Shane MacGowan Quotations

When I'm writing a song, it gives me more actual pleasure to hear someone else sing it than do it meself.

I've been here all the time; I could be putting out as many albums as Costello, y'know what I mean?

My dad has no control over who works with me. Me, me and me alone has to take responsibility for anything.

What I do is I'm a bandleader, frontman, entertainer.

Petitions are ridiculous.

You can’t hate people unless you love them.

I've been a babe magnet for quite a while now.

There is drinking in lots of the songs because there is drinking in life. Drinking stimulates the imagination.

Everyone drinks..........Well, unless they don't.

With The Pogues, at least the first three albums I'll stand by completely, yeah? Because I was in artistic control then, yeah? And the last couple of albums I'll stand by anything that's got my name on it, yeah? But I'll stand by anything that is on The Popes' albums, you know? I wouldn't put stuff out that I didn't like. I don't put out bad music. And I can tell the difference. I know that.

Cram as much pleasure as you can into life, and rail against the pain that you have to suffer as a result.

I drink because I’m thirsty,

I'm just following the Irish tradition of songwriting, the Irish way of life, the human way of life. Cram as much pleasure into life, and rail against the pain you have to suffer as a result. Or scream and rant with the pain, and wait for it to be taken away with beautiful pleasure . . .

The most important thing to remember about drunks is that drunks are far more intelligent than non-drunks- they spend a lot of time talking in pubs, unlike workaholics who concentrate on their careers and ambitions, who never develop their higher spiritual values, who never explore the insides of their head like a drunk does.