Moore St. Girls
The Elders Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I walk along the cobbled streets of Dublin in the rain
The Man selling papers, I ask him if he's heard her name
Notorious are the stories, you have to meet the girls
If you ask a sailor, they're known around the world
You can meet them on the corner

They are the Moore Street girls
This is the street their world
Their seducing smiles are nothing you'll ever know
They will allure you, they'll put you in a trance
Before you know it you'll be tapping the street
Doin' an Irish dance, hey!

It's said they have the power to sell a map to a salmon
The tourist from the desert goes home with a bucket of Sandymount sand
Fresh fruit and veggies smelly fish they have them all
Their sad and hardened faces still they smile and have a ball
They'll make you buy your dog a dozen roses

They are the Moore Street girls
This is the street their world
Their seducing smiles are nothing you'll ever know
They will allure you, they'll put you in a trance
Before you know it you'll be tapping the street
Doin' an Irish dance, hey!

Where have all the girls all gone?
We used to love them used to listen to their dirty Dublin songs
Where have all the girls all gone?
They can be grumpy still we love them
Oh what a shame

I stopped and talked to Rosie, I asked her would she sing me a song
She turned to me with angry eyes, I ask her, "Rosie what is wrong?"
The foreigners in the market, the vermin of the world
With all their ugly faces from lands you've never heard




Oh what a shame you'll never know them
Oh what a shame you'll never know them

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Elders' song Moore St. Girls tell a story of the infamous and captivating women who used to roam the streets of Dublin. The singer walks along the cobbled streets of Dublin in the rain and is intrigued by the stories he's heard about the Moore Street Girls. These women are known for their seductive smiles and their ability to lure in anyone who walks by them. They're so good at it that before you know it, you'll find yourself tapping your feet and doing an Irish dance. They're notorious around the world, and sailors, in particular, know of their reputation. As the singer continues to walk and explore, he encounters Rosie, a Moore Street Girl. When he asks Rosie to sing him a song, she responds angrily, mentioning how the foreigners in the market are the vermin of the world.


Line by Line Meaning

I walk along the cobbled streets of Dublin in the rain
I stroll through the damp roads of Dublin, feeling the wetness of the rain.


The Man selling papers, I ask him if he's heard her name
I inquire from the man selling papers if he has heard the name of the person I am looking for.


Notorious are the stories, you have to meet the girls
The stories are infamous, and you have to meet the girls to experience them yourself.


If you ask a sailor, they're known around the world
Sailors worldwide are aware of them when asked about them.


You can meet them on the corner
You can encounter them when on the street corner.


They are the Moore Street girls
The girls being referred to are those from Moore Street.


This is the street their world
Moore Street is the world that belongs to the girls.


Their seducing smiles are nothing you'll ever know
Their charming smiles are something you'll never get to experience.


They will allure you, they'll put you in a trance
They can captivate you, causing you to be in a trance-like state.


Before you know it you'll be tapping the street
Without realizing it, you will start to dance on the street.


Doin' an Irish dance, hey!
You will dance an Irish dance, hey!


It's said they have the power to sell a map to a salmon
People believe that they can sell a map to a salmon, which is absurd.


The tourist from the desert goes home with a bucket of Sandymount sand
A tourist who comes from a desert region goes back home with a bucket filled with Sandymount sand.


Fresh fruit and veggies smelly fish they have them all
They have a variety of products such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and even smelly fish.


Their sad and hardened faces still they smile and have a ball
Despite their wearied faces, they still manage to smile and live joyfully.


They'll make you buy your dog a dozen roses
They are so convincing that they can make you buy a dozen roses for your dog.


Where have all the girls all gone?
The artist wonders where all the girls have gone.


We used to love them used to listen to their dirty Dublin songs
The singer recounts how they enjoyed listening to the girls' lewd songs about Dublin in the past.


They can be grumpy still we love them
Even though they can get in a bad mood, we still love them.


Oh what a shame
What a pity.


I stopped and talked to Rosie, I asked her would she sing me a song
I converse with Rosie, expressing my desire for her to sing me a song.


She turned to me with angry eyes, I ask her, "Rosie what is wrong?"
Rosie glares at me in anger, prompting me to ask the cause of her annoyance.


The foreigners in the market, the vermin of the world
Rosie thinks of the foreigners in the market as pests and scum of the earth.


With all their ugly faces from lands you've never heard
These people have unattractive faces that come from unfamiliar lands.


Oh what a shame you'll never know them
It is a pity that you'll never get to know these people.


Oh what a shame you'll never know them
It is a pity that you'll never get to know these people.




Contributed by Katherine P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions