It sounds as if Rachel Fitzgerald must be favourite, having done it before in 2001:
'But MacColl will be remembered most for her collaboration with The Pogues on "Fairytale of New York."
Written by MacGowan, it opens as a sad, traditional song of a man spending Christmas Eve in a drunk tank. But it switches to hilarious insults traded between lovers.
"You're a bum, you're a punk. You scum bag, you maggot, you cheap lousy f-----," MacColl berates him. "Happy Christmas your arse, I pray God it's our last."
But MacGowan's deep and abiding feelings for her are more accurately reflected in his haunting words to her: "Happy Christmas. I love you baby. I can see a better time, when all our dreams come true."
MacGowan remembers meeting a frightened-looking red-haired girl with classic Gaelic beauty who grew into a passionate singer with guts. MacColl would lecture him endlessly about his excessive drinking while keeping him up all night slugging Champagne.
"She had a great laugh and a great sense of humor," he said. "She was tough but she had a heart of gold."
MacGowan sings "Fairytale of New York" on his current tour with Rachel Fitzgerald of the funky Irish hip hop band Seanchai and the Unity Squad. The tour opened on St. Patrick's Day at Webster Hall, and the show was recorded for an upcoming live CD.'
