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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

Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring’s a girl for on 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 big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
Will 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
Kissed a girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town

Song Notes

“Dirty Old Town” is a song written by Ewan MacColl in 1949. It was later recorded by many artists including The Dubliners in 1968, The Pogues in 1985, The Mountain Goats in 2002 and Frank Black in 2006. Ash performed a short snippet of the song live in Berlin, Germany on March 17th, 2001 at the Columbia Fritz. The song was played during a slight pause in the set due to Mark being ill backstage, with Tim introducing the song by saying “Mark’s just been re-enacting “Sick Party” out the back”.