He became widely known for his version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1982), as well as his own compositions "Durham Town (The Leavin')" (1969) and "I Don't Believe in If Anymore" (1970), his 1970 hit "New World in the Morning" and his 1975 hit "The Last Farewell" (his only single to hit the US Billboard Hot 100, making it to the Top 20).
Whittakers first chart success came in 1969 when "Durham Town (The Leavin')" was his first UK Top 20 hit. In 1970 came two follow-up hits, "I Don't Believe In If Anymore" (Top 10) and "New World In The Morning" (Top 20), and 1971 brought two smaller hit singles "Why" and "Mamy Blue".
Whittaker was absent from the UK singles chart until 1975, when "The Last Farewell" went Top 3, after which it was another eleven years until "Skye Boat Song" returned him to the Top 10 of the singles chart.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Whittaker had success in Germany, with German language songs produced by Nick Munro (unable to speak German at that time, Whittaker sang the songs phonetically). In time he became more fluent in German and sang and was interviewed in German on Danish television in November 2008. Whittaker retired from touring in 2013.
Dirty Old Town
Roger Whittaker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
Kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town, dirty old town
I heard a siren from the dock
Saw a train set the night on fire
Smelled the spring on the sulfured wind
We're goin' to take a good sharp axe
Shining steel, tempered in the fire
And we'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town, dirty old town
Dirty old town, whoa-oh, dirty old town
And, oh, we'll chop you down
Oh, dirty, dirty, dirty old town
Dirty old town, dirty old town
And, oh, whoa-oh dirty old town
Chop you down one of these days
The song Dirty Old Town by Roger Whittaker describes the singer's experiences and feelings about his hometown. The lyrics depict a town that is dirty and old, but in it, the singer finds love, dreams, and passion. In the first stanza, the singer talks about how he found his love near the gaswork croft and had a dream near the old canal. He also kissed his girl near the factory wall, highlighting the industrial nature of his hometown. The refrain, "Dirty old town," symbolizes the grimy and depressing nature of the singer's surroundings, but he seems to find beauty and love in the midst of it all.
In the next stanza, the singer hears a siren from the dock and sees a train that sets the night on fire. He also smells the spring on the sulfured wind. These lines reflect the gritty nature of the town, with its focus on industrial progress and economic development. The refrain, "Dirty old town," repeats, emphasizing the dire situation of the town.
The final stanza picks up on a more hopeful note. The singer announces that he and others will "take a good sharp axe" and "chop you down like an old dead tree," referring to the dirty old town. The imagery suggests that although the town may seem old and unattractive, it can still be transformed and rejuvenated. The chorus repeats, "Dirty old town," but it is not as depressing as it is in the earlier stanzas, suggesting that there is hope for the town and its people.
Overall, Dirty Old Town by Roger Whittaker is a song about finding beauty in a bleak environment and the importance of hope and rejuvenation. The singer embraces his hometown despite its dirtiness and sees the potential for positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
Found my love by the gaswork croft
I met my love by the gaswork croft
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I had a dream by the old canal
Kissed my girl by the factory wall
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town, dirty old town
This town may be dirty and old
I heard a siren from the dock
I heard a siren coming from the dock
Saw a train set the night on fire
I saw a train lighting up the night
Smelled the spring on the sulfured wind
I could smell the spring on the sulfured wind
Dirty old town, whoa-oh, dirty old town
This town may be dirty and old
We're goin' to take a good sharp axe
We are going to use a good sharp axe
Shining steel, tempered in the fire
The steel is shining and tempered by the fire
And we'll chop you down like an old dead tree
We will cut you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town, dirty old town
This town may be dirty and old
Dirty old town, whoa-oh, dirty old town
This town may be dirty and old
And, oh, we'll chop you down
We will cut you down soon
Oh, dirty, dirty, dirty old town
Oh, this town is dirty and old
Dirty old town, dirty old town
This town may be dirty and old
And, oh, whoa-oh dirty old town
Oh, this town is dirty and old
Chop you down one of these days
We will cut you down soon
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ewan MacColl
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Glynis Mcgourlick
Reminds of my dad, he had this album. I still miss him after 20 yrs
pete croton
Same mate, me and my Pop driving somewhere when I was maybe 5 years old. Me and my Pop singing our hearts out. Or possibly whistling! Happy memories for me
Glynis Mcgourlick
@pete croton yeah , good memories, we have them
Ventura Neptune
I love it. My mother use to play this for me when it was time for me to go to my crib to soothe me to sleep. I used to scream my head off whenever she'd play it because I knew what was coming. I'm 30 now, and when I hear it I have faint recollections of what seems to be like memories from another lifetime.
Mark Johnson
Don't be shocked but you are 41 now!
Glynis Mcgourlick
when my father played this, we'd say...oh god, dad playing Roger whittaker. Now, I play it, to remember my dad. Good times x
Hazel Evans
I love this song and remember my mum playing it on cassette when I was a little girl. And now I play it on CD as I love all his songs. Xxx
Billy Gillan
Truly magical song,it takes me home were it all began 46 years ago.
GordonWG1
This is the best version of Roger singing the song, thanks for posting it!
Glynis Mcgourlick
It is an excellent version