Kelly was one of the best-known figures of the Irish folk music movement of the 1960s and 1970s. A Dubliner from the north inner city, he attended O'Connell's Schools before emigrating to Britain in 1958. There he first became involved in the growing international folk music scene in which Ewan MacColl was a central figure, as well as joining the Communist Party of Great Britain.
In 1962 Luke Kelly returned to Dublin and quickly became a central figure in the city's burgeoning folk music community, playing in sessions in O'Donoghue's Pub on Merrion Row with the likes of Ronnie Drew, Barney McKenna and The Fureys. Not long after, he ended up forming a folk group with Drew, McKenna, Ciaran Bourke and John Sheahan, which he named The Dubliners. In 1965, Kelly married the actress Deirdre O'Connell, one of the founders of the Focus Theatre.
In the mid-1960s, Luke moved to England for a while. On returning, he rejoined the Dubliners. His interpretations of "Raglan Road" (a poem by Patrick Kavanagh) and Scorn Not His Simplicity were significant musical achievements and became points of reference in Irish folk music. Luke remained a politically engaged musician, and many of the songs he recorded dealt with social issues, the arms race and war, workers' rights and Irish nationalism, ("The Springhill Disaster", "Second World Song", "When Margaret was Eleven", "Joe Hill", "The Button Pusher", "Alabama 1958" and "God Save Ireland" all being good examples of his concerns). One of the Dubliners' seminal albums was titled Revolution. In the socially and politically conservative atmosphere of the Republic of Ireland at the time, this was notable.
Luke Kelly was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1980, and died in 1984. He remains a Dublin icon and his music is widely regarded as one of the city's cultural treasures.
The Ballybough Bridge in the north inner city of Dublin has been renamed the The Luke Kelly Bridge and in November 2004, the Dublin city council voted unanimously to erect a bronze statue of Luke Kelly. The location for the statue had not yet been decided upon.
From Dublin streets and roads and down the years
Came great musicians and balladeers
There was a special one, a red haired minstrel boy
And when he passed away, a city mourned its favourite son
All round the markets and down the quays
The sad news it spread to the Liberties
The minstrel boy is gone, he'll sing no more
And Luke somehow we know, we'll never see your likes again
Dirty Old Town
Luke Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 a good sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree, that's what they say
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gasworks 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
Luke Kelly's "Dirty Old Town" tells the story of a love affair set in the backdrop of an industrial town. The singer reminisces about the time he met his love by the gasworks wall and kissed her by the factory wall. The town, referred to as "dirty old town," sets the tone for the song's bleak and melancholic mood. The clouds drift across the moon, and cats are prowling on their beat, reflecting the somber state of the town. However, the song's appreciation of beauty, like spring, still persists, even in a place surrounded by soot and grime.
Furthermore, the siren from the docks and the fire set by the train reflect the singer's familiarity with the dreariness of the town. Yet, this repetition of "dirty old town" can also be interpreted as a lament for the loss of the town's former glory. The lyrics' final verse, "I'm going to make a good sharp axe / Shining steel tempered in the fire / I'll chop you down like an old dead tree, that's what they say" connotes the singer's plans to take the town down brick-by-brick and end the toxic environment it has created.
Luke Kelly's "Dirty Old Town" was inspired by Salford, a town in Manchester, England. Ewan MacColl originally wrote the song about his hometown in Manchester in 1949, calling it "the first real socialist song" because of its portrayal of the working-class struggles. Since then, it has been covered many times by various artists, including The Pogues, Rod Stewart, and Simple Minds.
Line by Line Meaning
I met my love by the gasworks wall
I found my true love by the walls of a gas factory.
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I had a vision of a better life while staring at the stagnant water of the canal.
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
I shared a moment of intimacy with my lover near the machinery of the factory.
Dirty old town
This town is filthy and worn-down.
Clouds are drifting across the moon
The night sky is obscured by moving clouds.
Cats are prowling on their beat
Feral felines roam the streets.
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
The season of rebirth is personified as a girl who wanders through the town when the sun goes down.
Dirty old town
This town is not a pleasant place to be.
I heard a siren from the docks
The sound of an alarm went off at the harbor.
Saw a train set the night on fire
The sight of a locomotive blazing through the darkness was a mesmerizing spectacle.
Smelled the spring on the smoky wind
The smell of blooming flowers was carried through the polluted air.
Dirty old town
The town symbolizes decay and grime.
I'm going to make a good sharp axe
I plan to create a powerful and effective tool.
Shining steel tempered in the fire
The metal is being strengthened and crafted through heat and hard work.
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree, that's what they say
I am capable of destroying anything that stands in my way, as the people of this town have warned.
Dirty old town
This town is still as dismal and uninviting as ever.
I met my love by the gasworks wall
I will always associate this grimy place with the moment I found my soulmate.
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
Even in this dirty town, I continue to dream of a better life by the canal.
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
My most cherished memories will always be the moments shared with my lover near the factory.
Dirty old town
This town is definitely not a place to raise a family or plan a future.
Dirty old town
The town remains a depressing and squalid place to live.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ewan MacColl
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Conrad Linus
I met my love by the gasworks 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
Smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm going to make a good sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree, that's what they say
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gasworks 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
Alexandros Voumvoulakis
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 good 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
Jock Lambert
Luke Kelly in full flow is absolutely unparalleled, there (aren’t 😁)enough superlatives in the English language to describe this genius.
BlueVsYou
There "aren't" enough superlatives* 😅 jk
nickyboy22071989
Good way to put it.
inciting a riot
Luke is a legend. Erin go bragh
kevin shaw
👍👍
Robbie Kennedy
Great words mate 👍
Oz
Luke Kelly has one of the most powerful yet melodious voices ever. Period.
Old School Gaming
Ireland's greatest ever performer , it's not even close . Rest easy Luke
Sean O'Connell
My former uncle. What a talent. Died too young
Duncan
@Sean O'Connell sang his song at school brilliant