The music world lost two Irish giants this year, Sinéad O’Connor and most recently Shane MacGowan.
"Haunted" is a 1986 single by The Pogues. It was featured on the original soundtrack for the movie Sid and Nancy. This version was sung by Pogues bassist Cait O'Riordan. In 1995 the song was re-recorded as a duet between the former Pogues vocalist MacGowan and O'Connor for the Two If by Sea/Stolen Hearts soundtrack. It was the chemistry between the two friends that made the song a minor hit in the U.K.
Their relationship began when they met in 1980 but had its ups and downs. Their collaboration on “Haunted” marked a high point. In 1999, O’Connor called the police when she found MacGowan doing heroin at home. MacGowan was angered at first but later credited her intervention with helping him kick his habit. Sinéad gave birth to her third child in 2004, and named him Shane.
With the passing of the two, the melancholy duet takes on an even deeper meaning. Watch their live performance below.
The two spoke about songwriting, touring, and mortality while promoting "Haunted" in this 1995 interview:
