Dirty Old Town Song lyrics and guitar chords

Dirty old town lyrics, chords and tab. This is a pretty easy song for guitar and will teach you how to play the song in no time. The tenor banjo and 5 string banjo / mandolin chords shapes are included for standard Irish tuning of GDAE in the key of G Major.Recorded by Ewan McCall and by The Dubliners with Luke Kelly singing also by The Pogues, The High Kings, Paddy Reilly, Rod Stewart, Brush Shields, The Specials plus many more.The music time signature is 4/4. The sheet music for Dirty Old Town is in the tin whistle section. These chords are also suitable for strumming the mandolin or ukulele. The latest ballad group I found that recorded this song was The Whistlin' Donkeys in 2019. Guitar chords in chordpro format.

Who wrote Dirty Old Town ? Ewan McCall wrote it.
What place is the song about ?
The song is about theCity  of 'Salford, Lancashire, England  and it was written in 1946.
Most recent recording by Jamie Webster - Live version at the Booton Factory Dublin. Youtube views in 11 months ​1,225,046 [ impressive ]

It might surprise you to know that The Pogues Version
of Dirty Old Town uses three different keys.
The intro. on the harmonica is played in the key of 
D Major. Then the verses are played in the key of G Major.
And the instrumental using the uillean pipes is in the
key of C Major
So the start of the song should be played on guitar using
the chords below.
[Harmonica Part Don't sing this part
I met my [D]love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a [G]dream by the old ca[D]nal
Dirty old [Em]town,,[D] ]
 
 
Then the verses in the key of G Major.

I met my [G]love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a [C]dream by the old ca[G]nal
Kissed a [G]girl by the factory wall
Dirty old [D]town dirty old [Em]town

Clouds a [G]drifting across the moon
Cats a [C]prowling on their[G] beat
Spring's a girl in the street at night
Dirty old [D]town dirty old [Em]town

[Instrimental on uilleann pipes
Don't sing this verses.
I met my [C]love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a [F]dream by the old ca[C]nal
Kissed a [C]girl by the factory wall
Dirty old [Dm]town dirty old [Am]town]
 

Heard a [G]siren from the docks
Saw a [C]train set the night on [G]fire
Smelled the spring on the smokey wind
Dirty old [D]town dirty old [Em]town

I'm going to[G] make a good sharp axe
Shining [C]steel tempered in the [G]fire
Will chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old [D]town dirty old [Em]town
Version in the key of C Major

I[C] met my love by the gas works wall,
Dreamed a[F] dream by the[G] old ca[C]nal,
Kissed my[Am] girl by the factry[C] wall,
Dirty old[Am] town,[G]dirty old[Am] town
[2]
I heard a siren from the docks,
Saw a train set the night on fire,
Smelled the spring on the smoky wind,
Dirty old town,dirty old town.
[3]
Clouds are drifting across the moon,
Cats are prowling on their beat
Springs a girl from the streets at night,
Diriy old town,dirty old town.
[4]
I'm going to make me a good sharp axe,
Shining steel,tempered in the fire,
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree,
Dirty old town,dirty old town

Dirty old town guitar tab

Above is the youtube video of the Pogues playing Dirty Old Town
​and below is the 5 string banjo chords.

Dirty Old Town Chords In The Key Of A
[A]Met my love, by the gas yard wall
Dreamed a [D]dream, by the old ca[A]nal
Kissed my girl, by the factory wall
Dirty old [E]town, dirty old [F#m]town

Key Of C
[C]Met my love, by the gas yard wall
Dreamed a [F]dream, by the old ca[C]nal
Kissed my girl, by the factory wall
Dirty old [G]town, dirty old [Am]town

Below is the banjo / mandolin chords shapes for the key of G Major. 
​A simple 3 chord job. The same chords are used in the whole song.

I met my [G]love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a [C]dream by the old ca[G]nal
Kissed a [G]girl by the factory wall
Dirty old [D]town dirty old [Em]town