Re the "incomprehensible singing" of Shane MacGowan, for me the answer is that I'm smitten by the overall sound and therefore motivated to find the lyrics, which is easy. After you get them, you wonder why you didn't do so in the first place. "Bottle of Smoke" is a classic example. Re the age thing Jim, my mother loved the Pogues until the day she died, aged 82!

However, the first 3 albums were brilliant but the last was in 1988. They've done little of import since and have been living on past glories for too long.

(I love the Dubs too, got practically everything they have ever recorded).

(I wonder if the Pogues took their name from the "Pogue Mahone" line in "Monto" as sung by the Dubs)?