whats this all about?

**Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:38 am**

i hate to be so dampening, but on the leaflet issued with the very best of the pogues album, it says that Shane had been a patient in a mental hospital, can anyone tell me why?

it shocked me, i never knew anything like that about him, and i was just wondering why??!!

**Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:50 pm**

Here’s what Shane himself said about it in an interview (The Observer, Sunday, March 11, 2001):

(…) When he was 17, he had a major breakdown and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for six months. 'I was drinking a lot and I'd been put on a heavy prescription of tranquillisers by the GP. This was a big thing in the 70s - there's thousands of people in mental hospitals who were made zombies by downers. Anyway, they got me off the gear, the drugs that had put me there, and I started drinking again - but then they wouldn't let me drink, which is where the trouble started. It was called Acute Situational Anxiety - which basically meant I didn't like being in London. Perpetual panic - I panic in London.'

So it was booze and pills... sort of detox.

**Thu Nov 04, 2004 9:19 am**

Zuzana, if we talk about Shane's young years and his first experience with mental institution, let me say in the beginning was the Cultural Shock, and the Cultural shock was provoked by split between idyllic rural Tipperary and "concrete and asphalt of London and the Barbican Flats". Booze, pills and things were mere reaction, kinda escapism.

"Life in the flats -- drab, depressing, devoid of nature and community alike - led both his mother and Shane to nervous breakdowns, medication, and stays in a mental hospital".

So it's developers' fault ! Fruits of their wicked activity led Shane into loony bin, they should be blamed and sued!

On top of pints of lager, speed and acid, MacGowan's family GP had put him on a heavy prescription of valium, and he started to suffer from acute anxiety attacks. He agreed to undergo a six-month detox in London's Bethlem Royal Hospital. "Rather than being sectioned I went into the loony bin of my own accord," he says. "I saw people being given ECT and I saw what it did to them. I saw lots of horrible things. But the minute I was threatened with ECT, I shaped up really fast and became ultra-sane. I started psychoanalysing my shrink, which was probably part of his technique. He could have sectioned me for another six months but our conversations convinced him of my sanity."
Celtic Soul Rebels
Written by: Ann Scanlon
MOJO Magazine September 2004

Later he had opportunities (and didn't lose some of them) to familiarize himself with functioning and achievements of various mental and detox clinics on both sides of Irish Sea (St.John Of God, The Priory, etc)

**Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:28 am**

Which is why "Pinned Down" is such a personal and moving song, which should long since have been published.

FAT GREASY SHRINKS
NOSEY BASTARDS
GOT NO REASON
FOR THE THINGS
THEY ASK YOU
KEEP YOU THERE
IN A HOLE
TILL YOU'RE READY
FOR JAIL AND DOLE
TAKE AWAY YOUR SOUL
PINNED DOWN.

....

JUMP OUT OF THE WINDOW
SLASH YOUR WRISTS
ALL YOU REALLY WANTED
WAS TO SCREW AND GET PISSED.
AND THE SKY IS BLACK
BUT YOU CAN'T GO BACK
AND THE WAY AHEAD JUST LEADS TO
THE CHANDLER CLINIC.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THERE
EXCEPT MADNESS AND DESPAIR
PINNED DOWN.

...

DESOLATION
ON MEDICATION
NURSE NURSE NURSE
I CAN'T SLEEP
NURSE NURSE NURSE
CAN I HAVE MORE PLEASE
NURSE NURSE NURSE
NOW THEY GOT YOU
ON YOUR FUCKING KNEES
THAT'S WHERE THEY LIKE
YOU TO BE
ECT DID A JOB ON ME.
PINNED DOWN.

**Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:43 am**

Actually, the entire lyrics deserve quotation:

PINNED DOWN

FIXED UP
SET UP
SMACKED UP
JACKED UP
SCREWED UP
SPEWED UP
FUCKED UP
LOCKED UP
SITTING THERE IN CHOKEY
FOURTEEN YEARS OLD
NO LOCK ON THE DOOR
BUT NO WAY OUT
NO JOKING
NO HOPING
NO NOTHING
PINNED DOWN.

FAT GREASY SHRINKS
NOSEY BASTARDS
GOT NO REASON
FOR THE THINGS
THEY ASK YOU
KEEP YOU THERE
IN A HOLE
TILL YOU'RE READY
FOR JAIL AND DOLE
TAKE AWAY YOUR SOUL
PINNED DOWN.

WAKE UP AND YOUR HEART'S
NOT BEATING
TRY TO KILL YOURSELF
BUT THEY GOT YOU
BEATEN
YOU TRY TO TAKE IT
AWAY FROM THEM
ONCE, THEN TWICE
AND THEN AGAIN AND
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND
AGAIN AND AGAIN.
JUMP OUT OF THE WINDOW
SLASH YOUR WRISTS
ALL YOU REALLY WANTED
WAS TO SCREW AND GET PISSED.
AND THE SKY IS BLACK
BUT YOU CAN'T GO BACK
AND THE WAY AHEAD JUST LEADS TO
THE CHANDLER CLINIC.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THERE
EXCEPT MADNESS AND DESPAIR
PINNED DOWN.

DEHYDRATION
HUMILIATION
DEGRADATION
MIND CASTRATION
AND THE SKY IS BLACK
AND THE ONE NEXT TO YOU
KEEPS THINKING.
THEY'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK.
PINNED DOWN.

DESOLATION
ON MEDICATION
NURSE NURSE NURSE
I CAN'T SLEEP
NURSE NURSE NURSE
CAN I HAVE MORE PLEASE
NURSE NURSE NURSE
NOW THEY GOT YOU
ON YOUR FUCKING KNEES
THAT'S WHERE THEY LIKE
YOU TO BE
ECT DID A JOB ON ME.
PINNED DOWN.

This was published, together with "Hands Of The Barmaid" and "The Dunes", in Sarah-Jane Lovett's oral: poems, sonnets, lyrics and the like, London, 1999.

**Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:55 am**

MacRua wrote:Booze, pills and things were mere reaction, kinda escapism.

An escapism, sure – but also perhaps a bit of life philosophy? :wink:

"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." Mr. Shane MacGowan

**Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:57 am**

MacRua wrote: So it's developers' fault ! Fruits of their wicked activity led Shane into loony bin, they should be blamed and sued!

The question stands whether the developers should not be awarded, at the same time, with a special honourable mention for providing Shane with impetus that led to enormous enrichment of the world treasury of music. Just think of all the songs which would never see the light of day if Shane still lived happily in Tipperary:

Dark Streets of London
Transmetropolitan
Boys From the County Hell
London You’re a Lady
St Johns of Gods

... and many, many more. :wink:

**Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:08 pm**

Zuzana wrote:An escapism, sure – but also perhaps a bit of life philosophy?

An escapism itself is a bit of philosophy :wink:

and a bit of sport...

As for the obvious (obvious for grown-up with experience) difference between highly spiritual drunkards and down-to-earth non-drunks one needs time to realize it, to feel the fancy of inner world, to see advantages of introspection, to get closer with other developers of spiritual values... Could a young irish boy (even genius one) know all of that? I'm not sure. Maybe he got some intuitive knowledge, soaked it with guinness in old farm... But it took time and proper treatment in Bethlem to turn that intuitive knowledge into philosophy...

The question stands whether the developers should not be awarded, at the same time, with a special honourable mention for providing Shane with impetus that led to enormous enrichment of the world treasury of music. Just think of all the songs which would never see the light of day if Shane still lived happily in Tipperary

To award developers for Shane's parents had to leave Ireland (and later took him to England too)?! What for ?!
It's not their merit! I'd suggest better candidates - Dev, Costello, etc.

**Thu Nov 04, 2004 5:06 pm**

MacRua wrote: As for the obvious (obvious for grown-up with experience) difference between highly spiritual drunkards and down-to-earth non-drunks one needs time to realize it, to feel the fancy of inner world, to see advantages of introspection, to get closer with other developers of spiritual values... Could a young irish boy (even genius one) know all of that? I'm not sure. Maybe he got some intuitive knowledge, soaked it with guinness in old farm... But it took time and proper treatment in Bethlem to turn that intuitive knowledge into philosophy...

That’s true; we should not mix up causes and effects. Let's say that Guiness-soaked intuition combined with a certain penchant for escapism (and with intervention of caring parents) led a young genius Irish boy to an above mentioned mental institution - instead of leading him astray - and the proper treatment he enjoyed there helped to open up his eyes, to help him see the advantages of introspection, to turn his already unique personality into a highly spiritual drunkard and develop a corresponding life philosophy. What about this formulation? :wink:

MacRua wrote:To award developers for Shane's parents had to leave Ireland (and later took him to England too)?! What for ?! It's not their merit! I'd suggest better candidates - Dev, Costello, etc.

What about this? Let’s award all people/things who/which – though perhaps unintentionally, perhaps without even knowing it – helped to shape the natural genius into the Irish national treasure we all know and love. Including Bethlehem nurses, London policemen, every forgotten uncle and auntie, his first bottle of whiskey, broad majestic Shannon, and small birds singing Jug Of Punch... :wink:

**Thu Nov 04, 2004 5:28 pm**

What about this formulation?

Brilliant! Totally agree !!!

Let’s award all people/things

We'll need fucking wealthy sponsors :wink:

**Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:26 pm**

I am still looking for that special 80-90-year old man, single with an intense wish to marry, with a 27-hour working day and a weak heart. Maybe, if I find him, he could help out!

**Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:28 pm**

Once I knew a man of that kind, but he had nothing beside brogues and spade...
Don't forget we need billionaire ! (to award all around first and to get drunk later )

**Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:09 am**

A billionaire?! Such high demands? The original suggestion was for a honourable mention. If we stick to that, we won’t lose time looking for the rare billionaire species and could jump straight to the getting-drunk phase. And if it’s after his 27-hour working shift, we can even invite that poor creature with only brogues and spade...

**Fri Nov 12, 2004 12:19 pm**

No pecuniary reward then? It makes our task easier. There are much more millionairs around than billionairs. With kind help from one of them the second (getting-drunk) part of our plan could last for cupla weeks. Not bad.

As for that old labour-addict.. Have you ever seen his poor hands ?! total mess of flash. He could not hold a glass! But it didn't matter, anyway he had no time for such follies. Nothing could keep him from digging. All local bartenders asked him to stay away from their property... Take him to our party and they will sue you to death...

**Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:26 pm**

One cannot help wondering what makes the old fellow pursue his task so assiduously... It cannot be just workaholism. Only one plausible reason comes to mind: He is looking for his long lost bottle filled from the stream of whiskey which takes its rise on the top of a fabled mountain in the obscure depths of Gaeltacht. The bottomless bottle whose contents of uisce beatha never diminishes, no matter how much one drinks up. The bottle he once buried deep in the ground for no one else to share; a deed committed in a fit of greediness, and – alas! – also in a drunken state that blurred his memory. No wonder that he keeps digging... especially in the vicinity of pubs.

We definitely shouldn't keep him from his quest. Once he succeeds, we will need neither a billionaire, nor a millionaire to carry out the getting-drunk part of our plan – his never diminishing bottle will be more than enough for the whole company.

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