Britain has always been a complex entity of four distinct unique national identities with individual peculiarities, customs and traditions. As far as Ireland is concerned, it has its own separate identity that is embodied in Irish music which is an inseparable part of Irish culture. One of the representatives of the Irish musical sphere is the renowned band the Pogues that aimed at bringing Irish people into the world of music boosting their feeling of national identity, which left an immeasurable impact on music on the whole and popularized Irish music far beyond the borders of Great Britain. If I Should Fall From The Grace of God, the album released in 1985 directly concerns the issues of Irish identity.
The album comprises fifteen tracks, a combination of Irish music with punk rock and profound intellectual lyrics that can be accounted for by the fact that the members of the band underwent the major influence of literature over their songs. It is noteworthy that the band tackled multiple issues such as politics, culture, language, and literature that constitute Irish identity. The leader of the band, Shane MacGowan, was also a songwriter and attached much importance to his perception of Irish identity. Since the band was formed in London but greatly influenced by Irish folk music, their music presents a mixture of motifs viewed from the perspective of cosmopolitan London, which has become the concern of many band’s songs. For instance, Lullaby of London, a sad song, is the embodiment of Irish-London mixed identities.
The Poque’s ballads had an implicit political context in their songs. Thus, for instance, Thousands are Sailing, Fairytale of New York, Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six that are not only entertaining but draw attention to such vital issues as increasing violence, economic migration, immigration, social deprivation, and the like.
Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six is a thought-provoking insightful song that is divided into two parts, each concentrating on a separate topic. The first part of the song dwells on the painful and sad feelings of the Irishmen who walk the sad streets of Ireland suffering from being in the wrong place at the wrong time in the years of ethnic and political conflicts. The song describes the feelings of a man who suffered enough in these conflicts and has to leave his native place to escape from violence and oppression. The second part of the song accuses the authorities and the law of the violence in the streets of Ireland who slain young men for their belonging to the Irish nation. The song suggests that the Irish are martyrs in the mechanisms of power and this should never be tolerated.
Another feature that contributes to the Irish identity in the band’s songs is the allusion or mentioning of Irish heroes, literary names and the like. Thus, Thousands are Sailing describes the emigration wave to the US. The song implicitly states that leaving the country one should never leave his identity. And even in the streets of Manhattan, the song of Beatles will be heard and Brendan Behan’s, an Irish poet, verses.
In the song If I Should Fall From The Grace of God that gave the title to the album, the band expresses their views on the geographical issue of Ireland that was always theirs and the feelings of patriotism and the pride of their history.
All things considered, all literary references in the album add to the understanding of the identity of Irish people as victims and martyrs through always having a strong feeling of national identity. With I Should Fall From The Grace of God the band marked the revival of the Irish sense of identity and inspired pride into Irish.