Chords
Dirty Old Town

Dirty Old Town was written by Ewan MacColl in 1949, inspired by the town of Salford, Lancashire, England, where MacColl was born and raised. Originally composed for the BBCs Saturday Night Theatre radio program, the song describes the industrial landscape of the town and captures the sentiments of its people. Since its creation, the song has been covered by numerous artists and has become a widely recognized folk standard.

Key: G

Introduction:  D   D   D   D   G   G   D   D   Em   Em   Bm   Bm  

difficulty
very easy |||||
           G 
I met my love by the gas works wall
            C                  G 
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
              G 
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
           D                Em 
Dirty old town, dirty old town

             G 
Clouds are drifting across the moon
           C                 G 
Cats are prowling on their beat
            G 
Springs a girl from the streets at night
           D                Em 
Dirty old town, dirty old town

            G 
I heard a siren from the docks
        C                      G 
Saw a train set the night on fire
               G 
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
           D                Em 
Dirty old town, dirty old town

            G 
I' m gonna make me a big sharp axe
         C                      G 
Shining steel tempered in the fire
                G 
I' ll chop you down like an old dead tree
           D                Em 
Dirty old town, dirty old town

           G 
I met my love by the gas works wall
            C                  G 
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
              G 
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
           Am               Em 
Dirty old town, dirty old town
           D                Em 
Dirty old town, dirty old town