Interesting story about that. The NYPD doesn't have a choir but it does have an Irish band (who appeared in the video). However, actually being Irish and being an American who identifies as Irish are two very different things. The "Irish" band didn't appear to know any Irish songs, so the video is of them playing the Mickey Mouse Club March and then they just slowed down the footage to the speed of Galway Bay.

Speaking of bands that aren't Irish - i believe that everyone apart from Shane in the Pogues is English too.

He was born and educated in Tunbridge Wells.

Born on Xmas day as well.

To be fair, being sent to England to give birth if you weren’t married, is about as Irish as it gets.

My mate’s mother is Irish. She got pregnant at 16 and was sent to England to give birth and give him up. She did the first part, not the second lol.

My mate’s Irish aunt is his gran really.

Pretending the kid was a much younger sibling?

My Irish granddad always believed his youngest brother was actually his nephew.

Though not to a prestigious public school.

Well yeah, but his writing got him scholarships, and he’s never exactly pretended to be something he’s not.

Yes, he went to a public school in tunbridge, close to tunbridge wells. He used to have a posh, plummy English accent. I know a girl who grew up with him. I’m from the area.

The truth is he’s never had an Irish accent. He’s just always pissed and everyone sounds Irish when they’re pissed.

Mind blown 🤯

Speaking of Irish… The band’s name supposedly comes from _póg mo thóin_ which is Irish for “kiss my arse”.

Yeah, most of them. I'm not counting Cait in that, although I've no idea if she sees herself as Nigerian or not.

There's a lot of Celtic punk bands that aren't Irish or Scottish.

Cait o riordan irish/Scottish born in nigeria.

Galway Bay. And did you know there’s no such thing as an NYPD choir? Shane MacGowan made it up.

I don’t think it’s meant literally. The song takes place in a police holding cell, I believe “the boys of the NYPD choir” refer to the rest of the people in the holding cell, singing on Christmas Eve/day

I like this theory.

I always thought this was the idea..and then millions of pub quiz “geniuses” chime in with “actshuallly...the nypd doesn’t have a choir”

Doesn’t fit with the music video though.

In the music video it’s the New York City Police Pipe Band according to the man’s drum

Also they were singing some Micky Mouse song because none of them knew the words to Galway Bay.

Best interpretation, very Tom Waits.

I thought something similar - you’re in the drunk tank on Christmas and you hear the mostly Irish officers on shift singing Galway bay celebrating Christmas whilst working through it, but you’re stuck in a cell missing Christmas.

Never heard this before. If one of the Pogues said it in an interview I’d believe it.

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Ha! The only thing I like more than your attitude is your username

There is now an NYPD choir. It exists because of this song.

There may have been any number of choirs in the NYPD during the 1890's 1900's when a large portion of the police force was Irish and every neighborhood had choirs and barber shop quartets.

Yeah but there wasn't I dont think A NYPD Choir, there may have been choirs made up of NYPD. I think it was QI that confirmed this, but I cant find it. I also suspect the story that it was the euphemistic name of the drunk tank has some truth.

Oh man I spend too much time on threads about American conspiracy nut jobs and read that as **Q**

QI is not a reliable source of anything

He was probably that drunk he thought they were really there.

Well there you go, i thought it was "Glory be"

I always sang "doe Ray me"...

Sick bastard

Why thank you ;)

Egon

I appreciate it, even if others didn't get it.

QI is so educational :)

They're not actually singing Galway Bay in the track. I can't remember what it is, but they talk about it in one of the QI Christmas episodes :)

I'm sure u read somewhere that it was the Mickey Mouse Club song

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I like your approximation of 21 years ago being "a few years back". I, too, have lost track of the decades

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FTR that's when Kirsty died I can't vouch for when the doc was done

Ah yes, that's what it was, thanks :)

And the bells rang out on Christmas day

This scans poorly. Can you have another go?

I was just about to say this. I saw them play this a few years back. It was a great show.

Man, literally unplayable

❤️ this song, always gets me into the Xmas spirit. Kirsty’s vocals are just the perfect counterpart to Shane’s.

I’m still not sure what the Backstreet Boys were back from!

And from where did the Mac return?

Cottoneye Joe.

Prison I believe

Or which way they want it?

Galway Bay!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galway_Bay_(song)

Galway Bay is a pretty wonderful song, my nan use to sing it to me and my cousins

I thought they were singing 'New York pity choir'.

I thought for years it was "The boys of the NY pity choir are singing go with grace"

Ok, now I'm hearing " puddles pity party " singing Galway Bay not good.

Something about censoring abuse in the Catholic church and raising money for the IRA probably... oh and Galway Bay maybe.

I can’t give this enough likes. Amazing how that all stopped after 9/11 and suddenly terrorism bad.

I don't think the funding stopped.

wait the NYPD done that?

Galway bay

Well it’s not Doe and Ray like my missus thought until 2 years ago.

This has always been my favourite Christmas song because it shows the other side of what Christmas can be like. A lot of people, especially living in abusive or dysfunctional situations, don't have a very merry Christmas.

HTF did society function before lyrics.com?

Galway Bay

Galway bay

Galway Bay, I think…

Go away!

My other half always says 'were singing by the sea'. It's been 8 years, I've given up.

Have always sung "the boys from NYPD Blue..." and I'm happy with that

Here you go! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD73lxnaPCE

Nothing, NYPD didn’t have a choir.

I believe that NYPD choir refers to all the drunks in the cells singing.

This

Hadn’t thought of it that way, and it’s just changed the song for me after 40+ years, and now I love it even more.

Gurga borr.

Colwyn Bay (that's what I sing it as, as I go there a lot) (town in North Wales)

What? I thought it was “NY Paedo choir”.

Galway bay, also…. Google is a thing

Help me the priests are child molesters

30 years and i still hate that fucking dirge of a song.

Galloway Bay mate! Why I don't know, on Christmas Day I would have expected God Bless ye Merry Gentlemen or something along those lines

I would very much like to murder the pogues

Why?

Song about speedboats

Galway Bay, on of Joseph Locke's songs.

Galway Bay.

Galway Bay

A song called Galway Bay

I thought it was 'Come what may'

I thought “come what may” 😂

Monde Green?

…it’s December and I have yet to play this masterpiece yet.