Nick Cave has penned a heartfelt obituary for the late Shane MacGowan, encouraging people to focus on MacGowan's genius rather than other aspects of his life.

Cave, who first encountered the Pogues frontman in 1989 and performed at his funeral, reminisced about their years spent "going out, messing around, getting wasted." Despite MacGowan's seemingly effortless songwriting process, Cave admired the precious and deep artistic nature of his songs. He marveled at how MacGowan's lyrics seemed to come to him effortlessly, delivered on a beer tray with a whiskey chaser, in stark contrast to his own laborious writing routine.

Expressing his admiration for MacGowan's voice, Cave described it as the perfect vessel for his chaotic and poetic soul. He fondly recalled witnessing a Pogues soundcheck in France where MacGowan sang "A Pair of Brown Eyes" with nonchalant grace, hands in his pockets, emitting a gorgeous, soulful voice that seemed otherworldly.

Acknowledging MacGowan's struggles with substance use, Cave saw it as a "solemn duty to be permanently messed up" but urged fans to prioritize remembering MacGowan's genius over other aspects of his life.

Cave emphasized MacGowan's exceptional songwriting, stating that he wrote songs that are truly great, a feat achieved by very few songwriters. He highlighted the lived-in nature of MacGowan's best lyrics, expressing how his beautiful soul permeated every word and phrase of songs like "A Rainy Night in Soho" or "The Old Main Drag." Cave marveled at MacGowan's effortless, God-given talent, something that lesser writers must strive hard to attain.

Reflecting on the profound grief expressed by the music world, Cave underscored the truth and clarity of soul that MacGowan embodied, making him deeply loved by many. In closing, Cave celebrated MacGowan's enduring legacy as a brilliant songwriter with a unique and effortlessly gifted talent.

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