The British have voted for their favorite Christmas song. Mariah Carey's “All I Want For Christmas” and WHAM!’s “Last Christmas” made it near the top (second and third respectively), but they were both beaten by “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues.

 

But the single is not liked by everyone, with some saying it's homophobic for including an anti-gay slur.

 

The single was released back in 1987 and was written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan and recorded by their band the Pogues. It also featured the late Kirsty MacColl (who died in 2000) on vocals. 

 

The song, a duet between a couple, takes a turn when the two start slinging insults at one another. It includes the problematic line: "You scumbag, you maggot. You cheap, lousy faggot." Every year, there's a debate about whether or not the word “faggot” should be bleeped out when being played on the radio.

 

In 1992, MacColl seemed to feel uncomfortable with the lyrics; during a live performance she sang, instead, "You're cheap and you're haggard."

 

And Ed Sheeran released his own cover of the song and sang "you cheap lousy blagger.”

 

But what to do about the original -- and very popular -- recording?

 

In 2007, BBC Radio 1 tried to remove the word "faggot" from the single to "avoid offence."

 

"We are playing an edited version because some members of the audience might find it offensive," the BBC explained in a statement. But people were offended by the change. That same day, after being inundated by angry calls, Radio 1 reversed the decision and played the unedited version.

 

Twitter users are already weighing in on the debate this year.

 

"If your favourite Christmas song is Fairytale of New York, odds are high you’re a straight person who likes getting to loudly sing a homophobic slur and you can fuck off forever," wrote one person.

 

Added another: "The F-word should be bleeped out of 'Fairytale of New York'. It’s homophobic, it’s offensive and it’s a word that is no longer acceptable in public discourse. Just because you like the song doesn’t mean it should get an exception."

 

What do you think?