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Dirty Old Town

from Freeborn Man by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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about

This superb song was written to cover a scene-change in a play which was set in Salford, Lancashire, the city which provided the philosopher Friedrich Engels with most of the information for his book The Condition of the Working Class in 1844. The gasworks croft was situated somewhere along that desert highway called Liverpool Street.

words and music: Ewan MacColl

lyrics

I found my love by the gasworks croft,
Dreamed a dream by the old canal;
Kissed my girl by the factory wall.
Dirty old town, dirty old town.

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.

Clouds a-drifting across the moon,
Cats a-prowling on their beat;
Spring’s a girl in the street at night,
Dirty old town, dirty old town.

I’m going to make a good sharp axe,
Shining steel tempered in the fire;
We’ll chop you down like an old dead tree,
Dirty old town, dirty old town.

credits

from Freeborn Man, released September 20, 1983
Ewan MacColl - vocals
Peggy Seeger - vocals, guitar
Bruce Turner - clarinet

Produced by Neill MacColl
Engineered by Nick Godwin
Recorded at Pathway Studios, London

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Ewan MacColl London, UK

This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio. ... more

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