One of the best modern ones is the Pogues classic Irish ballad of love and loss at Christmastime:
"Fairytale of New York":
It was Christmas Eve, babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me,
"Won't see another one"
And then he sang a song,
"The Rare Ole' Mountain Dew"
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you
Got on the lucky one
Came in at 18-to-1
I've got a feeling
This year's for me and you
So Happy Christmas
I love you, baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true
When you first took my hand
On that cold Christmas Eve
You promised me Broadway was waiting for me
You were handsome
You were pretty
Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
The crowd howled for more
Sinatra was swinging
All the drunks they were singing
We kissed on the corner
Then danced through the night
You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas? Your arse
I pray God it's our last
I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you
And the boys from the NYPD Choir
Were singing "Galway Bay"
As the bells were ringing out
For Christmas Day
