Elizabeth Platt ([email protected])
Wed, 2 Dec 1998 18:11:32 -0800 (PST)
> Does anyone know a place where I could find the guitar chords and
> lyrics for "Dirty Old Town"? Or could anyone tell me who wrote the song?
> I've heard U2 do snippets of it at different shows, and I absolutely
> would love to hear it all. Thanks.
Sorry, Justin, I'm useless for chords, but I do have the lyrics (see below
in this post)!
Then "M. Teresa Doherty" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dirty Old Town was written by a Scotsman, I believe, but may be best
> known to a lot of us via the cover by The Pogues in the 80s.
Yeah, the Pogues did cover it; you can find it (live) on the "Live for
Ireland" album (the "Self-Aid" concert in 1986), and also on a 12" the
Pogues released on Stiff--I can't say I've ever seen it re-released on any
of their full-length albums or compilations, but then, my Pogues
collection is in disarray right now...Also, I'm going to dig up a post I
sent to the ONE list about "Dirty Old Town", that gives a bit more info on
the song, and post it to Wire after this one.
> Larry sang
> it during one of the ZooTV gigs, not sure which one, but I think it was
> the one where Charles Bukowski was in the audience (available on either
> the Zoocoustic or Jesus Was a Cool Guy boots, can't remember which one,
> sorry!)
I think that he sang it at several shows, rotating it with other Irish
folk standards...
Anyways, here are the lyrics, taken from the sleeve of the Pogues' 12"
single:
-- 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
Cloud a' drifting across the moon
Cats a' prowling on their beat
Springs a girl in the street at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
Smelled the spring and the smokey wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm going to make a good sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
Will chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
# # #
-- eaplatt
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