Shane Macgowan was born on Christmas Day in 1957. His Irish family, from Tipperary, were visiting relatives in Kent England at the time of his birth. Both parents interested in the arts, his mother a dancer/model, his father a writer...it's no surprise Shane himself became a songwriter and singer of one of the most internationally known Irish bands, The Pogues.
When Shane was 6 his family moved to London. They lived both in Brighton and London.When he was 14, he was accepted into Westminster on a Literature scolarship .
He was kicked out a year later for drug possession.
At 19 Shane started his first punk rock band called The Nipple Erectors later known as the Nips.
Around this same time, Shane also played in a band called Millwall Chainsaw...this band eventually evolved into The Pogues.
As The Pogues evolved, Shane changed his style of singing....less punk more classical Irish. He was tutored by members of his family.
Early Pogues in 1985 performing Sally Maclennane
In 1991 Shane parted ways with The Pogues, due to his prolific drinking problems.
Of course I'm gonna post my very favorite Pogues tunes... This is A Rainy Night in Soho.... amazing lyrics xx
The song is found on the EP: POGUETRY IN MOTION in 1986.
It was later re-released in 2004/05 on the Re-released and remastered album Rum Sodomy and the Lash (originally released in 1985).
The song was produced by Elvis Costello.
There are a few versions floating around. Originally lead singer and songwriter Shane MacGowan wanted the final released version to feature the cornet
at the end
while Elvis Costello preferred the Oboe. Eventually both versions were released in different regions. The Americas and Canada got the Oboe version, while Shane's preferred cornet version was released in the UK and Europe. Later a third version was released mixing elements of both.
Guitarist Phil Chevron says "there are something like 13 versions with different edits of the two recordings."
Below Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover the song in 1992
and one more cover, this one I really love has a bit of a folky and warm feel
It's by Damien Dempsey and unfortunately I can't find the full song/studio version.
It's too beautiful to not include..partial song or not.
I have read that this song is about whisky...there are some clues in the lyrics that may lead to that conclusion "measure" measure of my dreams ect... and Shane, who wrote the song certainly has a romance with the drink. Whatever the meaning I find it to be one of the greatest love songs ever.
I've been loving you a long time Down all the years, down all the days And I've cried for all your troubles
Smiled at your funny little ways We watched our friends grow up together And we saw them as they fell
Some of them fell into Heaven Some of them fell into Hell I took shelter from a shower And I stepped into
your arms On a rainy night in Soho The wind was whistling all its charms I sang you all my sorrows You
told me all your joys Whatever happened to that old song To all those little girls and boys Sometimes I
wake up in the morning The ginger lady by my bed Covered in a cloak of silence I hear you talking in my
head I'm not singing for the future I'm not dreaming of the past I'm not talking of the first time I never
think about the last Now, the song is nearly over We may never find out what it means Still there's a light
I hold before me You're the measure of my dreams The measure of my dreams
