Boy, I think I really misinterpreted these lyrics. I've loved the Pogues version for decades, but just recently learned how to sing it and play it on guitar. So I was paying much closer attention to the lyrics than in the past. First verse is obvious. It's about falling in love with a girl, but the next verse talks about cats prowling at night and a girl emerging from streets. Another verse mentions spring is in the air. Does that mean his girl is sneaking around at night, maybe having a spring fling while he's working late at the factory? Then comes the verse about making a sharp axe and chopping someone down like "like an old dead tree"? Sounds like he's planning a murder. Is he sharpening his axe in a jealous rage because he thinks his girl has been prowling the streets at night cheating on him with a new lover? Seems like a plausible interpretation, and there are certainly lots of other songs about jealousy, rage, and murder. A good example is Down By The River by Neil Young, but I'm sure there are many English and Irish folk songs with similar themes. However, I've since read about Ewan MacColl's inspiration for the song and realize I was off-base. Which is good, because I don't like singing songs about domestic violence.
Boy, I think I really misinterpreted these lyrics. I've loved the Pogues version for decades, but just recently learned how to sing it and play it on guitar. So I was paying much closer attention to the lyrics than in the past. First verse is obvious. It's about falling in love with a girl, but the next verse talks about cats prowling at night and a girl emerging from streets. Another verse mentions spring is in the air. Does that mean his girl is sneaking around at night, maybe having a spring fling while he's working late at the factory? Then comes the verse about making a sharp axe and chopping someone down like "like an old dead tree"? Sounds like he's planning a murder. Is he sharpening his axe in a jealous rage because he thinks his girl has been prowling the streets at night cheating on him with a new lover? Seems like a plausible interpretation, and there are certainly lots of other songs about jealousy, rage, and murder. A good example is Down By The River by Neil Young, but I'm sure there are many English and Irish folk songs with similar themes. However, I've since read about Ewan MacColl's inspiration for the song and realize I was off-base. Which is good, because I don't like singing songs about domestic violence.