Webspending two years sweating over the anthem, ‘fairytale of new york’ mirrored the laborious process of coaxing timelessness from dedicated devotion. Web“fairytale of new york” is a duet between macgowan and the british singer kirsty maccoll, portraying lovers who turn viciously against each other on christmas. Webwhatever the reality, the song was conceived in 1985 by the pogues banjo player jem finer and macgowan. Finer came up with the melody and the original. Webin the realm of christmas classics, few songs hold the timeless allure and bittersweet charm of fairytale of new york by the pogues. Released in 1987, this. Webthe genuine emotions “fairytale of new york” taps into has made it the most beloved christmas song of all time in tv, radio, and magazine polls in the uk and ireland.