Whether Shane intended for it to be or not, I think this song is actually very symbolic. The narrator has 'won' the card game of his life. He seems to be looking back on harder times, and for some reason, he actually misses them. Why? Was it the simplicity of it all? Yes, and no. Just before the song end's, he gives us another clue to why he yearns for his past. It is a different, more powerful simplicity - the love of a human being. When all this guy had was a handful of cards to bet on and a black bin bag, he relied on the love of a woman, but once he moved up in the world, he didn't think he'd need that anymore. Later, he looks back on the simplicity and innocence of that time, and he finally understands that nothing can compensate for love, which makes everything - even the most meager of possessions - meaningful.
An incredibly emotional song, especially for such few words. Shane MacGowan, though he will never admit it, is a true poet - I just hope he lives long enough to grace us with another album, full of the songs he does best.
Whether Shane intended for it to be or not, I think this song is actually very symbolic. The narrator has 'won' the card game of his life. He seems to be looking back on harder times, and for some reason, he actually misses them. Why? Was it the simplicity of it all? Yes, and no. Just before the song end's, he gives us another clue to why he yearns for his past. It is a different, more powerful simplicity - the love of a human being. When all this guy had was a handful of cards to bet on and a black bin bag, he relied on the love of a woman, but once he moved up in the world, he didn't think he'd need that anymore. Later, he looks back on the simplicity and innocence of that time, and he finally understands that nothing can compensate for love, which makes everything - even the most meager of possessions - meaningful. An incredibly emotional song, especially for such few words. Shane MacGowan, though he will never admit it, is a true poet - I just hope he lives long enough to grace us with another album, full of the songs he does best.