If I Should Fall from Grace with God was well-received by critics. Mark Deming of Allmusic awarded the album four and a half out of five stars, calling it "the best album the Pogues would ever make." Robert Christgau

Robert Christgau

Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...

 gave the album a B+ and said that "neither pop nor rock nor disco crossover stays these groghounds from the swift accomplishment of their appointed rounds."

In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at #37 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".

Original release

1. "If I Should Fall from Grace with God
   If I Should Fall from Grace with God (song)
   "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" was a single released by The Pogues in 1988, from the album of the same name. It followed the band's Christmas classic, "Fairytale of New York", but did not enjoy the same widespread success, stalling at Number 58 in the UK singles Chart...
   
   " (Shane MacGowan
   Shane MacGowan
   Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
   
   ) - 2:20
2. "Turkish Song of the Damned" (MacGowan, Jem Finer
   Jem Finer
   Jem Finer is an English musician, artist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Pogues.-Life and career:...
   
   ) - 3:27
3. "Bottle of Smoke" (MacGowan, Finer) - 2:47
4. "Fairytale of New York
   Fairytale of New York
   "Fairytale of New York" is a song by the Irish rock group The Pogues, released in 1987 and featuring the British singer Kirsty MacColl. The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God...
   
   " (MacGowan, Finer) - 4:36
5. "Metropolis" - 2:50 (Finer)
6. "Thousands Are Sailing
   Thousands Are Sailing
   "Thousands Are Sailing" is a song by Anglo-Irish folk rock group The Pogues, released in 1988.The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Phil Chevron, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God.-Lyrics:...
   
   " (Phil Chevron
   Phil Chevron
   Philip Ryan , professionally known as Philip Chevron, is an Irish singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the guitarist for The Pogues.-Career:...
   
   ) - 5:28
7. "South Australia" (Traditional)† - 3:27
8. "Fiesta
   Fiesta (The Pogues song)
   "Fiesta" is a single by The Pogues, featured on their 1988 album If I Should Fall from Grace with God. It was written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan, based on a Spanish fairground melody Finer had picked up...
   
   " (MacGowan, Finer) - 4:13
9. "Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races" (Traditional) - 4:03
10. "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six
    Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six
    "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six" is a political song by the Irish folk punk band The Pogues, written by Terry Woods and Shane MacGowan and included on the band's 1988 album If I Should Fall from Grace with God....
    
    " (MacGowan, Terry Woods
    Terry Woods
    Terence 'Terry' Woods , is an Irish folk musician, specialising in playing the mandolin and cittern. He is known for his membership in such folk and folk-rock groups as The Pogues, Steeleye Span, Sweeney's Men, The Bucks and, briefly, Dr. Strangely Strange. Prior to being a founder member of...
    
    ) - 4:39
11. "Lullaby of London" (MacGowan) - 3:32
12. "The Battle March Medley" (Woods)†
13. "Sit Down by the Fire" (MacGowan) - 4:10
14. "The Broad Majestic Shannon
    River Shannon
    The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
    
    " (MacGowan) - 2:55
15. "Worms" (Traditional) - 1:01

† – CD bonus track, not on vinyl LP or cassette editions

2005 reissue

1. "If I Should Fall from Grace with God" (MacGowan)
2. "Turkish Song of the Damned" (MacGowan, Finer)
3. "Bottle of Smoke" (MacGowan, Finer)
4. "Fairytale of New York" (MacGowan, Finer)
5. "Metropolis" (Finer)
6. "Thousands Are Sailing
   Thousands Are Sailing
   "Thousands Are Sailing" is a song by Anglo-Irish folk rock group The Pogues, released in 1988.The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Phil Chevron, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God.-Lyrics:...
   
   " (Chevron)
7. "Fiesta" (MacGowan, Finer)
8. "Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races" (Traditional)
9. "Streets of Sorrow/Birmingham Six" (MacGowan, Woods)
10. "Lullaby of London" (MacGowan)
11. "Sit Down by the Fire" (MacGowan)
12. "The Broad Majestic Shannon" (MacGowan)
13. "Worms" (Traditional)
14. "The Battle March Medley" (Woods)
15. "The Irish Rover
    The Irish Rover
    "The Irish Rover" is a traditional Irish song about a magnificent, though improbable, sailing ship that reaches an unfortunate end. It has been recorded by numerous artists, some of whom have made changes to the lyrics....
    
    " (Joseph Crofts/Traditional)†
16. "Mountain Dew
    The Rare Old Mountain Dew
    -History:It was written by Edward Harrigan with music by Dave Braham, from the Irish drama The Blackbird. It was printed in "Irish street Ballads", 1916. It was later recorded under the title The Rare Old Mountain Dew. It is about the intoxicating properties of Irish moonshine, or Poitín...
    
    " (Traditional)†
17. "Shanne Bradley" (MacGowan)†
18. "Sketches of Spain" (The Pogues)†
19. "South Australia" (Traditional)

† – bonus track, not on original release

Personnel

• Shane MacGowan
  Shane MacGowan
  Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
  
   - vocals, guitar
• Spider Stacy
  Spider Stacy
  Peter "Spider" Stacy is an English musician. He is one of the founding members of London Irish band The Pogues.- External links :* [Twitter @SpiderStacy] [myspace.com/spiderstacythepogues]*...
  
   - tin whistle, vocals
• James Fearnley
  James Fearnley
  James Fearnley is an English musician. He plays accordion in the folk/punk band The Pogues.As a child he was a choir treble, but his voice changed at the age of sixteen. He took piano lessons but did not enjoy it, so he chose to learn the guitar instead...
  
   - accordion, piano, mandolin, dulcimer, guitar, cello, percussion
• Jem Finer
  Jem Finer
  Jem Finer is an English musician, artist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Pogues.-Life and career:...
  
   - banjo, saxophone
• Andrew Ranken
  Andrew Ranken
  Andrew Ranken is an English drummer, best known as the percussionist for the English-Irish band The Pogues.He joined the band in 1983 and appeared on all of their recordings and tours until their breakup in 1996. He went on to join the bands Metropolitan Waterboard and Kippers, fronted by...
  
   - drums, vocals
• Philip Chevron - guitar, mandolin
• Darryl Hunt
  Darryl Hunt (musician)
  Darryl Hunt is an English musician, most famous as the bassist of The Pogues from 1986 until their breakup ten years later...
  
   - bass, percussion, vocals
• Terry Woods
  Terry Woods
  Terence 'Terry' Woods , is an Irish folk musician, specialising in playing the mandolin and cittern. He is known for his membership in such folk and folk-rock groups as The Pogues, Steeleye Span, Sweeney's Men, The Bucks and, briefly, Dr. Strangely Strange. Prior to being a founder member of...
  
   - cittern lute, concertina, strings, banjo, dulcimer, guitar, vocals
• Ron Kavana
  Ron Kavana
  Ron Kavana is a London-based Irish singer, songwriter, guitarist and band leader. Born in the County Cork town of Fermoy, he is the son of an Irish father and an American mother from Chicago with Cajun roots....
  
  - banjo, spoons, mandolin
• Siobhan Sheahan - harp
• Brian Clarke - alto saxophone
• Joe Cashman - tenor saxophone
• Paul Taylor - trombone
• Chris Lee - trumpet
• Eli Thompson - trumpet