"Dirty Old Town" by The Pogues is a folk song that paints a vivid picture of urban life, particularly in industrialized cities. The lyrics describe the sights and sounds of a gritty, working-class town, highlighting both its charm and its flaws. The narrator reflects on the mundane aspects of everyday life, such as walking the streets, working in factories, and encountering familiar faces. Despite the song's title and the descriptions of pollution and decay, there's an underlying sense of nostalgia and affection for the town and its inhabitants. The song captures a sense of longing and belonging, as well as the complexities of urban existence.
Notes:
+3 +4 -4 +5 +4 -4 +5 +4 +3 I met my love by the gas works wall
+5 +6 -6 +6 -6 +5 +4 +5 Dreamed a dream by the old canal
-6 +6 +5 +4 -4 +5 +4 +3 Kissed a girl by the factory wall
+3 +4 +5 -4
Dirty old town
-4 +4 -3 +4
Dirty old town
+4 -4 +5 +4 +5 +4 +3
Clouds a drifting across the moon
+5 +6 -6 +6 -6 +6 +5
Cats a prowling on their beat
-6 +6 +5 +4 -4 +5 +4 +3 Spring's a girl in the street at night
+3 +4 +5 -4
Dirty old town
-4 +4 -3 +4
Dirty old town
+4 -4 +5 +4 +5 +4 +3
Heard a siren from the docks
+4 +5 -6 +6 -6 +6 +5 +6
Saw a train set the night on fire
-6 +6 +5 +4 -4 +5 +4 +3 Smelled the spring on the smoky wind
+3 +4 +5 -4
Dirty old town
-4 +4 -3 +4
Dirty old town
+3 +4-4 +5 +4 -4 +5 +4 +3 I'm gonna make me a good sharp axe
+5 +6 -6 +6 +5 -4 +4 +5 Shining steel tempered in the fire
+6 -6 +6 +5 +4 -4 +5 +4 +3 Will chop you down like an old dead tree
+3 +4 +5 -4
Dirty old town
-4 +4 -3 +4
Dirty old town
Up Next: Amazing Grace (Harmonica Tab)
