Primal Scream

A Pair of
Brown Eyes

Primal Scream turn “A Pair of Brown Eyes,” the Pogues’ 1985 single, from a weary waltz into an indie-pop jaunt, and the song holds up. Shane MacGowan set it in a bar, with a jukebox playing and an old soldier’s memories; the original, produced by Elvis Costello, reached No. 72 in the UK and was included on Rum Sodomy & the Lash. It comes from 20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan, out on Rubyworks on November 13, 2026.

Primal Scream. Written by Shane MacGowan; first recorded by the Pogues, single March 18, 1985, and on Rum Sodomy & the Lash (Stiff, 1985), produced by Elvis Costello. From 20th Century Paddy – The Songs of Shane MacGowan, Rubyworks, November 13, 2026. Sources: Wikipedia, Joyzine, Classic Pop, Primal Scream on YouTube. Photograph: two jukeboxes at The Stables, Georgetown, Seattle, March 8, 2008, by Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia Commons. This tinted crop is shared under the same licence.