Share the Dirty Old Town Chords and Strumming:
Did You Know? Dirty Old Town was originally written by Ewan MacColl in 1949 to fill space for a scene change in his play Landscape With Chimneys.
It was later made popular by cover versions by The Dubliners and The Pogues and has since been covered many times in multiple styles.
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Difficulty Level Of Original Recorded Song: Blue Pick
Most Advanced Rhythm: White Pick
Most Advanced Chord Change: Blue Pick (White Pick when played with Django chords only Orange Pick when played with open chords only)
Click to scroll to the version for your level:
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White Pick Level
Dirty Old Town Chords And Strumming, The Pogues
Django Chords:
Django C chord
Django G chord
Django D chord
Django A chord
Django F chord
Django Bm chord
Strumming:
"The Bouncer":
|D D U D D U |
Tempo: 123 bpm Key: G
Intro -
|D - - - |D - - - |D - - - |D - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |D - - - |D - - - |
|Em - - - |Em - - - |Bm - - - |Bm (1 strum)|
Verse 1 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em - - - |
I met my (Gx4)love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a (Cx2)dream by the old ca(Gx2)nal
I kissed my (Gx4)girl by the factory wall
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 2 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em (1 strum)|
Clouds are (Gx4)drifting across the moon
Cats are (Cx2)prowling on their (Gx2)beat
Spring's a (Gx4)girl from the streets at night
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Bridge -
|C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|F - - - |F - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |A - - - |A - - - |
Verse 3 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em - - - |
I heard a (Gx4)siren from the docks
Saw a (Cx2)train set the night on (Gx2)fire
I smelled the (Gx4)spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 4 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em (1 strum)|
I'm gonna (Gx4)make me a big sharp axe
Shining (Cx2)steel tempered in the (Gx2)fire
I'll chop you (Gx4)down like an old dead tree
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 5 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|A (1strum)|- - - |Em (1 strum)| - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em (1 strum)| - - - - |
I met my (Gx4)love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a (Cx2)dream by the old ca(Gx2)nal
I kissed my (Gx4)girl by the factory wall
Dirty old (Ax2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Final Chord Strum: Em
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We'll have a 45 minute call over zoom and we'll start with diagnosing your current situation. Then we'll see if my process will work for you and map out an action plan to get you playing your favourite songs confidently.
Orange Pick Level
Dirty Old Town Chords And Strumming, The Pogues
Open Chords:
Open C chord
Open G chord
Open D chord
Open Am chord
Open F∆7 chord
Open Bm7 chord
Strumming:
"The Bouncer*":
|B D U B D U |
Tempo: 123 bpm Key: G
Intro -
Verse 1 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em - - - |
I met my (Gx4)love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a (Cx2)dream by the old ca(Gx2)nal
I kissed my (Gx4)girl by the factory wall
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 2 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em (1 strum)|
Clouds are (Gx4)drifting across the moon
Cats are (Cx2)prowling on their (Gx2)beat
Spring's a (Gx4)girl from the streets at night
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Bridge -
|C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|F∆7 - - - |F∆7 - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |Am - - - |Am - - - |
Verse 3 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em - - - |
I heard a (Gx4)siren from the docks
Saw a (Cx2)train set the night on (Gx2)fire
I smelled the (Gx4)spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 4 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em (1 strum)|
I'm gonna (Gx4)make me a big sharp axe
Shining (Cx2)steel tempered in the (Gx2)fire
I'll chop you (Gx4)down like an old dead tree
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 5 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|Am (1 strum)|- - - |Em (1 strum)| - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em (1 strum)| - - - - |
I met my (Gx4)love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a (Cx2)dream by the old ca(Gx2)nal
I kissed my (Gx4)girl by the factory wall
Dirty old (Amx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Final Chord Strum: Em
Want My Personal Help With Your Guitar Playing?
Click below to discover how I can help you -
We'll have a 45 minute call over zoom and we'll start with diagnosing your current situation. Then we'll see if my process will work for you and map out an action plan to get you playing your favourite songs confidently.
Blue Pick Level
Dirty Old Town Chords And Strumming, The Pogues
Open Chords:
Open C chord
Open G chord
Open D chord
Open Am chord
Barre Chords:
Barre Bm chord, Barre F chord
Strumming:
"The Bouncer*":
|B D U B D U |
Tempo: 123 bpm Key: G
Intro -
Verse 1 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em - - - |
I met my (Gx4)love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a (Cx2)dream by the old ca(Gx2)nal
I kissed my (Gx4)girl by the factory wall
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 2 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em (1 strum)|
Clouds are (Gx4)drifting across the moon
Cats are (Cx2)prowling on their (Gx2)beat
Spring's a (Gx4)girl from the streets at night
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Bridge -
|C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|F - - - |F - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |C - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |Am - - - |Am - - - |
Verse 3 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em - - - |
I heard a (Gx4)siren from the docks
Saw a (Cx2)train set the night on (Gx2)fire
I smelled the (Gx4)spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 4 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em - - - |Em (1 strum)|
I'm gonna (Gx4)make me a big sharp axe
Shining (Cx2)steel tempered in the (Gx2)fire
I'll chop you (Gx4)down like an old dead tree
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Verse 5 -
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|C - - - |C - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |G - - - |
|Am (1 strum)|- - - |Em (1 strum)| - - - |
|D - - - |D - - - |Em (1 strum)| - - - - |
I met my (Gx4)love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a (Cx2)dream by the old ca(Gx2)nal
I kissed my (Gx4)girl by the factory wall
Dirty old (Amx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Dirty old (Dx2)town dirty old (Emx2)town
Final Chord Strum: Em
Want My Personal Help With Your Guitar Playing?
Click below to discover how I can help you -
We'll have a 45 minute call over zoom and we'll start with diagnosing your current situation. Then we'll see if my process will work for you and map out an action plan to get you playing your favourite songs confidently.
Dirty Old Town Videos
Dirty Old Town Lyrics
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring's a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I'm gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I'll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
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