The Pogues – Dirty Old Town

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I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
Kissed my girl by the factory wall

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Clouds a drifting across the moon
Cats a 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
Smelled the spring on the smoky wind

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

I'm going to make me a good sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
Will 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
Kissed my girl by the factory wall

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Dirty old town
Dirty old town

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Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death

Track duration: 04:32

"Dirty Old Town [Live]" as written by Ewan Maccoll

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Dirty Old Town song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:McColl apparantly didn't like the Pogues' cover of this song at first. Fortunately for him, he changed his mind.
    Flag NellieWhiskeyon June 29, 2008   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Comment:incredible song,amazing lyrics i cant say anymore
    Flag ronaldo6on March 31, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: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.
    Flag ginissimoon March 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: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
    Flag conorwon December 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Yeah it was written by Ewan McCall. I recon they done an excellent version.
    Flag ThePogueson August 27, 2006   Link
  • -1
    General Comment: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.
    Flag boggleson February 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: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
    Flag yomejustaon December 08, 2005   Link

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