Dirty Old Town
Ian Campbell Folk Group Lyrics

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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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Dirty Old Town" by the Ian Campbell Folk Group encapsulate the gritty, working-class atmosphere of industrial towns and cities that were common during the mid-twentieth century. The lines "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" evoke a sense of romance and longing amidst the dingy, polluted environment of the urban setting. The opening and closing stanzas are the same, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life in such a place, where people fall in love and dream of a better life, but are ultimately stuck in the same dirty old town.

The presence of the moon, cats, and the image of a girl from the streets further emphasize the nocturnal, mysterious character of the city. The siren from the docks and the train that sets the night on fire suggest the danger and excitement that can come from living near industrial and transportation infrastructure. The final lines, "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," evoke a sense of power and determination to overcome the limitations of living in such a place.

Overall, "Dirty Old Town" is a poignant and evocative song that captures both the beauty and the ugliness of urban life.

Line by Line Meaning

I met my love by the gas works wall
I found the person I love near a wall next to the gas works

Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I had a dream near an old canal

I Kissed my girl by the factory wall
I kissed my girl next to a wall by the factory