Shane MacGowan’s funeral got me.
I had work to get on with but thought I’d briefly watch. In a moment, when Nick Cave sat down to perform A Rainy Night in Soho, I was gone, singing along and smiling and fighting tears. All that heart and all that loss. By the version of Fairytale of New York, I was full-on blubbing. The regrouped remaining Pogues singing The Parting Glass for their leader as the service neared its end didn’t make this ease.
So a fine Irish funeral, then. Though the dancing in the chapel brought stern words from my mother.
The funeral led the 10 o’clock news in Britain. I’d imagine Forwarded Many Times was a leading WhatsApp message as clips were shared.
Quite why MacGowan’s send-off sent to many people over the edge is not clear.
There is much to be said about what he created. He articulated hope in the moment of the outsider’s hurt and loss. And clearly this soundtracked the lives of so many people globally. It continues to chime. His own ragged battle with mortality added a keen edge.