Dirty Old Town
The Pogues (With Joe Strummer) Lyrics
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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
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm going to 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
The Pogues (with Joe Strummer)’s song Dirty Old Town is a wistful song of nostalgia for a place that has seen better days. The singer recalls meeting his love by the gas works wall, dreaming by the old canal, and kissing his girl by the factory wall. The repetition of the phrase “dirty old town” throughout the song gives the sense that the town is a place of hardship, grime, and poverty. However, there is also a sense of romance and sweetness in the memories of young love and youthful dreams.
The song paints a vivid picture of the town with images of clouds drifting across the moon, cats prowling on their beat, and the smell of spring on the smoky wind. The chorus reinforces the idea that the town may be dirty, but it is also a place of memories and love, with the singer promising to make a good sharp axe to chop down any obstacle that comes in the way of his love.
Overall, Dirty Old Town is a melancholic and romantic song that uses gritty imagery to evoke a sense of time and place. It is a song that captures the heart of a town and the memories that are held within it.
Line by Line Meaning
I met my love by the gas works wall
I first encountered my true love by the wall of the gas works factory
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I had a vision of a better world as I sat by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
I shared a moment of intimacy with my partner by the cold walls of the factory
Dirty old town
This town we're in is rotten, filthy, and inhospitable
Clouds are drifting across the moon
The sky is obscured by clouds that pass before the full moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Cats roam the streets tirelessly as night guards
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
The season of rebirth is like a young street girl wandering in the city at night
I heard a siren from the docks
I heard the wails of a siren, originating from the rough docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I witnessed a train lighting up the black sky with flames, beautifully, yet dangerously
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
I caught a scent of the fresh spring breeze mixed with the smoke and pollution of the town
I'm going to make me a good sharp axe
I'm determined to create a sharp, effective tool to cut down anything unnecessary in my life
Shining steel tempered in the fire
The steel will brighten as it's forged with flames, making it even stronger
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
I'll use my new sharp axe to cut down anything that doesn't serve me, just like an old, useless tree
Dirty old town
This town is still just as dirty, rotten, and inhospitable as before
I met my love by the gas works wall
My love story started by the wall surrounding the gas factory
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I imagined a beautiful dream while sitting by the deserted canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
I shared a kiss with my partner under the shelter of the factory's perimeter wall
Dirty old town
This town is still a filthy and oppressive place to live
Dirty old town
Once more, this town is proven to be a repulsive and unwelcoming place to reside in.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EWAN MACCOLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@philbarber4348
RIP Shane, a unique talent. Hope they have Guinness in heaven
@shanedjoy8954
He loved a Dublin Guinness.
Met him a couple of times down Camden Town, a boozer just down from McDonald’s used to sell it. All from Park Royal now…
@silentfisher67
And wiskey in the jar
@mylenemarti5983
A pint of the black and a shot of J.
@JustaSideOrderOfLove
YOU BET THEY DO! ❤ 😊
@ElizabethPeters-qr2kz
It wouldn't be heaven without Guinness!
@steveOhh68
This song will resonated in the worlds dirty old towns forever. Thanks Shane , you did bloody well .
@cryptolights6879
So so true! He is immortal.
@birgitbey6336
@@cryptolights6879öiököooo
@rosabilly
True. for me it is Dresden 1993.