Navigator - The Pogues

[LibertyandEconomics]

I'm a businessman, I maximize profits which in turn help other businesses to do business, who then are able to hire people. And I love this song.

[ChimeraAZ]

Actually,life is hard anymore,for ALL of us,not only in the UK,but here in America as well.There are only the haves and have-nots now.Theres no more middle class.We're poor or rich here,believe me.If you see on tv,or read the newspapers,you'd know that. America wasnt born on the backs of the rich either,..all I am saying is that there is more than just the poor of Europe,and the UK.It's all over anymore,..sadly.

[043lightman]

Nice work on images , great song . Forgot all the lyrics , thanks for your effort .

[djsamonella1]

@MrMinturn31 lol dude if you think this song sucks you've never heard music before. go listen to any radio station and i guarantee you'll find much worse songs. if you like that music JUMP OFF A FUCKING CLIFF.

[Upeter2]

My favourite song on the album.

[agramsci]

Thank god for the Oirish dogs who served the glory of the Empire. I am grateful each day for the fact that Great Britain, and more importantly England, was served by the labour of other peoples as we spread civilisation around the planet. Surely in some ironic way Shane was praising England for the beauty of her civilisation!

[LubricatedSquirm]

@agramsci

If anything he was mocking Great Britain: "The supply of an empire where the sun never set/ which is now deep in darkness, but the railway's there yet."

He's basically thumbing his nose at Great Britain which has fallen from its glory (deep in darkness) but points out that the labor of the Irish remains (the railway's there yet). I wouldn't be too keen on searching for English patriotism in Pogues songs.

[kentishsteve]

@agramsci a totally unbiased view thumbs up

[mixn44]

@agramsci

Its spelt Irish dumbo.

You wouldnt have gave my Granpa

any of your drivel, as a big navvy's

fist would have knocked the little sense

you have,right out of ye.

[spiff195]

sooooooo drunk\

[locodriver107]

@MegaPaddyo true

[rothwellss]

Canals as well plus doing many jobs that the regular employees would not do. Many worked in the dangerous and uncertain chemical industries cleaning pipes on ships as once chimney sweeps did and so many jobs that have either gone or are now done by machines and robots. Life was short hard and cruel. We are not looking back much more than 40 years when these people were exploited because of ther lack of education lack of work at home and lack of hope

[adamtzsch]

canals

[SuperLukedan]

ha

[TheChrisrg]

Not heard this in years, great band, saw em in 87, fucking wild.

[qwertysmee]

@TheChrisrg moderate your language.

[TheChrisrg]

@qwertysmee who are you? the youtube police?, keep your nose out pal.

[mrblushy]

Great song,tells it as it is,dont think this generation could hack it,respect to the navie,r.i.p poor bastards.

[laboheme26]

@mrblushy

I agree with you.  Those aged around 30 & under are a very mollycoddled generation.

So many men lost their lives building tunnels, bridges, railways and roads from the older working class generations. The photos in the video go great with the brilliant lyrics of this outstanding song.

I love the Pogues. They say it like it is (or was).

[kentishsteve]

@laboheme26 i agree and im 27 but if you remember it was the generation before us who created our mollycoddled lives and also created the lazy culture we have today

[laboheme26]

@kentishsteve

Yeah, you're probably right about that Steve. The children of the hippies who mollycoddled their kids and passed it down to the current generation. Having said that, I have to say, life is tough, very tough for the less well off of ALL ages these days, especially in the UK.

[GanarfGeorgie]

Bravo!

[sixfootbear]

If ONLY you had let the pictures tell the bloody story! The pictures are good but you have really buggered things up. Yes thats your choice but i really do wish you hadnt done so.

[ableach22]

@sixfootbear whats your problem with the video?

[sixfootbear]

@ableach22

You have put the lyrics across the photographs. The photos and the song would have told the story far better than your buggering them up.

And no i am not normally so damn outspoken before you ask.

[ableach22]

@ableach22 dont get shitty with me its not my video and some people like having the lyrics to read me included. you could make ur own video without the lyrics

[tinmccool]

Get a few jars in ye, have an oul wail along to this and tip yer hat to the boys that built the infrastructure from Singapore to Alaska. Top.

[Millermaniacal]

The greatest song about the little guy! Tip your hat to the unfortunate dregs!

[thistorontoguy]

When I lived in Ottawa, Canada I was often reminded of this song by the presence of the Rideau Canal, built in the 1820s and 1830s. Many Irish labourers who worked on it died of malaria and in blasting accidents. It is still a working canal with most of the original stonework intact. Thanks to this song I had an appreciation of what it took to build it.

[mattsires]

The navvies built the canals initially, and THEN they built the railways as well.

[UFOIST]

great song

[lasttimeisawelvis]

Will always remind me of New Years Eve 09-10

[sixfootbear]

The navigators, shortened to Navvies, dug the canals not the railways.The term Navvies has become a generic term now.

[welshperson123]

i love shanes voice when hes younger (:

[Huargo]

Like my grandfather

[Florescentjobby]

Stglhor1zon;The cornish are celts and yer point is exactly? I' m sure they all lived in mantion's an sent their kids to private schools like the rich english bosses eh? Prick!

[233rdsteet]

BY PINTS!!

[christygum]

A absolutley brilliant tune that memorializes those

whose blood, sweat, toil and tears, built the rail bridges, tunnels and viaducts. Though they may be long gone, their silent monuments are witness to the men of iorn, stone and steel.

[kennethh70]

Ive seen some old irish navies screemin for drink and sceemin for for the lives they would never leed, chills me to the bone,im blest i got out in time or maybe the times just changed me heart goes out to thoes that are left.

[stglhor1zon]

Yes not only were most navvies English, particularly Cornish, but they were also not poor as the song suggests. they got considerable danger money, not unlike the pylon workers and oil riggers of today.

[tedg50]

From Jarrow in england Known as little Ireland.They came here to work in Palmers shipyard.The pogues are at their best with a bottle of whiskey,

[seamirock]

of course the navvys were as i am, irish. and hard as nails. well im no navvy and im not hard as nails but damn this song makes me proud.

[gokhan100]

5 stars mate.

[empedokleff]

nice video- well done :-)

[iamkentphil420]

I love this song.............my old grandad(god rest his soul) was a navvy........brings tears to my eyes especially when there's a drink in me.........

Thanks for posting, much appreciated.

[ramblingbloke]

This song is brilliant! But it wasn't written by Shane MacGowan, though some people tend to believe it was. It was actually written by Phil Gaston, who managed Shane MacGowan's band "The Nips" together with Stan Brennan (producer of "Red Roses for Me"). But it's great, yes.

[cleckheatoncentral]

Yes, It is true. Most navies were english, esp cornish for building tunnels. Most lived a nomadic life, living in places like Woodhead, Dunford Bridge, Morley, Carlisle. It would be easy to see how one Irish accent to get the locals thinking this shaddy invasion of undesirables to be "Irish". Great to see the credit in this song.

[joenobody13]

the US is a different story.  ...and maybe Canada and Australia

[Huargo]

Dinamiteros al mejor postor

[8796andrew]

most navvys were english and not irish(contrary to belief!)-what a song though-its great that they are at least getting some credit for everything they done-gone,but not forgotten!

[davyb08]

The Job as Navvy.although we dont have it in europe anymore is Reduntand.Its called a different name its.""transient poor"or shou;d that be work force.Time dont change 1 grampa came from islay 2 glasgw 2 work.the other frm Doneagal to wrk onnHydro elactric dams.The only thing that changed is in recentimes navogator dnt navigate any more .they do the=work.CAPILISITION WILL ALLWAYS NEED A CHEAP AVAILABLE TRANCIENT WORKFORCE.bUT HAY HOH WHAT CAN I DO ONLY recruit winckle pickers and drunkards

[Huargo]

Balfin & Dwayne

[Huargo]

Balfin y Dwayne

[Aristurtle89]

I love the Pogues! & I'm from a working class Irish background and my great grandad worked on building the motorways, this song is very close to my heart

[buckcreekman]

Im a working class englishman, Now living in the states. I think the pogues are the greatest. I just love this song,It captures ,The hard life theses workers endured. So that we can travel about more easy.

[Aristurtle89]

i'm from northwest england (my family is irish, they came from Co. Donegal) i will always be proud of my ancestors and what they endured. thank you for your comment buckcreekman!

[RottenCanoe]

..Which is now deep in darkness, but the railway's there yet.. That about sums it up..SEEING as the Irish have always had their dislikeing for the brits..BEEEUTIFUL!!!

[PinkFairy1961]

Fantastic song, one of my favs, and great photos of the past.

Brilliant !!

[Slavko383]

Best song in the world to listen to on the way to work!

[philhickle98]

Couldn't agree more.

[drfaul]

@Slavko383 hahahahaha- really true, man :D

[haha9323]

I love the Pogues-they kick ass! <3 thanks for putting this up, i'm sending my musically-challenged friend a bunch of good songs and i was afraid this wouldn't be on here.

[HalloweenEveryNight]

Finally it's posted..thanks!

[ILDWF]

Thank...This has been a great secondary source for my history module at school - The Industrial Revolution, roads, canals and railways.