Hozier and Jessie Buckley’s Fairytale of New York: The Lyrics They Changed – Watch the Video

Hozier and Jessie Buckley have released their version of Fairytale of New York – and they have changed the two most controversial lines. The Irish stars’ cover of The Pogues’ Christmas classic is out now on 20th Century Paddy, the new tribute album to the late Shane MacGowan, recorded in the same studio as the 1987 original.

What lyrics did Hozier and Jessie Buckley change?

The 1987 original contains a homophobic slur that has led some radio stations to edit or drop the song in recent years. In the new version, Buckley’s character calls him a “blaggard” – an old Irish insult – instead. Hozier’s line has also been changed, with the derogatory word aimed at the woman replaced by “hag”.

Shane MacGowan always defended the original wording, saying the character “is not supposed to be a nice person”. Jon Bon Jovi also changed the lyrics for his 2020 version, which was poorly received by critics.

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What Hozier and Jessie Buckley said

Hozier said they “approached the song with a hope of honouring everything about it that we had loved for as long as we had known it”. Buckley said recording in the studio where Shane, Kirsty and The Pogues made the original “was pure joy”.

Could it challenge for Christmas Number 1?

Fairytale of New York has returned to the top 20 almost every December for two decades, and the original remains one of the most-played Christmas songs on UK radio. A high-profile new version from two of Ireland’s biggest stars will be one to watch in this year’s Christmas chart race.

Sources: Shane MacGowan estate (official video); 20th Century Paddy album notes.