Editing If I Should Fall from Grace with God

{{short description|1988 studio album by the Pogues}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = If I Should Fall from Grace with God
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[The Pogues]]
| cover      = If I Should Fall From Grace With God alt.jpg
| border     = yes
| alt        =
| released   = {{start date|1988|01|18|df=yes}}
| recorded   = 1987
| studio     = [[RAK Studios]], London<br />[[Townhouse Studios|The Town House]], London (strings)
| genre      = {{Flatlist|
*[[Celtic punk]]
*[[folk punk]]
*[[Celtic rock]]
*[[folk rock]]}}
| length     = 51:43
| label      = Pogue Mahone/[[Warner Music Group]] (UK and Europe)<br />[[Island Records|Island]] (US and Canada)
| producer   = [[Steve Lillywhite]]
| prev_title = [[Poguetry in Motion]]
| prev_year  = 1986
| next_title = [[Peace and Love (The Pogues album)|Peace and Love]]
| next_year  = 1989
| misc       = {{Extra album cover
 | header  = Alternative cover
 | type    = studio
 | cover   = The Pogues-If I Should Fall From Grace With God (album cover).jpg
 | border  = yes
 | alt     =
 | caption = Original 1988 US & Canada album cover
}}
  {{Singles
 | name        = If I Should Fall from Grace with God
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Fairytale of New York]]
 | single1date = 23 November 1987
 | single2     = [[If I Should Fall from Grace with God (song)|If I Should Fall from Grace with God]]
 | single2date = 22 February 1988
 | single3     = [[Fiesta (The Pogues song)|Fiesta]]
 | single3date = 4 July 1988
}}
}}

'''''If I Should Fall from Grace with God''''' is the third studio album by Celtic folk-punk band [[the Pogues]], released on 18 January 1988.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=D'EMI 'God'? |magazine=[[NME]] |page=3 |date=9 January 1988}}</ref> Released in the wake of their biggest hit single, "[[Fairytale of New York]]", ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' also became the band's best-selling album, peaking at number three on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and reaching the top ten in several other countries.

''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' saw the arrival of three new members: bassist [[Darryl Hunt (musician)|Darryl Hunt]] replaced [[Cait O'Riordan]], while [[Philip Chevron]] joined on guitar and [[Terry Woods]] played [[cittern]] and other instruments. Woods and Chevron (the only two members of The Pogues actually born in Ireland) contributed the first original songs to a Pogues album not written by singer [[Shane MacGowan]] or banjo player [[Jem Finer]], and the album also saw the band begin to move away from their Irish folk/punk roots and start to incorporate musical styles from other parts of the world, most notably Turkey and Spain. Many of the songs' lyrics return to familiar themes in Pogues songs, such as emigration from Ireland or returning to the country and having to adapt to the changes that have taken place after a long absence, but other tracks dwell on Irish political history or protecting children from the issues encountered as adults.

Critically acclaimed, ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' marked the high point of the band's commercial success. Finer called the record "a very cohesive album that drew on a lot of styles. Everything came together and it was very focused. That [album is] really the creative peak for me, in terms of the whole band being on a wavelength."<ref name="Clerk2006">{{cite book |first=Carol |last=Clerk |title=Kiss My Arse: The Story of the Pogues |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |location=London |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-84609-008-0}}</ref>

==Background==
The Pogues had received acclaim for their previous album ''[[Rum Sodomy & the Lash]]'', released in August 1985, and had begun 1986 on a high note as they embarked upon a successful tour of the US, their first in that country, and released the ''[[Poguetry in Motion]]'' [[extended play|EP]] which became their first top 40 hit in the UK. However, the relationship with their producer [[Elvis Costello]] was deteriorating, and tensions were further heightened by his romantic involvement with the band's bass player [[Cait O'Riordan]]. The group parted ways with Costello, and after increasingly erratic behaviour which included not turning up to play shows, O'Riordan also left the band in October 1986.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=News |magazine=NME |page=4 |date=15 November 1986}}</ref> During this period The Pogues' record label [[Stiff Records]] went into administration: as the label still owned the rights to all Pogues recordings, the group were unable to record any new material until they were released from their contract with Stiff.<ref name="Sounds19871128">{{cite magazine |first=Ann |last=Scanlon |title=The Rogues of Tralee |magazine=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |pages=22–24 |date=28 November 1987}}</ref> During 1986, the group occupied themselves by guesting on a [[cover version]] of "[[The Irish Rover]]" with [[the Dubliners]], and taking part in [[Alex Cox]]'s comedy action film ''[[Straight to Hell (film)|Straight to Hell]]'', shot in southern Spain and also starring [[the Clash]]'s frontman [[Joe Strummer]].

The situation with Stiff was resolved in early 1987 and The Pogues were finally free to begin recording a new album. After recording some [[demo (music)|demos]] in [[Abbey Road Studios]] in March, the group entered London's RAK Studios on 9 May 1987 to begin work properly on their delayed third album.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Ann |last=Scanlon |title=Celtic Soul Rebels |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |issue=130 |pages=76–82 |date=September 2004}}</ref> The band had chosen [[Darryl Hunt (musician)|Darryl Hunt]], a former bandmate of O'Riordan in Pride of the Cross, as her replacement on bass, and multi-instrumentalist [[Terry Woods]] (ex-[[Steeleye Span]]) was also brought in to add his expertise on a range of instruments. [[Phil Chevron]], who had deputised for [[Jem Finer]] on banjo on a previous Pogues tour while Finer had taken a break to be with his wife and new-born child, was recruited full-time to the band as its permanent guitarist after frontman [[Shane MacGowan]] had decided he wanted to concentrate solely on singing in live performance.

The group had decided to use [[Steve Lillywhite]] to produce their new record. Finer later said, "I think it was as exciting for him as it was for us because he'd never worked with a band live in the studio".<ref name="NME19880102">{{cite magazine |first=Gavin |last=Martin |author-link=Gavin Martin |title=Once Upon a Time in the West |magazine=NME |pages=22–23, 31 |date=2 January 1988}}</ref>

==Composition and writing==
The title for "Turkish Song of the Damned" actually came first and inspired the song's storyline and the music's Middle Eastern influence, rather than the other way round, as Chevron revealed to the ''[[NME]]'': "We were in Germany and this magazine had an article about [[The Damned (band)|The Damned]] – the B-side of one of their singles is called 'The Turkey Song' [the B-side of their 1979 single "[[I Just Can't Be Happy Today]]"] but the mag called it 'The Turkish Song of the Damned' – it was too good a title to overlook". MacGowan explained the lyrics as being a mixture of pirate and ghost story "about a guy on a Turkish island who deserted a sinking ship with all the money and all his mates went down – I'm not totally sure about this – he's haunted and he's dancing around with all this Turkish music in his brain&nbsp;... Then his best mate comes back, and all the crew, to drag him back down to hell or wherever they are."<ref name="NME19870321">{{cite magazine |first=Sean |last=O'Hagan |author-link=Sean O'Hagan (journalist) |title=Wild Rovers' Return |magazine=NME |pages=24–25 |date=21 March 1987}}</ref> The song ends with a rendition of the traditional Irish jig "The Lark in the Morning".

"Bottle of Smoke" is the story of an imaginary horse of that name that goes on to win the [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]], winning the song's narrator a large sum of money after he bets on the horse at long odds.<ref name="Sounds19871128" /> MacGowan called it "the sort of weird impossible name that always wins a race".<ref name="NME19880102" />

"[[Fairytale of New York]]" remains The Pogues' best-known and best-selling single. It was named after [[J.P. Donleavy]]'s 1973 novel ''[[A Fairy Tale of New York]]'' which Finer had been reading in the studio when the song was first written.<ref name="QAug08">{{cite magazine |first=Pat |last=Gilbert |title=20 Greatest Duets |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |issue=265 |pages=106–109 |date=August 2008}}</ref> The song dated back to 1985 when Finer had written the original melody and lyrics, about a sailor looking out over the ocean, but he admitted that his lyrics had been terrible and MacGowan had come up with a better storyline of a couple arguing in New York City at Christmas time.<ref name="NME19880102" /> MacGowan had always intended the song to be sung as a duet, originally with O'Riordan providing the female vocal part, but despite attempts to record "Fairytale of New York" in January 1986 during the sessions for ''Poguetry in Motion'', the band were unhappy with the results and abandoned the song.<ref>{{cite book |first=James |last=Fearnley |author-link=James Fearnley |title=Here Comes Everybody: The Story of the Pogues |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |location=London |page=220 |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-571-25397-5}}</ref> During the sessions for the third album at RAK in May 1987, MacGowan recorded new guide vocals for the song but with O'Riordan's departure it now had no female vocalist. Lillywhite took the tapes home and recorded his singer-songwriter wife [[Kirsty MacColl]] singing the female lines: when he brought them back to the studio The Pogues were so impressed that the song was re-recorded with MacColl as the replacement singing partner for MacGowan.<ref name="QAug08" /> "Fairytale of New York" was released as the album's lead single in November 1987 in the run-up to Christmas and reached number one in Ireland and number two in the UK. Its enduring popularity has seen it re-enter the charts several times since 1987, eventually going on to sell over a million copies in the UK<ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Wilcock |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/sales-of-the-pogues-fairytale-of-new-york-reach-1-million-25-years-after-release-8433912.html |title=Sales of the Pogues' 'Fairytale Of New York' reach 1 million 25 years after release |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=31 December 2012 |access-date=10 July 2014}}</ref> and being voted the most popular Christmas-themed song of all time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4101207.stm |title=Pogues track wins Christmas poll |website=[[BBC News]] |date=16 December 2004 |access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref>

Despite never being released as a single, the track "Thousands Are Sailing" has since become one of The Pogues' most popular songs, and according to ''[[The Irish Times]]'', it is "recognised as one of the finest songs about Irish emigration".<ref name="IrishTimes20131012">{{cite news |first=Ronan |last=McGreevy |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/grand-finale-send-off-for-pogues-guitarist-philip-chevron-1.1559174 |title='Grand finale' send-off for Pogues guitarist Philip Chevron |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |date=12 October 2013 |access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref> It was written by the band's new guitarist Chevron, and although he had written many songs before as the frontman of his previous band the Radiators, he admitted that for a long time he had felt unsure about putting his song forward for consideration as MacGowan was the recognised songwriter in the band. It was only when [[Terry Woods]] offered to help him out with the track and MacGowan showed his approval of the song that Chevron gained the confidence to complete it. Featuring what has been described as a "heartfelt lyric, soaring tune and compelling chorus on the theme of emigration from Ireland to America", "Thousands Are Sailing" inspired the 2012 [[Derek McCulloch (comics)|Derek McCullough]] graphic novel ''Gone to Amerikay''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/10365273/Phil-Chevron.html |title=Phil Chevron |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=8 October 2013 |access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref> Although Chevron also contributed other songs to later Pogues albums, "Thousands Are Sailing" remains his most popular composition, and it was played at his funeral when he died of cancer in October 2013.<ref name="IrishTimes20131012" />

"Fiesta" was inspired by a riotous party, which lasted for several days, that the band had during their stay in southern Spain while filming ''Straight to Hell''.<ref name="NME19880102" /> Finer based the melody of the song on a fairground-style tune played by fast-food stalls which the band kept hearing everywhere in Spain, and which Finer said he found it impossible to get out of his head. The chorus of "Fiesta" also contains elements of "[[Liechtensteiner Polka]]", written by [[Edmund Kötscher]] and Rudi Lindt, and on later Pogues compilation albums they are given co-writing credits. "Fiesta" includes a verse in Spanish which adapts four lines from [[Federico Lorca]]'s poem and changes the name of the character to "Jaime Fearnley", the Spanish version of the name of the Pogues' accordion player [[James Fearnley]]. The verse also namechecks Elvis Costello (described as ''el rey de America'', a reference to his 1986 album ''[[King of America]]'') and Cait O'Riordan. The date at the start of the verse changes Lorca's original date of 25 June to 25 August, which happens to be Costello's birthday.

The song "Streets of Sorrow"/"Birmingham Six" is the album's most explicitly political commentary. The first half is a ballad composed and sung by Woods about the life of Irish independence leader [[Michael Collins (Irish leader)|Michael Collins]].<ref name="Clerk2006" /> It was originally a much longer standalone song, but the band felt it would work better as a shorter introduction to MacGowan's more uptempo second half of the song, which is about the [[Birmingham Six]] and the [[Guildford Four]], two groups of Irish people imprisoned in the UK for terrorism offences. Their sentences were later found to be unsafe, and the Guildford Four had their convictions quashed and were released in 1989, followed by the Birmingham Six in 1991. The song also makes a passing reference to the [[Loughgall Martyrs]], with the line "while over in Ireland eight more men lay dead, kicked down and shot in the back of the head". MacGowan reflected, "It's about ''anybody'' in that situation, getting locked away without any real evidence&nbsp;... Basically it's a prison song about someone pacing round his cell or round the yard wondering what the fuck it's all about&nbsp;... It's a depressing song – it's not a song that I enjoyed writing or find much pleasure in singing."<ref name="NME19870321" />

MacGowan described "Lullaby of London" as being about a man who comes home at night drunk and proceeds to start telling his young son, who is in bed, about how everything is going to be fine and to go to sleep, while privately the man is worried and hoping that the child will not have to go through the same hardships that he did while growing up.<ref name="NME19880102" />

"Sit Down by the Fire" is about "the old ghost stories people used to tell you in Ireland before you went to bed. They used to tell you some horrific stories to prepare you for the horrors of the world ahead."<ref name="NME19880102" />

"The Broad Majestic Shannon" is named after [[River Shannon|the longest river in Ireland]] and, according to MacGowan, is a song about an Irishman returning to his home town in [[County Tipperary]] after many years of living in London, and finding that everything about the place he grew up in has changed or disappeared. MacGowan revealed that he had written the song with former [[Clancy Brothers]] members [[Liam Clancy]] and [[Tommy Makem]] in mind, in the hope that they would record a version of it.<ref name="Sounds19871128" /><ref name="NME19870321" />

==Release==
The compact disc version of ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' contained two extra tracks not included on the vinyl LP or cassette versions: a cover of the traditional song "South Australia" and the instrumental "The Battle March Medley".

The alternative album cover, issued in the United States and Canada, is a collage of faked photos of the group's members standing in a line, in which each of their faces have been superimposed onto a shot of Irish author [[James Joyce]]. The original unedited picture of Joyce appears fourth from the left in the line.

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web |first=Mark |last=Deming |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god-mw0000198968 |title=''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' – The Pogues |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=3 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627200529/https://www.allmusic.com/album/if-i-should-fall-from-grace-with-god-mw0000198968 |archive-date=27 June 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[The Irish Times]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=McNamee |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/reissues-1.1169530 |title=Reissues |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=10 December 2004 |access-date=10 August 2015}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="MojoDec04">{{cite magazine |first=Pat |last=Gilbert |title=You shebeen there! |magazine=Mojo |issue=133 |page=123 |date=December 2004}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev4score = 10/10<ref name="NME19880116">{{cite magazine |first=Terry |last=Staunton |title=Grace with the Devil |magazine=NME |page=24 |date=16 January 1988}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="QFeb88">{{cite magazine |first=David |last=Sinclair |title=Gleeful |magazine=Q |issue=17 |page=75 |date=February 1988}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Record Mirror]]''
| rev6score = 5/5<ref name="RM19880116">{{cite magazine |first=Eleanor |last=Levy |title=The Pogues: ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' |magazine=[[Record Mirror]] |page=14 |date=16 January 1988}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="RS19880225">{{cite magazine |first=Kurt |last=Loder |author-link=Kurt Loder |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thepogues/albums/album/214481/review/6068213/if_i_should_fall_from_grace_with_god |title=The Pogues: ''If I Should Fall From Grace With God'' |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |issue=520 |date=25 February 1988 |access-date=22 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223231102/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thepogues/albums/album/214481/review/6068213/if_i_should_fall_from_grace_with_god |archive-date=23 December 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
| rev8score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Sounds19880116">{{cite magazine |first=Neil |last=Perry |title=The Underdog Bites Back! |magazine=Sounds |page=27 |date=16 January 1988}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''
| rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Jon |last=Wilde |title=Keeping it reel |magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |issue=91 |page=158 |date=December 2004}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev10score = B+<ref name="VV19880524">{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Christgau |author-link=Robert Christgau |url=https://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv588-88.php |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |date=24 May 1988 |access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref>
}}

''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' was well received by critics. In the UK the ''[[NME]]'' lauded the record; Terry Staunton's review for the magazine stated, "''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' sees The Pogues venturing towards the area occupied by the latter day [[Madness (band)|Madness]], troubled words on top of happy tunes, stormclouds casting shadows across forced smiles&nbsp;... With their new LP, The Pogues have given us a thing of beauty, the bleakest of masterpieces which will find few equals in 1988."<ref name="NME19880116" /> Neil Perry of ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' wrote that "within the grooves of ''Grace'', the third Pogues LP, you get heaven and hell and everything in between. If you've ever viewed The Pogues as a quaint rabble-rousing cult band then think again, for this is a record of rare quality and seductive charm."<ref name="Sounds19880116" /> In ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'', David Sinclair described the album as "old-style Pogues, as dependably garrulous and irreverent as ever, but the album also advances on new fronts with a gleeful sense of adventure".<ref name="QFeb88" /> ''[[Record Mirror]]''{{'}}s Eleanor Levy said that the band had added "depth to their 'Irish Rover' charm" and produced "quite simply, the most lively, enjoyable 'good time' album you will have heard this, or any, year."<ref name="RM19880116" /> ''[[Melody Maker]]'' was the only UK music paper to give the album a negative appraisal, with reviewer [[David Stubbs]] being fiercely critical of the idea that traditional Irish music should be mixed with rock music, before saying, "so far removed is this album from my constituency that I feel scarcely qualified to review it at all".<ref>{{cite magazine |first=David |last=Stubbs |author-link=David Stubbs |title=The Pogues: ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |page=28 |date=16 January 1988}}</ref>{{efn|Stubbs later admitted on his personal website that he had always hated the Pogues, and had written his review without listening to the album at all.<ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Stubbs |url=http://www.mr-agreeable.net/2004/07/26/i-remember-melody-maker-reminiscences/ |title=I Remember . . . (Melody Maker Reminiscences) |website=mr-agreeable.net |date=26 July 2004 |access-date=13 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522060154/http://www.mr-agreeable.net/2004/07/26/i-remember-melody-maker-reminiscences/ |archive-date=22 May 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

The reaction from US critics was also very positive. [[Kurt Loder]] wrote in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' that "obviously the Pogues can do it all. And it sounds as if they've only just begun."<ref name="RS19880225" /> Michael Corcoran of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' stated that "it's got guts and soul, and will make poor people dance until 4 a.m., even if they have to be at work until 7 a.m." and that despite containing a few songs that could be skipped over, "this LP on cassette will cause more wear on the rewind button than on the fast forward".<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Michael |last=Corcoran |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e7GU2Uztk1UC&pg=PA19 |title=The Pogues: ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=19–20 |date=May 1988 |access-date=6 August 2022}}</ref> ''[[The Village Voice]]'' critic [[Robert Christgau]] said that "neither pop nor rock nor disco crossover stays these groghounds from the swift accomplishment of their appointed rounds".<ref name="VV19880524" />

Reviewing the 2004 reissue, ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''{{'}}s Pat Gilbert called ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' "an amazingly original, democratically written and ethnically adventurous album".<ref name="MojoDec04" /> [[AllMusic]] reviewer Mark Deming considered it "the best album the Pogues would ever make".<ref name="AllMusic" />

In 2006, ''Q'' placed ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' at number 37 on its list of the "40 Best Albums of the '80s".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=40 Best Albums of the '80s |magazine=Q |issue=241 |pages=84–89 |date=August 2006}}</ref> The record was also included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]'',<ref>{{cite book |first=Claire |last=Stuchbery |editor-first=Robert |editor-last=Dimery |chapter=The Pogues: ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God'' |title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |title-link=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |publisher=[[Universe Publishing]] |location=New York |page=585 |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7893-1371-3}}</ref> and was ranked number 975 in the 2000 edition of the book ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]''.<ref>{{cite book |first=Colin |last=Larkin |author-link=Colin Larkin |title=All Time Top 1000 Albums |title-link=All Time Top 1000 Albums |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |location=London |edition=3rd |year=2000 |isbn=0-7535-0493-6}}</ref>

==Track listing==

===Original release===
{{Track listing
| title1 = [[If I Should Fall from Grace with God (song)|If I Should Fall from Grace with God]]
| writer1 = [[Shane MacGowan]]
| length1 = 2:20
| title2 = Turkish Song of the Damned
| writer2 = MacGowan, [[Jem Finer]]
| length2 = 3:27
| title3 = Bottle of Smoke
| writer3 = MacGowan, Finer
| length3 = 2:47
| title4 = [[Fairytale of New York]]
| writer4 = MacGowan, Finer
| length4 = 4:36
| title5 = Metropolis
| writer5 = Finer
| length5 = 2:50
| title6 = [[Thousands Are Sailing]]
| writer6 = [[Phil Chevron]]
| length6 = 5:28
| title7 = [[South Australia (song)|South Australia]]
| writer7 = Traditional, arranged by The Pogues
| length7 = 3:27
| title8 = [[Fiesta (The Pogues song)|Fiesta]]
| writer8 = MacGowan, Finer
| length8 = 4:13
| title9 = Medley: [[The Recruiting Serjeant|The Recruiting Sergeant]]/[[The Rocky Road to Dublin]]/[[The Galway Races (song)|The Galway Races]]
| writer9 = Traditional, arranged by The Pogues
| length9 = 4:03
| title10 = [[Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six]]
| writer10 = [[Terry Woods]]/MacGowan
| length10 = 4:39
| title11 = Lullaby of London
| writer11 = MacGowan
| length11 = 3:32
| title12 = The Battle March Medley
| writer12 = Woods
| length12 = 4:10
| title13 = Sit Down by the Fire
| writer13 = MacGowan
| length13 = 2:18
| title14 = The Broad Majestic Shannon
| writer14 = MacGowan
| length14 = 2:55
| title15 = [[The Hearse Song|Worms]]
| writer15 = Traditional, arranged by [[James Fearnley]], [[Andrew Ranken]]
| length15 = 1:01
}}
*Tracks 7 and 12 are CD bonus tracks, not on vinyl, LP, or cassette editions

===2004 reissue===
{{Track listing
| title1          = If I Should Fall from Grace with God
| writer1         = MacGowan
| length1         = 2:20
| title2          = Turkish Song of the Damned
| writer2         = MacGowan, Finer
| length2         = 3:27
| title3          = Bottle of Smoke
| writer3         = MacGowan, Finer
| length3         = 2:47
| title4          = Fairytale of New York
| writer4         = MacGowan, Finer
| length4         = 4:36
| title5          = Metropolis
| writer5         = Finer
| length5         = 2:50
| title6          = Thousands Are Sailing
| writer6         = Chevron
| length6         = 5:28
| title7          = Fiesta
| writer7         = MacGowan, Finer
| length7         = 4:13
| title8          = Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races
| writer8         = Traditional
| length8         = 4:03
| title9          = Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six
| writer9         = MacGowan, Woods
| length9         = 4:39
| title10         = Lullaby of London
| writer10        = MacGowan
| length10        = 3:32
| title11         = Sit Down by the Fire
| writer11        = MacGowan
| length11        = 2:18
| title12         = The Broad Majestic Shannon
| writer12        = MacGowan
| length12        = 2:55
| title13         = Worms
| writer13        = Traditional
| length13        = 1:01
}}
{{tracklist
| headline        = Bonus tracks
| title14         = The Battle March (Medley)
| note14          = B-side of "Fairytale of New York", 1987
| writer14        = Woods
| length14        = 4:10
| title15         = [[The Irish Rover]]
| note15          = A-side single, 1987; with [[The Dubliners]]
| writer15        = Joseph Crofts/Traditional
| length15        = 4:08
| title16         = [[The Rare Old Mountain Dew|Mountain Dew]]
| note16          = B-side of "The Irish Rover"; with The Dubliners
| writer16        = Traditional
| length16        = 2:15
| title17         = Shanne Bradley
| note17          = B-side of "Fairytale of New York"
| writer17        = MacGowan
| length17        = 3:42
| title18         = Sketches of Spain
| note18          = B-side of "Fiesta", 1988 
| writer18        = Finer
| length18        = 2:14
| title19         = [[South Australia (song)|South Australia]]
| note19          = B-side of "Fiesta"
| writer19        = Traditional
| length19        = 3:27
}}

==Personnel==
Credits are adapted from the album liner notes, except where noted.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=If I Should Fall from Grace with God |others=[[The Pogues]] |date=1988 |publisher=Pogue Mahone Records}}</ref>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''The Pogues'''
*[[Shane MacGowan]]&nbsp;– vocals, guitar
*[[Spider Stacy]]&nbsp;– tin whistle, vocals
*[[James Fearnley]]&nbsp;– accordion, piano, mandolin, dulcimer, guitar, cello, percussion, string arrangements
*[[Jem Finer]]&nbsp;– banjo, saxophone
*[[Andrew Ranken]]&nbsp;– drums, vocals
*[[Philip Chevron]]&nbsp;– guitar, mandolin, vocals
*[[Darryl Hunt (musician)|Darryl Hunt]]&nbsp;– bass, percussion, vocals
*[[Terry Woods]]&nbsp;–  cittern lute, concertina, strings, banjo, dulcimer, guitar, vocals

'''Additional personnel'''
*[[Ron Kavana]]&nbsp;– banjo, spoons, mandolin
*[[Kirsty MacColl]]&nbsp;– vocals on "Fairytale of New York"
*Siobhan Sheahan&nbsp;– harp
*Brian Clarke&nbsp;– alto saxophone
*Joe Cashman&nbsp;– tenor saxophone
*Paul Taylor&nbsp;– trombone
*Chris Lee&nbsp;– trumpet
*Eli Thompson&nbsp;– trumpet
*[[Fiachra Trench]]&nbsp;– string arrangements
*The Pogues Choir (The Pogues, the man from the Indian take-away, Brian Sheridan from the off-licence, John Lawlor, Ron Kavana, Joe Cashman, Paul Verner, Steve Lillywhite, Paul Scully, Frank Murray)&nbsp;– backing vocals

{{col-2}}
'''Technical personnel'''
*[[Steve Lillywhite]]&nbsp;– producer, engineer
*Chris Dickie&nbsp;– engineer
*Nick Lacey&nbsp;– engineer
*Roy Spong&nbsp;– engineer
*[[Iain McKell]]&nbsp;– photography
*Michael Mann Studios&nbsp;– montage retouching
*[[Eamonn Campbell]]&nbsp;– producer on "The Irish Rover" and "Mountain Dew"<ref name="IrishRover">{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/The-Pogues-The-Dubliners-The-Irish-Rover/release/476100 |title=The Irish Rover |publisher=[[Discogs]] |access-date=11 March 2021}}</ref>
*Harold Burgon&nbsp;– engineer on "The Irish Rover" and "Mountain Dew"<ref name="IrishRover"/>
*Paul Scully&nbsp;– engineer on "The Irish Rover" and "Mountain Dew"<ref name="IrishRover"/>
*Dave Jordan&nbsp;– engineer on "The Irish Rover" and "Mountain Dew"<ref name="IrishRover"/>
{{col-end}}

==Charts==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
!scope=col | Chart (1988)
!scope=col | Peak<br />position
|-
!scope=row |Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=235}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|36
|-
{{Album chart|Netherlands|52|artist=The Pogues|album=If I Should Fall from Grace with God|rowheader=true|access-date=12 July 2014}}
|-
{{Album chart|New Zealand|4|artist=The Pogues|album=If I Should Fall from Grace with God|rowheader=true|access-date=12 July 2014}}
|-
{{Album chart|Norway|15|artist=The Pogues|album=If I Should Fall from Grace with God|rowheader=true|access-date=12 July 2014}}
|-
{{Album chart|Sweden|9|artist=The Pogues|album=If I Should Fall from Grace with God|rowheader=true|access-date=12 July 2014}}
|-
{{Album chart|Switzerland|9|artist=The Pogues|album=If I Should Fall from Grace with God|rowheader=true|access-date=12 July 2014}}
|-
{{Album chart|UK2|3|artist=The Pogues|date=19880130|rowheader=true|access-date=12 July 2014}}
|}

===Certifications and sales===
{{certification Table Top}}
{{certification Table Entry|title=If I Should Fall from Grace with God|type=album|artist=the Pogues|relyear=1988|certyear=1988|region=France|award=Gold|source=infodisc}}
{{certification Table Entry|title=If I Should Fall from Grace with God|type=album|artist=the Pogues|relyear=1988|certyear=1988|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|id=3198-486-2|access-date=13 February 2022}}
{{certification Table Bottom}}

==Release history==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Region
! Date
! Label
! Format
! Catalog
|-
| rowspan="3" | United Kingdom
| rowspan="3" | 18 January 1988
| rowspan="3" | Pogue Mahone
| [[LP record|LP]]
| NYR 1
|-
| [[Compact Cassette|cassette]]
| TCNYR 1
|-
| CD
| CDNYR 1
|-
| rowspan="3" | United States
| rowspan="6" | 1988
| rowspan="6" | [[Island Records|Island]]
| LP
| 90872-1
|-
| cassette
| 90872-4
|-
| CD
| 90872-2
|-
| rowspan="3" | Canada
| LP
| ISL 1175
|-
| cassette
| ISLC 1175
|-
| CD
| CIDM 1175
|-
| rowspan="3" | Worldwide
| rowspan="3" | 1994
| rowspan="3" | Pogue Mahone/[[Warner Music Group]]
| LP
| 2292-44493-1
|-
| cassette
| 2292-44493-4
|-
| CD
| 2292-44493-2
|-
| Worldwide
| 13 December 2004
| [[Warner Strategic Marketing]]
| CD
| 5046759602
|-
| United States
| 19 September 2006
| [[Rhino Entertainment|Rhino]]
| CD
| R2 74069
|}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
<!-- This is a licensed stream for the album, which is allowed under Wikipedia polices -->
*[https://archive.today/20130416103803/http://www.radio3net.ro/dbartists/supersearch/SWYgSSBTaG91bGQgRmFsbCBmcm9tIEdyYWNlIHdpdGggR29k/If%20I%20Should%20Fall%20from%20Grace%20with%20God ''If I Should Fall from Grace with God''] ([[Adobe Flash]]) at [[Radio3Net]] (streamed copy where licensed)

{{The Pogues}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:If I Should Fall From Grace With God}}
[[Category:1988 albums]]
[[Category:The Pogues albums]]
[[Category:Island Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Steve Lillywhite]]
[[Category:Albums recorded at RAK Studios]]
[[Category:Albums recorded at Townhouse Studios]]