Does Shane MacGowan reveal his Christianity in his lyrics?<\\/h2>\\n When the news came last November that Irish singer\\/songwriter Shane MacGowan had died after fighting an infection for several months, it was a sad day for Irish music fans and especially for fans of the brand of Irish music typified by the Pogues, the popular band partially founded by MacGowan.<\\/p>\\n Shane had been expected to make it home for Christmas, which would have been his 66th birthday, but it was not to be.<\\/p>\\n \"Irish Irish Punk Band\\u00a0 \\u00a0 \\u00a0 \\u00a0 \\u00a0 \\u00a0 \\u00a0 Pixabay Image by thekaleidoscope<\\/figcaption><\\/figure>\\nWhat was my reaction?<\\/h2>\\n I am not as knowledgeable of Irish music as are some of my family and friends but I was really pulling for Shane.<\\/p>\\n I had two gut reactions: to write poems or song lyrics commemorating Shane\\u2019s life and work and to determine if evidence of the details of Shane\\u2019s Christianity could be extrapolated from his lyrics.<\\/p>\\n I quickly saw that no article of this length could adequately encompass a study of all his lyrics, I would first concentrate on one specific song, the one that, by its title alone, should reveal what I was looking for.<\\/p>\\n Why pick this one?<\\/h2>\\n If I Should Fall From Grace With God,<\\/em> by its title alone, makes it a great candidate and possibly the best one, based on Shane\\u2019s passing.<\\/p>\\n It is about death, the death of the song\\u2019s narrator.\\u00a0 Our task is to determine how much of the narrator\\u2019s beliefs and fears are attributable to the songwriter.<\\/p>\\n Shane MacGowan\\u2019s life was lived out in public and his human weaknesses were on public display during his lifetime.\\u00a0 I think of him somewhat like I think of another great songwriter, Townes Van Zandt.\\u00a0 Both men died as a result of the way they lived.\\u00a0 Living killed them both.<\\/p>\\n How do we analyze these lyrics?<\\/h2>\\n First of all, we have to know the theological meaning of the terms we are using.\\u00a0 In the title, we find the term \\u201cgrace.\\u201d\\u00a0 In order to understand a theology, we need to understand the language it uses.<\\/p>\\n What is \\u201cgrace?\\u201d<\\/h3>\\n The Oxford Companion to the Bible<\\/a> defines \\u201cgrace\\u201d as:<\\/p>\\n " \\u201cthe undeserved gift that creates relationships and the sustaining, responding, forbearing attitude-plus-action that nurtures relationships.\\u201d<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n The internet website Christianity.com<\\/a> defines \\u201cgrace\\u201d as:<\\/p>\\n " \\u201cundeserved merit.\\u201d\\u2026\\u201dThere is absolutely nothing we can do to earn this grace. It is given to us as a completely free gift, even though we do not deserve it. Rightly appreciated, grace is an inspiration to us to do better, to seek God\\u2019s will, and to live a righteous life.\\u201d<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n \\u201cGrace,\\u201d then, is the gift of merit or benefit or goodness given to us even though we have done nothing to deserve the gift.\\u00a0 It is given freely and presumably, with love.<\\/p>\\n Where does \\u201cgrace\\u201d come from?<\\/h3>\\n The Oxford Companion to the Bible<\\/a> (1993, pp 260-261) outlines verses from the Bible that discuss the grace offered by God in Jewish and Christian theologies, citing Psalms 37:21<\\/a> and Psalm 26<\\/a> as examples.\\u00a0 The Oxford Companion<\\/a> discusses the concept of God\\u2019s grace at length and provides several more examples of the discussions in both the Hebrew Bible and the new Testament.<\\/p>\\n How can one \\u201cfall from grace with God?\\u201d<\\/h3>\\n The Free Dictionary<\\/a> states (\\u201cfall from grace,\\u201d not specifically theological):<\\/p>\\n " \\u201cTo experience a major reduction in status or prestige.\\u201d<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n Merriam-Webster<\\/a> states:<\\/p>\\n " Definition of fall from grace as in trespass:******* *******\\nto commit an offense, trespass, fall, wander, sin, stray, offend\\u2026<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n The Oxford Companion to the Bible<\\/a> defines \\u201cfall\\u201d in relation to the fall of Adam in the Book of Genesis.<\\/a><\\/p>\\n The \\u201cfall\\u201d of Adam (it states) is credited by some of the Bible\\u2019s authors as a fall that would make us all weak and subject to the beguilement of talking snakes.\\u00a0 Saul, the epistle writer<\\/a>, believed that Adam\\u2019s fall introduced sin and death.\\u00a0 It was the basis for St. Augustine\\u2019s doctrine of original sin<\\/em><\\/a> developed in the 5th century CE.<\\/p>\\n We see that a \\u201cfall from grace with God\\u201d would be a fall by a man (or woman) based on his or her disobedience to God\\u2019s commandments.<\\/p>\\n \"Celtic Celtic Knot symbolizes unity Pixabay Image by donnellydsigns<\\/figcaption><\\/figure>\\nWhere does this fit into Christian theology?<\\/h2>\\n********* *\* *********We could cite Christian theologians and Biblical historians but I believe we can find a clearer path to Shane MacGowan\\u2019s Christianity by examining what the Bible itself says Jesus believed.<\\/p>\\n While there are passages in the gospels that make Jesus\\u2019s own theology less than clear, his teachings about pour behavior and its consequences can be found in the New Testament, Matthew 19:16-26 (ESV)<\\/a>.<\\/p>\\n " 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, \\u201cTeacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?\\u201d 17 And he said to him, \\u201cWhy do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.\\u201d 18 He said to him, \\u201cWhich ones?\\u201d And Jesus said, \\u201cYou shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.\\u201d 20 The young man said to him, \\u201cAll these I have kept. What do I still lack?\\u201d 21 Jesus said to him, \\u201cIf you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.\\u201d 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n A follower of Jesus receives salvation by 1. keeping specific commandments and 2. by sacrificing one\\u2019s possessions to benefit the poor.<\\/p>\\n This salvation comes from grace.\\u00a0 In this theology, all humans will fall short and will require \\u201cgrace\\u201d or undeserved blessing to achieve salvation.<\\/p>\\n \"Irish Irish punk band Pixabay Image by marcisio<\\/figcaption><\\/figure>\\nWhat did this reveal about Shane MacGowan\\u2019s personal theology?<\\/h2>\\n**** To my knowledge, Shane MacGowan did not make a definitive statement of his theology.\\u00a0 Few people do.\\u00a0 We are concerned here with whether the lyrics<\\/a> to this powerful song reveal anything about his beliefs.<\\/p>\\n " If I should fall from grace with God*********** \\nWhere no doctor can relieve me \\nIf I\\u2019m buried in the sod ***********\\nBut the angels won\\u2019t receive me<\\/p>\\n Let me go, boys, let me go, boys*********** ***********\\nLet me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\\/p>\\n This land was always ours*********** \\nIt was the proud land of our fathers \\nIt belongs to us and them ***********\\nNot to any of the others<\\/p>\\n Let them go, boys, let them go, boys*********** ***********\\nLet them go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\\/p>\\n Bury me at sea*********** \\nWhere no murdered ghost can haunt me \\nIf I rock upon the waves ***********\\nAnd no corpse can lie upon me<\\/p>\\n Let me go, boys, let me go, boys*********** ***********\\nLet me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\\/p>\\n If I should fall from grace with God*********** \\nWhere no doctor can relieve me \\nIf I\\u2019m buried in the sand ***********\\nBut the angels won\\u2019t receive me<\\/p>\\n Let me go, boys, let me go, boys*********** ***********\\nLet me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\\/p>\\n Songwriter: Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n As with many songs by well known writers, there is no lack of interpretations.<\\/p>\\n American Songwriter<\\/h3>\\n American Songwriter<\\/a>\\u2018s Jacob Uitti asserts:<\\/p>\\n " The beautiful and bountiful land of Ireland is known for many things, from Guinness to rock and roll music. But it\\u2019s also known for its religious faith. Here, in \\u201cIf I Should Fall from Grace with God,\\u201d MacGowan seemingly weaves all together in this song that gets your heart pounding like a shot of adrenaline.<\\/p>\\n The song is much like a rock and roll prayer, delivered from the pulpit of the pub. Released in 1988 on the LP of the same name, it is one of the group\\u2019s most successful songs, along with the track, \\u201cFairytale of New York.\\u201d Peaking at No. 58 on the U.K. Singles Chart, \\u201cIf I Should Fall from Grace with God\\u201d was a request of remembrance and service from the singer to his best mates.<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n Here, the critic acknowledges the religious thematic materials but does not make conclusions about the faith of the songwriter.<\\/p>\\n Songmeanings.com<\\/h3>\\n A critic, writing for the internet website, Songmeanings.com,<\\/a> in 2011, long before MacGowan\\u2019s death, made a pretty sweeping interpretation that involves not only the songwriter and the song\\u2019s narrator, but the entire Roman Catholic Church:<\\/p>\\n " If I should fall from grace with God Where no doctor can relieve me If I\\u2019m buried \\u2018neath the sod But the angels won\\u2019t receive me<\\/em><\\/p>\\n (this is saying that if Ireland is coerced away from the Catholic Church, the heavens won\\u2019t receive them \\u2013 it has to do with the Protestant Reformation and England\\u2019s penal laws \\u2013 when England committed genocide on the Irish in the 1640s. Of 1.6M, the English killed 600K Irish and sent another 300K abroad as slaves \\u2013 mostly to America.<\\/p>\\n Let me go down in the mud Where the rivers all run dry <\\/em>(if we fall from grace, then there\\u2019s no salvation \\u2013 we simply die and the rivers run dry aka the after life is void)<\\/p>\\n This land was always ours Was the proud land of our fathers It belongs to us and them Not to any of the others<\\/em><\\/p>\\n (refers to the English invasion & colonization of \\u201cNORTHERN IRELAND.\\u201d You know \\u2013 occupation. The English forced Scottish salves \\u2013 after committing the same genocide there and taking over its country \\u2013 into NORTHERN IRELAND. The land of OUR fathers belongs to us, by way of our fathers and belongs to no other. Like Scott-Irish who are still beholden to the UK \\u2013 unlike the rest of Ireland)<\\/p>\\n Bury me at sea Where no murdered ghost can haunt me<\\/em><\\/p>\\n (the murdered ghosts are Ireland\\u2019s forefathers, who haunt the land taken from them b\\/c of their faith \\u2013 Roman Catholic vs Protestants. BTW Ireland. We are the 2nd largest nationality in America with the largest denomination \\u2013 but we miss OUR LAND too)<\\/p>\\n If I rock upon the waves Then no corpse can lie upon me<\\/em> (so many Irish were killed by the English that people were buried upon one another)<\\/p>\\n Bury me at sea, Where no murdered ghost can haunt me<\\/em> (the Wild Geese aka the Irish sent abroad as slaves. So many Irish were killed on slave ships that bodies littered the ocean & were likened to bread crumbs leading the way to County Cork from the port of NYC \\u2013 and later Boston)<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n This is a serious attempt to interpret the song from a historical viewpoint but while it discusses the church, it does little to help us with personal theology of the songwriter.<\\/p>\\n Bellsirishlyrics.com<\\/h3>\\n Janice Bellosguardo, on her website www.bellsirishlyrics.com<\\/a>, provides a short, and not particularly helpful analysis:<\\/p>\\n " I think \\u201cmud\\u201d may just refer to the wet, boggy, peat soil of Ireland. And the place where all the rivers run dry is probably Hell. The song strikes me as a defiant statement of Irish Catholic nationalism and contempt for Protestant England. The lyrics aren\\u2019t clear or straightforward, but I think the basic meaning is, \\u201cIf I ever stop fighting for Ireland, if I ever give in and accept rule by those foreign, Protestant bastards\\u2026 well then, I\\u2019ve lost my soul. So, bury me in the peat and let me sink all the way to Hell.\\u201d<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n Rolling Stone<\\/em><\\/h3>\\n A critic known as \\u201cJ.H.,\\u201d writing in Rolling Stone,<\\/em><\\/a> adds to the conversation:<\\/p>\\n " This rambunctious anthem is one of the best examples of Shane MacGowan\\u2019s ability to punk up Irish folk. Written by MacGowan as the title track of the Pogues\\u2019 third album, it addresses death, drowning, and maybe even some of Ireland\\u2019s politics. \\u201cThis land was always ours\\/it was the proud land of our fathers,\\u201d he snarls in one verse before letting out a piercing scream. But it\\u2019s the \\u201ccoming up threes\\u201d allusion that is most rich in imagery, of the maritime kind: Lore has it that before you drown, you surface three times. As MacGowan delivers it, in a chorus so hooky it was once used in a Subaru commercial, he\\u2019s at peace with the end result: \\u201cLet me go, boys.\\u201d<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n Still, we are left without a clear image of the songwriter\\u2019s Christianity.<\\/p>\\n What do these critics miss?<\\/h2>\\n********************* *\* Critics hint, but do not analyze the lyrics through the lenses of theology, history and literature to help us with meanings.<\\/p>\\n *\* *********************Below, I will attempt to fill in some of these gaps.<\\/p>\\n Verse 1 and chorus 1<\\/h3>\\n " If I should fall from grace with God<\\/em>********************* \\nWhere no doctor can relieve me<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n *\* *********************I believe that we can infer that the songwriter, speaking through the psyche of the narrator, (songs, like stories, can be autobiographical, but they do not have to be) is saying that if he might die (Where no doctor can relieve me)<\\/em> \\u201cin sin,\\u201d\\u00a0 if he dies while fallen from grace,<\\/p>\\n " If I\\u2019m buried in the sod<\\/em>********************* \\nBut the angels won\\u2019t receive me<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n *\* *********************then,<\\/p>\\n " Let me go, boys, let me go, boys<\\/em>********************* Let me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n *\* *********************Buried in the sod<\\/em> can have multiple meanings.\\u00a0 Most simply, it can mean\\u00a0 buried under the ground.\\u00a0 But this is an Irish song and Irish songs can contain many meanings.<\\/p>\\n Wictionary.org<\\/a> states:<\\/p>\\n " old sod<\\/em> (plural old sods) (Noun)<\\/p>\\n Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see old,\\u200e sod (person).********************* *********************\\n(US, Ireland) The old country; one\\u2019s place of origin.<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n The sod\\u00a0<\\/em>can simply be the ground but it can also be one\\u2019s homeland in Irish and American usage.<\\/p>\\n " But the angels won\\u2019t receive me<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n I am dead and buried but I am not welcomed into heaven.\\u00a0 In Roman Catholic theology, I believe that this means that the narrator believes that he might be headed for purgatory.<\\/p>\\n " Let me go, boys, let me go, boys<\\/em>********************* *********************Let me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n The narrator is telling his mates that there is nothing more they can do for him.<\\/p>\\n " Let me go down in the mud<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n While not specifically stated, this could be a reference to the idea in Psalm 69:14<\\/a>:<\\/p>\\n " Pull me from the mud,<\\/span><\\/em>********************* \\n\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0<\\/span>and don\\u2019t let me sink down deeper.<\\/span><\\/span><\\/em> \\nSave me from those who hate me.<\\/span><\\/em> *********************\\n\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0<\\/span>Save me from this deep water.<\\/span><\\/span><\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n Don\\u2019t \\u201cpull from the mud<\\/em>\\u201d but \\u201clet me go down in the mud<\\/em>.\\u201d\\u00a0 You can\\u2019t help me.\\u00a0 Let me go.\\u00a0 Let me die without further intervention.<\\/p>\\n " where the rivers all run dry<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n This could simply be a reference to a natural ending or possibly to an unnatural or supernatural ending.\\u00a0 There is a song, Till the Rivers All Run Dry<\\/em><\\/a> by Don Williams and Wayland D. Holyfield:<\\/p>\\n " Till the rivers all run dry<\\/em>********************* \\nTill the sun falls from the sky<\\/em> \\nTill life on earth is through<\\/em> *********************\\nI\\u2019ll be needing you<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n Until \\u201clife on Earth is through,\\u201d that is, until time and life have ended.<\\/p>\\n Verse 2 and chorus 2<\\/h3>\\n "\\n This land was always ours<\\/em>*********************** It was the proud land of our fathers<\\/em> It belongs to us and them<\\/em> ***********************Not to any of the others<\\/em><\\/div>\\n <\\/div>\\n Let them go, boys, let them go, boys<\\/em>*********************** ***********************Let them go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\\/em><\\/div>\\n <\\/div>\\n*********************** *\* This land was always ours<\\/em> It was the proud land of our fathers<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n *\* ***********************I believe, knowing a little bit about Ireland and its music and knowing a little about MacGowan, this is a clear attack on the horrible English treatment of Ireland\\u2019s people and the misuse of Ireland\\u2019s lands by them throughout history.<\\/p>\\n " It belongs to us and them<\\/em>*********************** Not to any of the others<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n *\* ***********************\\u201cUs and them\\u201d is us and our fathers.\\u00a0 \\u201cAny of the others\\u201d is England and anyone else who would rape Ireland\\u2019s people and resources.<\\/p>\\n " Let them go, boys, let them go, boys<\\/em>*********************** Let them go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n *\* ***********************Let the usurpers die and let them die without redemption.<\\/p>\\n Verse 3 and chorus 3<\\/h3>\\n "\\n Bury me at sea<\\/em>************************* Where no murdered ghost can haunt me<\\/em> If I rock upon the waves<\\/em> *************************And no corpse can lie upon me<\\/em><\\/div>\\n <\\/div>\\n It\\u2019s coming up threes, boys<\\/em>************************* \\nKeeps coming up threes, boys<\\/em> \\nLet them go down in the mud<\\/em> *************************\\nWhere the rivers all run dry<\\/em><\\/div>\\n <\\/div>\\n <\\/div>\\n Bury me at sea<\\/em>************************* *************************Where no murdered ghost can haunt me<\\/em><\\/div>\\n<\\/blockquote>\\n \\u201cMurdered ghost\\u201d might refer to the vengeful spirit<\\/a> motif in European folklore.\\u00a0 I have not found a specific parallel in Irish mythology.\\u00a0 As we saw earlier, one critic<\\/a> believes the \\u201cmurdered souls\\u2019 are the dead Irish forefathers.<\\/div>\\n************************* *\* \\n "\\n *\* If I rock upon the waves<\\/em> And no corpse can lie upon me<\\/em><\\/div>\\n<\\/blockquote>\\n *\* This image seems obscure.\\u00a0 If one is buried at sea and \\u201crocks upon the waves,\\u201d surely it would be unlikely for another body to encroach on his space, unlike, and this might be a stretch, mass graves of the Irish who died as a result of English cruelty.<\\/div>\\n<\\/div>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n *\* \\n "\\n *\* It\\u2019s coming up threes, boys<\\/em> \\nKeeps coming up threes, boys<\\/em> \\nLet them go down in the mud<\\/em> \\nWhere the rivers all run dry<\\/em><\\/div>\\n<\\/blockquote>\\n *\* In the folklore of the sea, a man who goes overboard comes up three times before he succumbs to the waves.\\u00a0 lost or buried at sea?\\u00a0 They are gone.\\u00a0 Let them go.<\\/div>\\n<\\/div>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\nVerse 4 and chorus 4<\\/h3>\\n " \* If I should fall from grace with God<\\/em> \\nWhere no doctor can relieve me<\\/em> \\nIf I\\u2019m buried \\u2018neath the sod<\\/em> \\nSo the angels won\\u2019t receive me<\\/em><\\/p>\\n \* Let me go, boys<\\/em> \\nLet me go, boys<\\/em> \\nLet me go down in the mud<\\/em> \\nWhere the rivers all run dry<\\/em><\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n \* This final verse brings us back to the first verse and is repeated verbatim.<\\/p>\\n \* Summary of the possible meaning of the lyrics<\\/h2>\\n\\nIf I die in sin, there is no help for me.\\u00a0 Let me go.<\\/li>\\nIf I am dead and cannot be admitted to heaven, there is no help. Let me go.<\\/li>\\nIreland has always belonged to the Irish, in spite of immoral English rule in history.<\\/li>\\nI want to be buried at sea where there will be no further complications by a government or church.<\\/li>\\nIf I die in sin, there is no help for me.\\u00a0 Let me go.<\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\nWhat can we infer about the songwriter\\u2019s Christianity?<\\/h2>\\n *\* I would like to be able to make more definitive conclusions about Shane MacGowan\\u2019s personal theology from these lyrics.<\\/p>\\n *\* There is not enough here to take that desire very far.<\\/p>\\n *\* We must concede that it is not possible to equate the songwriter with the narrator.\\u00a0 I do not believe, however, in this case that we can completely separate the two.<\\/p>\\n *\* I believe we can safely say that the songwriter:<\\/p>\\n *\* \\nacknowledges the existence of the deity described in the Bible.<\\/li>\\nhas strong feelings for Ireland and its people<\\/li>\\nhas regrets but those regrets do not define him<\\/li>\\nwishes to conclude his life simply, without complication from people or their beliefs.<\\/li>\\n<\\/ul>\\n *\* Beyond that, I am afraid that we are left with an incomplete picture of Shane MacGowan\\u2019s Christianity.\\u00a0 He does give us hints but leaves us to speculate.<\\/p>\\n *\* Do you have a different conclusion?<\\/p>\\n *\* Many people will have many thoughts and opinions.\\u00a0 It is my hope that some readers will be kind enough to leave a comment and let me know what you think.<\\/em><\\/p>\\n *\* \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n *\* \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n *\* \\n "\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n<\\/blockquote>\\n<\\/div>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n *\* \\n *\* <\\/div>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n<\\/div>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n *\* <\\/div>\\n " *\* \\u00a0<\\/p><\\/blockquote>\\n *\* \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n *\* \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n *\* \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n *\* \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n *\* \\u00a0<\\/p>\\n<\\/body><\\/html>\\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" *\* Does Shane MacGowan reveal his Christianity in his lyrics? When the news came last November that Irish singer\\/songwriter Shane MacGowan had died after fighting an infection for several months, it was a sad day for Irish music fans and especially for fans of the brand of Irish music typified by the Pogues, the popular band \[…\]<\\/p>\\n","protected":false},"author":5432,"featured\_media":1032,"comment\_status":"open","ping\_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":\[1\],"tags":\[26,60,66,63\],"class\_list":\["post-1014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-christian","tag-irish","tag-pogues","tag-shane-macgowan"\],"yoast\_head":"\\n"If I Should Fall From Grace With God"<\\/title>\\n<meta name=\\"description\\" content=\\"When the news came last November that Irish singer\\/songwriter Shane MacGowan had died after fighting an infection for several months, it was\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"robots\\" content=\\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\\" \\/>\\n<link rel=\\"canonical\\" href=\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/theydidntteachmethat\\/2024\\/06\\/if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god\\/\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:locale\\" content=\\"en\_US\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:type\\" content=\\"article\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:title\\" content=\\""If I Should Fall From Grace With God"\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:description\\" content=\\"When the news came last November that Irish singer\\/songwriter Shane MacGowan had died after fighting an infection for several months, it was\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:url\\" content=\\"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/theydidntteachmethat\\/2024\\/06\\/if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god\\/\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:site\_name\\" content=\\"They Didn\\u2019t Teach Me That...\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"article:published\_time\\" content=\\"2024-06-16T14:19:26+00:00\\" \\/>\\n<meta property=\\"og:image\\" content=\\"https:\\/\\/wp-media.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/sites\\/2147\\/2024\\/06\\/artist-3480274\_1280-thekaleidoscope.jpg\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:width\\" content=\\"1280\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:height\\" content=\\"853\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta property=\\"og:image:type\\" content=\\"image\\/jpeg\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"author\\" content=\\"William T. Orr, Jr.\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"twitter:card\\" content=\\"summary\_large\_image\\" \\/>\\n<meta name=\\"twitter:label1\\" content=\\"Written by\\" \\/>\\n\\t<meta name=\\"twitter:data1\\" content=\\"William T. 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{"id":1014,"date":"2024-06-16T10:19:26","date_gmt":"2024-06-16T14:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theydidntteachmethat\/?p=1014"},"modified":"2024-06-16T10:19:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-16T14:19:26","slug":"if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theydidntteachmethat\/2024\/06\/if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god\/","title":{"rendered":"“If I Should Fall From Grace With God”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Does Shane MacGowan reveal his Christianity in his lyrics?<\/h2>\n When the news came last November that Irish singer\/songwriter Shane MacGowan had died after fighting an infection for several months, it was a sad day for Irish music fans and especially for fans of the brand of Irish music typified by the Pogues, the popular band partially founded by MacGowan.<\/p>\n Shane had been expected to make it home for Christmas, which would have been his 66th birthday, but it was not to be.<\/p>\n Irish Punk Band\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Pixabay Image by thekaleidoscope<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhat was my reaction?<\/h2>\n I am not as knowledgeable of Irish music as are some of my family and friends but I was really pulling for Shane.<\/p>\n I had two gut reactions: to write poems or song lyrics commemorating Shane\u2019s life and work and to determine if evidence of the details of Shane\u2019s Christianity could be extrapolated from his lyrics.<\/p>\n I quickly saw that no article of this length could adequately encompass a study of all his lyrics, I would first concentrate on one specific song, the one that, by its title alone, should reveal what I was looking for.<\/p>\n Why pick this one?<\/h2>\n If I Should Fall From Grace With God,<\/em> by its title alone, makes it a great candidate and possibly the best one, based on Shane\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n It is about death, the death of the song\u2019s narrator.\u00a0 Our task is to determine how much of the narrator\u2019s beliefs and fears are attributable to the songwriter.<\/p>\n Shane MacGowan\u2019s life was lived out in public and his human weaknesses were on public display during his lifetime.\u00a0 I think of him somewhat like I think of another great songwriter, Townes Van Zandt.\u00a0 Both men died as a result of the way they lived.\u00a0 Living killed them both.<\/p>\n How do we analyze these lyrics?<\/h2>\n First of all, we have to know the theological meaning of the terms we are using.\u00a0 In the title, we find the term \u201cgrace.\u201d\u00a0 In order to understand a theology, we need to understand the language it uses.<\/p>\n What is \u201cgrace?\u201d<\/h3>\n The Oxford Companion to the Bible<\/a> defines \u201cgrace\u201d as:<\/p>\n " \u201cthe undeserved gift that creates relationships and the sustaining, responding, forbearing attitude-plus-action that nurtures relationships.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The internet website Christianity.com<\/a> defines \u201cgrace\u201d as:<\/p>\n " \u201cundeserved merit.\u201d\u2026\u201dThere is absolutely nothing we can do to earn this grace. It is given to us as a completely free gift, even though we do not deserve it. Rightly appreciated, grace is an inspiration to us to do better, to seek God\u2019s will, and to live a righteous life.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cGrace,\u201d then, is the gift of merit or benefit or goodness given to us even though we have done nothing to deserve the gift.\u00a0 It is given freely and presumably, with love.<\/p>\n Where does \u201cgrace\u201d come from?<\/h3>\n The Oxford Companion to the Bible<\/a> (1993, pp 260-261) outlines verses from the Bible that discuss the grace offered by God in Jewish and Christian theologies, citing Psalms 37:21<\/a> and Psalm 26<\/a> as examples.\u00a0 The Oxford Companion<\/a> discusses the concept of God\u2019s grace at length and provides several more examples of the discussions in both the Hebrew Bible and the new Testament.<\/p>\n How can one \u201cfall from grace with God?\u201d<\/h3>\n The Free Dictionary<\/a> states (\u201cfall from grace,\u201d not specifically theological):<\/p>\n " \u201cTo experience a major reduction in status or prestige.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Merriam-Webster<\/a> states:<\/p>\n " Definition of fall from grace as in trespass:* *\nto commit an offense, trespass, fall, wander, sin, stray, offend\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Oxford Companion to the Bible<\/a> defines \u201cfall\u201d in relation to the fall of Adam in the Book of Genesis.<\/a><\/p>\n The \u201cfall\u201d of Adam (it states) is credited by some of the Bible\u2019s authors as a fall that would make us all weak and subject to the beguilement of talking snakes.\u00a0 Saul, the epistle writer<\/a>, believed that Adam\u2019s fall introduced sin and death.\u00a0 It was the basis for St. Augustine\u2019s doctrine of original sin<\/em><\/a> developed in the 5th century CE.<\/p>\n We see that a \u201cfall from grace with God\u201d would be a fall by a man (or woman) based on his or her disobedience to God\u2019s commandments.<\/p>\n Celtic Knot symbolizes unity Pixabay Image by donnellydsigns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhere does this fit into Christian theology?<\/h2>\n*** *We could cite Christian theologians and Biblical historians but I believe we can find a clearer path to Shane MacGowan\u2019s Christianity by examining what the Bible itself says Jesus believed.<\/p>\n While there are passages in the gospels that make Jesus\u2019s own theology less than clear, his teachings about pour behavior and its consequences can be found in the New Testament, Matthew 19:16-26 (ESV)<\/a>.<\/p>\n " 16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, \u201cTeacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?\u201d 17 And he said to him, \u201cWhy do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.\u201d 18 He said to him, \u201cWhich ones?\u201d And Jesus said, \u201cYou shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.\u201d 20 The young man said to him, \u201cAll these I have kept. What do I still lack?\u201d 21 Jesus said to him, \u201cIf you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.\u201d 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A follower of Jesus receives salvation by 1. keeping specific commandments and 2. by sacrificing one\u2019s possessions to benefit the poor.<\/p>\n This salvation comes from grace.\u00a0 In this theology, all humans will fall short and will require \u201cgrace\u201d or undeserved blessing to achieve salvation.<\/p>\n Irish punk band Pixabay Image by marcisio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhat did this reveal about Shane MacGowan\u2019s personal theology?<\/h2>\n To my knowledge, Shane MacGowan did not make a definitive statement of his theology.\u00a0 Few people do.\u00a0 We are concerned here with whether the lyrics<\/a> to this powerful song reveal anything about his beliefs.<\/p>\n " If I should fall from grace with God*** \nWhere no doctor can relieve me \nIf I\u2019m buried in the sod \nBut the angels won\u2019t receive me<\/p>\n Let me go, boys, let me go, boys \nLet me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\/p>\n This land was always ours \nIt was the proud land of our fathers \nIt belongs to us and them \nNot to any of the others<\/p>\n Let them go, boys, let them go, boys \nLet them go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\/p>\n Bury me at sea \nWhere no murdered ghost can haunt me \nIf I rock upon the waves \nAnd no corpse can lie upon me<\/p>\n Let me go, boys, let me go, boys \nLet me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\/p>\n If I should fall from grace with God \nWhere no doctor can relieve me \nIf I\u2019m buried in the sand \nBut the angels won\u2019t receive me<\/p>\n Let me go, boys, let me go, boys *\nLet me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\/p>\n Songwriter: Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan<\/p><\/blockquote>\n As with many songs by well known writers, there is no lack of interpretations.<\/p>\n American Songwriter<\/h3>\n American Songwriter<\/a>\u2018s Jacob Uitti asserts:<\/p>\n " The beautiful and bountiful land of Ireland is known for many things, from Guinness to rock and roll music. But it\u2019s also known for its religious faith. Here, in \u201cIf I Should Fall from Grace with God,\u201d MacGowan seemingly weaves all together in this song that gets your heart pounding like a shot of adrenaline.<\/p>\n The song is much like a rock and roll prayer, delivered from the pulpit of the pub. Released in 1988 on the LP of the same name, it is one of the group\u2019s most successful songs, along with the track, \u201cFairytale of New York.\u201d Peaking at No. 58 on the U.K. Singles Chart, \u201cIf I Should Fall from Grace with God\u201d was a request of remembrance and service from the singer to his best mates.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Here, the critic acknowledges the religious thematic materials but does not make conclusions about the faith of the songwriter.<\/p>\n Songmeanings.com<\/h3>\n A critic, writing for the internet website, Songmeanings.com,<\/a> in 2011, long before MacGowan\u2019s death, made a pretty sweeping interpretation that involves not only the songwriter and the song\u2019s narrator, but the entire Roman Catholic Church:<\/p>\n " If I should fall from grace with God Where no doctor can relieve me If I\u2019m buried \u2018neath the sod But the angels won\u2019t receive me<\/em><\/p>\n (this is saying that if Ireland is coerced away from the Catholic Church, the heavens won\u2019t receive them \u2013 it has to do with the Protestant Reformation and England\u2019s penal laws \u2013 when England committed genocide on the Irish in the 1640s. Of 1.6M, the English killed 600K Irish and sent another 300K abroad as slaves \u2013 mostly to America.<\/p>\n Let me go down in the mud Where the rivers all run dry <\/em>(if we fall from grace, then there\u2019s no salvation \u2013 we simply die and the rivers run dry aka the after life is void)<\/p>\n This land was always ours Was the proud land of our fathers It belongs to us and them Not to any of the others<\/em><\/p>\n (refers to the English invasion & colonization of \u201cNORTHERN IRELAND.\u201d You know \u2013 occupation. The English forced Scottish salves \u2013 after committing the same genocide there and taking over its country \u2013 into NORTHERN IRELAND. The land of OUR fathers belongs to us, by way of our fathers and belongs to no other. Like Scott-Irish who are still beholden to the UK \u2013 unlike the rest of Ireland)<\/p>\n Bury me at sea Where no murdered ghost can haunt me<\/em><\/p>\n (the murdered ghosts are Ireland\u2019s forefathers, who haunt the land taken from them b\/c of their faith \u2013 Roman Catholic vs Protestants. BTW Ireland. We are the 2nd largest nationality in America with the largest denomination \u2013 but we miss OUR LAND too)<\/p>\n If I rock upon the waves Then no corpse can lie upon me<\/em> (so many Irish were killed by the English that people were buried upon one another)<\/p>\n Bury me at sea, Where no murdered ghost can haunt me<\/em> (the Wild Geese aka the Irish sent abroad as slaves. So many Irish were killed on slave ships that bodies littered the ocean & were likened to bread crumbs leading the way to County Cork from the port of NYC \u2013 and later Boston)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is a serious attempt to interpret the song from a historical viewpoint but while it discusses the church, it does little to help us with personal theology of the songwriter.<\/p>\n Bellsirishlyrics.com<\/h3>\n Janice Bellosguardo, on her website www.bellsirishlyrics.com<\/a>, provides a short, and not particularly helpful analysis:<\/p>\n " I think \u201cmud\u201d may just refer to the wet, boggy, peat soil of Ireland. And the place where all the rivers run dry is probably Hell. The song strikes me as a defiant statement of Irish Catholic nationalism and contempt for Protestant England. The lyrics aren\u2019t clear or straightforward, but I think the basic meaning is, \u201cIf I ever stop fighting for Ireland, if I ever give in and accept rule by those foreign, Protestant bastards\u2026 well then, I\u2019ve lost my soul. So, bury me in the peat and let me sink all the way to Hell.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Rolling Stone<\/em><\/h3>\n A critic known as \u201cJ.H.,\u201d writing in Rolling Stone,<\/em><\/a> adds to the conversation:<\/p>\n " This rambunctious anthem is one of the best examples of Shane MacGowan\u2019s ability to punk up Irish folk. Written by MacGowan as the title track of the Pogues\u2019 third album, it addresses death, drowning, and maybe even some of Ireland\u2019s politics. \u201cThis land was always ours\/it was the proud land of our fathers,\u201d he snarls in one verse before letting out a piercing scream. But it\u2019s the \u201ccoming up threes\u201d allusion that is most rich in imagery, of the maritime kind: Lore has it that before you drown, you surface three times. As MacGowan delivers it, in a chorus so hooky it was once used in a Subaru commercial, he\u2019s at peace with the end result: \u201cLet me go, boys.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Still, we are left without a clear image of the songwriter\u2019s Christianity.<\/p>\n What do these critics miss?<\/h2>\n********* Critics hint, but do not analyze the lyrics through the lenses of theology, history and literature to help us with meanings.<\/p>\n Below, I will attempt to fill in some of these gaps.<\/p>\n Verse 1 and chorus 1<\/h3>\n " If I should fall from grace with God<\/em> \nWhere no doctor can relieve me<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I believe that we can infer that the songwriter, speaking through the psyche of the narrator, (songs, like stories, can be autobiographical, but they do not have to be) is saying that if he might die (Where no doctor can relieve me)<\/em> \u201cin sin,\u201d\u00a0 if he dies while fallen from grace,<\/p>\n " If I\u2019m buried in the sod<\/em> \nBut the angels won\u2019t receive me<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n then,<\/p>\n " Let me go, boys, let me go, boys<\/em> Let me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Buried in the sod<\/em> can have multiple meanings.\u00a0 Most simply, it can mean\u00a0 buried under the ground.\u00a0 But this is an Irish song and Irish songs can contain many meanings.<\/p>\n Wictionary.org<\/a> states:<\/p>\n " old sod<\/em> (plural old sods) (Noun)<\/p>\n Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see old,\u200e sod (person). \n(US, Ireland) The old country; one\u2019s place of origin.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The sod\u00a0<\/em>can simply be the ground but it can also be one\u2019s homeland in Irish and American usage.<\/p>\n " But the angels won\u2019t receive me<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I am dead and buried but I am not welcomed into heaven.\u00a0 In Roman Catholic theology, I believe that this means that the narrator believes that he might be headed for purgatory.<\/p>\n " Let me go, boys, let me go, boys<\/em> *Let me go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The narrator is telling his mates that there is nothing more they can do for him.<\/p>\n " Let me go down in the mud<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n While not specifically stated, this could be a reference to the idea in Psalm 69:14<\/a>:<\/p>\n " Pull me from the mud,<\/span><\/em>*** \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>and don\u2019t let me sink down deeper.<\/span><\/span><\/em> \nSave me from those who hate me.<\/span><\/em> \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Save me from this deep water.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Don\u2019t \u201cpull from the mud<\/em>\u201d but \u201clet me go down in the mud<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 You can\u2019t help me.\u00a0 Let me go.\u00a0 Let me die without further intervention.<\/p>\n " where the rivers all run dry<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This could simply be a reference to a natural ending or possibly to an unnatural or supernatural ending.\u00a0 There is a song, Till the Rivers All Run Dry<\/em><\/a> by Don Williams and Wayland D. Holyfield:<\/p>\n " Till the rivers all run dry<\/em> \nTill the sun falls from the sky<\/em> \nTill life on earth is through<\/em> *\nI\u2019ll be needing you<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Until \u201clife on Earth is through,\u201d that is, until time and life have ended.<\/p>\n Verse 2 and chorus 2<\/h3>\n "\n This land was always ours<\/em>*** It was the proud land of our fathers<\/em> It belongs to us and them<\/em> Not to any of the others<\/em><\/div>\n <\/div>\n Let them go, boys, let them go, boys<\/em> *Let them go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\/em><\/div>\n <\/div>\n*** This land was always ours<\/em> It was the proud land of our fathers<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I believe, knowing a little bit about Ireland and its music and knowing a little about MacGowan, this is a clear attack on the horrible English treatment of Ireland\u2019s people and the misuse of Ireland\u2019s lands by them throughout history.<\/p>\n " It belongs to us and them<\/em> Not to any of the others<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cUs and them\u201d is us and our fathers.\u00a0 \u201cAny of the others\u201d is England and anyone else who would rape Ireland\u2019s people and resources.<\/p>\n " Let them go, boys, let them go, boys<\/em> Let them go down in the mud, where the rivers all run dry<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Let the usurpers die and let them die without redemption.<\/p>\n Verse 3 and chorus 3<\/h3>\n "\n Bury me at sea<\/em> Where no murdered ghost can haunt me<\/em> If I rock upon the waves<\/em> *And no corpse can lie upon me<\/em><\/div>\n <\/div>\n It\u2019s coming up threes, boys<\/em>*** \nKeeps coming up threes, boys<\/em> \nLet them go down in the mud<\/em> *\nWhere the rivers all run dry<\/em><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n Bury me at sea<\/em>*** *Where no murdered ghost can haunt me<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cMurdered ghost\u201d might refer to the vengeful spirit<\/a> motif in European folklore.\u00a0 I have not found a specific parallel in Irish mythology.\u00a0 As we saw earlier, one critic<\/a> believes the \u201cmurdered souls\u2019 are the dead Irish forefathers.<\/div>\n*********** \n "\n If I rock upon the waves<\/em> And no corpse can lie upon me<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n This image seems obscure.\u00a0 If one is buried at sea and \u201crocks upon the waves,\u201d surely it would be unlikely for another body to encroach on his space, unlike, and this might be a stretch, mass graves of the Irish who died as a result of English cruelty.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n "\n It\u2019s coming up threes, boys<\/em> \nKeeps coming up threes, boys<\/em> \nLet them go down in the mud<\/em> \nWhere the rivers all run dry<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n In the folklore of the sea, a man who goes overboard comes up three times before he succumbs to the waves.\u00a0 lost or buried at sea?\u00a0 They are gone.\u00a0 Let them go.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\nVerse 4 and chorus 4<\/h3>\n " * If I should fall from grace with God<\/em> \nWhere no doctor can relieve me<\/em> \nIf I\u2019m buried \u2018neath the sod<\/em> \nSo the angels won\u2019t receive me<\/em><\/p>\n * Let me go, boys<\/em> \nLet me go, boys<\/em> \nLet me go down in the mud<\/em> \nWhere the rivers all run dry<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n * This final verse brings us back to the first verse and is repeated verbatim.<\/p>\n * Summary of the possible meaning of the lyrics<\/h2>\n\nIf I die in sin, there is no help for me.\u00a0 Let me go.<\/li>\nIf I am dead and cannot be admitted to heaven, there is no help. Let me go.<\/li>\nIreland has always belonged to the Irish, in spite of immoral English rule in history.<\/li>\nI want to be buried at sea where there will be no further complications by a government or church.<\/li>\nIf I die in sin, there is no help for me.\u00a0 Let me go.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhat can we infer about the songwriter\u2019s Christianity?<\/h2>\n I would like to be able to make more definitive conclusions about Shane MacGowan\u2019s personal theology from these lyrics.<\/p>\n There is not enough here to take that desire very far.<\/p>\n We must concede that it is not possible to equate the songwriter with the narrator.\u00a0 I do not believe, however, in this case that we can completely separate the two.<\/p>\n I believe we can safely say that the songwriter:<\/p>\n \nacknowledges the existence of the deity described in the Bible.<\/li>\nhas strong feelings for Ireland and its people<\/li>\nhas regrets but those regrets do not define him<\/li>\nwishes to conclude his life simply, without complication from people or their beliefs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Beyond that, I am afraid that we are left with an incomplete picture of Shane MacGowan\u2019s Christianity.\u00a0 He does give us hints but leaves us to speculate.<\/p>\n Do you have a different conclusion?<\/p>\n Many people will have many thoughts and opinions.\u00a0 It is my hope that some readers will be kind enough to leave a comment and let me know what you think.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n "\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n " \u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Does Shane MacGowan reveal his Christianity in his lyrics? When the news came last November that Irish singer\/songwriter Shane MacGowan had died after fighting an infection for several months, it was a sad day for Irish music fans and especially for fans of the brand of Irish music typified by the Pogues, the popular band […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5432,"featured_media":1032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[26,60,66,63],"class_list":["post-1014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-christian","tag-irish","tag-pogues","tag-shane-macgowan"],"yoast_head":"\n"If I Should Fall From Grace With God"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When the news came last November that Irish singer\/songwriter Shane MacGowan had died after fighting an infection for several months, it was\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theydidntteachmethat\/2024\/06\/if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""If I Should Fall From Grace With God"\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When the news came last November that Irish singer\/songwriter Shane MacGowan had died after fighting an infection for several months, it was\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theydidntteachmethat\/2024\/06\/if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"They Didn\u2019t Teach Me That...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-16T14:19:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2147\/2024\/06\/artist-3480274_1280-thekaleidoscope.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"William T. 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