In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death, edited by epiwoosh
Dirty Old Town Lyrics as written by Ewan Maccoll
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is about Salford, which is in fact a dirty old town. A 2005 survey rated the city as the 9th worst place to live in the UK.
@ginissimo I think that the Pogues believed it to be about Dublin because of it already being well done by the Dubliners. They weren't very conversational towards their fan base. Indeed their reactions to friendly requests from members of the audience met with a stoney or threatening response. Good live band , tended to lurch to the tricolour but they made a mint from London fans. Oh well, I'm old and in the way. Who cars what I remember. We all have our heroes and villains. Let there be music all around. Peace to all.
There's a kind of defiant pride to this. Like," yes it's filthy and indutrialized, but it's mine." Written about his home town
Yeah it was written by Ewan McCall only it was written about either Salford or Stockport. When the Pogues came to Manchester, they actually told the crown that "this song was written about living around here". Thanks Shane
McColl apparantly didn't like the Pogues' cover of this song at first. Fortunately for him, he changed his mind.
Great single sleeve for this. And b side was great as well. Pistol for Paddy Garcia. Which they always used to open their early shows with.
Surely should have a link to Ewen MacColl whi wrote the song.
Boy, I think I really misinterpreted these lyrics. I've loved the Pogues version for decades, but just recently learned how to sing it and play it on guitar. So I was paying much closer attention to the lyrics than in the past. First verse is obvious. It's about falling in love with a girl, but the next verse talks about cats prowling at night and a girl emerging from streets. Another verse mentions spring is in the air. Does that mean his girl is sneaking around at night, maybe having a spring fling while he's working late at the factory? Then comes the verse about making a sharp axe and chopping someone down like "like an old dead tree"? Sounds like he's planning a murder. Is he sharpening his axe in a jealous rage because he thinks his girl has been prowling the streets at night cheating on him with a new lover? Seems like a plausible interpretation, and there are certainly lots of other songs about jealousy, rage, and murder. A good example is Down By The River by Neil Young, but I'm sure there are many English and Irish folk songs with similar themes. However, I've since read about Ewan MacColl's inspiration for the song and realize I was off-base. Which is good, because I don't like singing songs about domestic violence.
i think it was written by kirsty mcolls father Ewan for a musical about growing up in Sheffeild and the pouges covered it. but it could describe any industrialised city in the uk.
Yeah it was written by Ewan McCall. I recon they done an excellent version.
incredible song,amazing lyrics i cant say anymore