A Pair Of Brown Eyes

**Fri Oct 08, 2004 6:01 pm**

anybody know the story with the "ray and philomena" bit in pair of brown eyes? who were they?

**Fri Oct 08, 2004 6:24 pm**

The website poguetry.com is a great website to gain some insight as to where the pogues took inspiration for a lot of the lyrics in their songs.

For "A pair of brown eyes," and more specifically on your question regarding "...Ray and Philomena..," the website offers this:

" "While Ray and Philomena sang
Of my elusive dreams..."

...Ray Lyman [sic] and Philomena Begley, classic London juke box tracks. And in the end he gets to the stage where he says fuck it, and he goes stumbling out of the pub and he walks along the canal and starts feeling really bad, on the verge of tears, and he starts realising that the old guy has had a whole fucking lifetime of that feeling, going through the war and everything, but his original reaction is to hate him and despise him. I'm not saying he goes back and starts talking to him but you know... " (from Pogueology, Folk Roots, August 1987).

Ray Lynam and The Hillbillies became a fixture on the Irish record charts in the late 1960s and one of the leading country music artists in Ireland. During the 1980s Lynam had a weekly gig at Dublin's Harcourt Hotel. As far as I know, he is still singing and touring throughout Ireland. Philomena Begley is also an active country artist in Ireland. Indeed, in January 2000 she was awarded the 'Millennium Inspirational Award' from Country Music Ireland at its inaugural awards ceremony. "

**Fri Dec 10, 2004 9:01 pm**

Anyone got any idea what this song is about? Not a huge Pogues fan but love Rum, Sodomy & the Lash and this song is one of their finest. Any musings, ramblings, ponderings would be appreciated.

**Fri Dec 10, 2004 9:37 pm**

From the Poguetry website:

"It's just about a guy getting pissed at a bar round here," says Shane nonchalantly. "He's getting pissed because he's broken up with this bird and... you know how it is when you just go into a pub on your own to drink and it's really quiet and you get this old nutter who comes over and starts rambling on you. So this old guy starts on about how he came back from the war, the First World War. Or the Second. One of them anyway. And he tells him about the ship he had out there and how he got out and came back and this girl had fucked off with someone else, a girl with a pair of brown eyes. Which is the same situation as the young guy sitting there listening to all this rubbish and the juke box playing Johnny Cash and Ray Lyman and Philomena Begley, classic London juke box tracks. And in the end he gets to the stage where he says fuck it, and he goes stumbling out of the pub and he walks along the canal and starts feeling really bad, on the verge of tears, and he starts realising that the old guy has had a whole fucking lifetime of that feeling, going through the war and everything, but his original reaction is to hate him and despise him. I'm not saying he goes back and starts talking to him but you know... " (from Pogueology, Folk Roots, August 1987)

By the way, have a look the site, it’s excellent, with an extensive info about the lyrics of most Pogues' and Shane's songs.

**Sat Dec 11, 2004 1:57 am**

Thanks, that's a great help.

**Mon Dec 13, 2004 9:56 am**

Hello

"A pair of brown eyes" video clip was censored by the BBC in order of the gvt.

The reason of this censorship was quite simple : during the clip, the members of the band were spitting on Maggie's face and it seems she didn't like it at all.

Though, Nick Kent, a famous rock critic, named the Pogues "the worst Thatcher's nightmare" which was a great quality...indeed !

**Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:45 pm**

It was Spider who was spitting if i remeber right.

**Sun May 15, 2005 3:15 pm**

any one know link where I can watch the video?

**Sun May 15, 2005 3:32 pm**

I think i read somewhere when Shane and Spider got the question about what "A Pair Of Brown Eyes" was about. They answered: "It is about two Australian homosexuals"

:lol:

**Sun May 15, 2005 3:34 pm**

LOL, good one that will keep the wankers guessing

**Mon May 16, 2005 7:42 am**

<blockquote>Their new single 'A Pair Of Brown Eyes' is a rare gem of a song. T'would bring tears to the most cynical eye, or at least a soft smile and a yelp to the barmaid. A tale of betrayal...

I don't think 'A Pair Of Brown Eyes' would go down too well in Australia... 'brown eye' is an Australian colloquialism for a certain orifice which I will not, at present, disclose.

Shane: " Has it got anything to do with anal intercourse?" Dear God. The Australians are gonna lynch us for being faggots."

Then why brown eyes? Where lies the attraction?

Shane: "Brown eyes drive me wild ... they're one of my weaknesses."

Spider: "Actually, as it happens, it's a song about this guy who's been going out with two blokes, and they run out on him. He's just reminiscing about the good old days."

What inspires you to write lyrics?

Spider: "Sexual depravity ..."

Shane: "Something to do, I s'pose." </blockquote>

Me no pop eye
Antonella Black
SOUNDS
6 April 1985

**Tue May 17, 2005 8:25 pm**

At the "Pog Mo Thoins" bootleg, Spider claims it is about Shanes girlfriend, just before it starts. Followed by Shanes well known grin, so it´s probably just bollocks

**Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:33 pm**

The one bit of this song that confuses me is the line "But when we got back labelled parts one to three" anyone know what that means?

**Thu Sep 15, 2005 1:03 pm**

It's about getting back from the war after collectively being blown to bits, and missing parts (arms, legs, whatever). Also catches the anonymity of the war wounded (a thousand deaths is a statistic, that kind of thing).

**Fri Sep 16, 2005 2:05 am**

I guess that makes sense, it's kinda depressing now, but still an excellent song!

A Pair Of Brown Eyes

pair of brown eyes

A Pair Of Brown Eyes

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