, the "lazy person" interpretation to me would be the correct one. 

(Faggot's also an old word for a bundle of twigs, and a very tasty gravy covered meaty dish; neither of those contexts fits either. Oh, I do miss faggots since I went vegetarian. I used to have them a couple of times a month until then. If only Brains could make a vegetarian version. It'd be brilliant. Piers Morgan would disagree, I expect... )

I know there is also the argument that homophobic bullies use this part of the song to denigrate gay people; but let's be honest, bullies will use anything they can get their hands on to use as a weapon. If not this song, they'd just use something else. It's a nothing argument as to give in to the bullies is admitting they've won, and they can never win. They must never win. 

But at the end of the day it comes down to a personal choice. If I play the song, I'll play the original. Other people will play the censored version. It's not like it's being taken away, and never heard. 

You have the choice. 

And that freedom of choice is oh, so very important. 

Now... what have we all got to say about the censoring of Mel and Kim's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and the excision of the line "I haven't had this much fun since Two Little Boys was number one..."