Print This Page#00118 Print This Page
Click Here for guitar tabs.
I met my love by the gasworks 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 from the streets at night,
Dirty old town, dirty old town.
I heard a siren from the dock,
Saw a train set the night on fire;
Smelled the spring on the smoky wind,
Dirty old town, dirty old town.
I'm gonna make me a big strong ax,
Of 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 gasworks 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, it's a dirty old town.
See more songs by Ewan MacColl.
This variant arranged and recorded by Anchors Aweigh of Rocky Harbour, NL (Time On The Bay, trk#7, 2005, produced by Louis McDonald, Rocky Harbour, NL).
See more songs by Anchors Aweigh.
From Princeton University WordNet:
Gasworks — the workplace for the manufacture of coal gas, a gaseous mixture produced by distillation of bituminous coal and used for heating and lighting.
The YouTube video above features a recording by Sons of Erin (The Sons Of Erin, Volume 1, Alive 'N' Kickin', trk#9, 1991).
See more songs by Sons Of Erin.
The YouTube video below features an excellent cover performance by Ed Mulrooney of Grand Falls-Windsor, NL.
See more songs by Ed Mulrooney.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Notes On Guitar Tabs:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
All guitar tabs have been contributed by visitors to this site and represent their interpretation of the tune. We are unable to verify their accuracy.
(Capo 2nd Fret)
Intro: [D]
I met my love by the gasworks wall, [D7]
Dreamed a [G] dream [Em] by the old [D] canal;
I [G] kissed [G] my [D] girl by the factory wall,
Dirty old [Em] town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
Clouds are [D] drifting across the moon, [D7]
Cats are [G] prow- [Em] ling on their [D] beat;
[G] Spring's [G] a [D] girl from the streets at night,
Dirty old [Em] town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
I heard a [D] siren from the docks, [D7]
Saw a [G] train [Em] set the night on [D] fire;
[G] Smelled [G] the [D] spring on the smoky wind,
Dirty old [Em] town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
Interlude: (normal chord progression)
I'm gonna [D] make me a big strong ax, [D7]
Of shining [G] steel [Em] tempered in the [D] fire;
I'll [G] chop [G] you [D] down like an old dead tree,
Dirty old [Em] town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
I met my [D] love by the gasworks wall, [D7]
Dreamed a [G] dream [Em] by the old [D] canal;
I [G] kissed [G] my [D] girl by the factory wall,
Dirty old [Em] town, dirty old [Bm] town. [A]
Dirty old [Em] town, it's a dirty old [Bm] town. (slowly)
Outro: [A] [D] (with a lead part)
~ Chords contributed by Bob Dumais ~
