Shane MacGowan and The Popes is a band led by Shane MacGowan, formerly of T… Read Full Bio ↴Shane MacGowan and The Popes is a band led by Shane MacGowan, formerly of The Pogues, who play a blend of rock, and Irish folk.

The band's line up has changed through the years; current members include: Andy Ireland (drums), Paul "Mad Dog" McGuinness (guitar, vocals), and Bob "Lucky" Dowling (bass). Past members have included Mick O'Connell (accordion), Kieran "Mo" O' Hagan (Acoustic guitar, vocals), John Myers (fiddle, tin whistle), Danny Heatley (aka Danny Pope) (drums), Seamus "Rapey" Murphy (accordion), Berni "The Undertaker" France (bass), Ulick McGhee (oboe), Colm O'Maonlai (whistle), Kieran Kiely (accordion, whistle) and Leeson O'Keeffe (Electric guitar, banjo, vocals). Longtime band member Tom "McAnimal" McManamon (banjo) died on 15 December 2006.Scottish violinist laura Mcghee played with the popes at the Barrowlands and went down a storm when she played fairytale in new york with shane who said of the dundee lass i would love to see her get more air time on scottish radio as she is big in America

Following his departure from The Pogues in 1991, MacGowan returned in 1994 with this new band, whose debut album "The Snake" was critically acclaimed and showed that MacGowan's creative juices were very much still flowing. A second album, "The Crock Of Gold", was released in 1997 and was, for the most part, more traditionally oriented. Two albums surfaced in 2002 - the compilation "The Rare Oul' Stuff" and the superlative live set "Across The Broad Atlantic". There was also an outstanding live DVD ("Live At Montreux") released in 2004, which shows the band performing at their creative peak (and includes a number of Pogues songs - a feature of Popes concerts throughout MacGowan's tenure as frontman).

The reunion of The Pogues (complete with MacGowan) in 2004 led to MacGowan leaving the Popes behind to concentrate on playing live with his original bandmates. The Popes continue to perform without MacGowan, albeit sporadically.

Dirty Old Town
Shane MacGowan And The Popes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

( Solo vers ) ( C )

G
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 song "Dirty Old Town" by Shane MacGowan and The Popes is a poetic tribute to the city of Salford, Manchester in England. The lyrics recall memories of the beauty and ugliness of the city. The opening lines "Met my love by the gas works wall, Dreamed a dream by the old canal" evoke a melancholic nostalgia for the romantic memories the singer shared with his love. The song highlights the gritty reality of living in an industrial town with the lyrics "I kissed my girl by the factory wall, Dirty old town."

The song's chorus - "Dirty old town" - is a metaphor for the decay and grime of the city, but it's also a term of endearment for the singer's beloved town. The line "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" appears to suggest that the singer has ambitions to cut through the decay and make a change in his town.

Overall, "Dirty Old Town" captures the beauty and rawness of Salford while also acknowledging its flaws. It's a love letter to a town that has shaped the memories and lives of its inhabitants.

Line by Line Meaning

Met my love by the gas works wall
I met my lover by the wall near the factory where gas is produced

Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I had a dream while I was at the old canal

I Kissed my girl by the factory wall
I shared a kiss with my girlfriend by the wall of the factory