Dirty Old Town chords

The Pogues

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

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: 123 bpm


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner 🟢

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

Arrangement Song Details
Play-Along Video
R-H Chord Charts Chord Chart Legend
C Major G Major D Major Em Am Dm F Major F Major barre chord
L-H Chord Charts Lefties Chord Chart Legend
C Major-LH G Major-LH D Major-LH Em-LH Am-LH Dm-LH F Major-LH F Major barre chord-LH
Speed: x0.1

Dirty Old Town

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key 
                   D                       G
Intro: | 𝄽 ♩ ♩ ♩ |     |  %  |  %  |  %  |     |  %  |
    (harmonica)  
          D           Em          D
       |     |  %  |      |  %  |    |
                                  (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...

Arrangement Details:

  • Key Signatures:
    D Major - 2 sharps (F#, C#)
    G Major - 1 sharp (F#)
    C Major - no sharps or flats
  • Time Signature: 4/4 — Four quarter-note beats per measure
  • Tempo: Moderately
  • Metronome: ♩ = 123
  • Voice Range: D4 - E5

Song Details:

Rum Sodomy & the Lash Album Cover
Album Cover
  • Songwriter: Ewan MacColl
  • Date: 1949
  • Lyrics Begin: I met my love by the gasworks wall, dreamed a dream by the old canal...
  • Genre: Irish Folk Song
  • Featured Artists: The Pogues
  • Single:
    Released: 1985
    B-side (2 tracks): The Parting Glass, A Pistol for Paddy Garcia
  • Album: Rum Sodomy & the Lash
    Released: 5 August 1985
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