Dirty Old Town chords

by The Pogues

Key Signatures: D Major (Intro), G Major (Verses), C Major (Instr)

Time Signature: 4/4 (♩)

Tempo: 123 bpm (Moderately fast)

Vocal Range: D4 - E5


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner

Chords: D, G, C, Em, Am, F, Dm

Chord Chart Legend
C major G major D major Em Am Dm F major F major barre
C major G major D major Em Am Dm F major F major barre

Dirty Old Town

Starting Key is highlighted (The rest will follow on) - Transpose to any other starting key 
             D                G        D        Em       D
Intro: |𝄽𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥𝅘𝅥|    | 𝄎 | 𝄎 | 𝄎 |    | 𝄎 |    | 𝄎 |    | 𝄎 |    |
    (harmonica)                                           (I met my)
            G
1. I met my love by the gas works wall
               C                   G
   Dreamed the dream by the old ca-nal
               G
   I kissed my girl by the fact-’ry wall
              D                   Em
   Dir-ty old town     Dir-ty old town

              G                          
2. Clouds are drift-ing a-cross the moon
            C                  G 
   Cats are prow-ling on their beat
              G
   Spring's a girl round the street at night
              D                   Em
   Dir-ty old town     Dir-ty old town   | (key change - violin)  |

          C                       F           C
Instr: |     |  𝄎  |  𝄎  |  𝄎  |     |  𝄎  |     |  𝄎  |

          C                      Dm          Am
       |     |  𝄎  |  𝄎  |  𝄎  |     |  𝄎  |     |  𝄎  |
                                                     (I heard a...)
             G
3. I heard a si-ren from the docks
         C                      G 
   Saw a train set the night on fire
                 G
   I smelled the spring on the smok-ey wind
              D                   Em
   Dir-ty old town     Dir-ty old town

              G
4. I'm gon-na make me a big sharp axe
             C                     G
   Shin-ing steel temp-ered in the fire
                 G
   I’ll chop you down like an old dead tree
              D                   Em
   Dir-ty old town     Dir-ty old town

            G
5. I met my love by the gas works wall
             C                   G 
   Dreamed a dream by the old ca-nal
               G
   I kissed my girl by the fact-’ry wall
              D                   Em
   Dir-ty old town     Dir-ty old town
              D                   Em
   Dir-ty old town     Dir-ty old town...
Song Details:
  • Songwriter: Ewan MacColl
  • Date: 1949
  • Lyrics Begin: 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.
  • Artists: The Pogues
  • Album: Rum Sodomy & the Lash(1985)
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