Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse

Subject: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 09:17 AM

At Wigan Folk Club last Thursday, one of the members showed me a page pulled out of a magazine (sorry, can't recall which one), which had a newly-discovered verse to "Dirty Old Town". Apparently, Ewan wasn't happy with it originally, so it wasn't included in the final version. It should be the 4th verse, and the copyright was credited to Jean MacColl. I thought I'd be able to find it somewhere on the web, but can't trace it so far. Here's the verse as I copied it from that mag:

Moon of steel in the cloudy sky
Silver skin on the roofs of the mills
Stars are sparks from the chimney stacks
Dirty old town, dirty old town.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: GUEST,BanjoRaY
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 10:07 AM

I can see why Ewan left it out...
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 12:16 PM

But we could drag it, kicking and screaming into the living tradition and bring it back to life couldn't we?

Steely moon in the cloudy sky
Silvered tiles on the tops of mills
Sparks and stars from the chimney stacks
Dirty old town, dirty old town.

See it's quite easy to make it worse!

Challenge?

L in C

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: Little Robyn
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 03:06 PM

Hey, that's not too bad Les. Much more singable!
Robyn

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 06:26 PM

You can see Salford from here rain or shine!!!!!!!!!!!

Chiz

L in C

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: Joan from Wigan
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 07:38 AM

I prefer your version too, Les. Well done!

Joan

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: GUEST,Suffolk Miracle
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 08:10 AM

Steelmen mooning at the sky;
Silver cobwebs on the mills;
Sparks from chimneys long since gone;
Dirty old town, dirty old town.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: Snuffy
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 09:07 AM

Steal the moon from the cloudy sky
And the lead from the roofs of mills
Skanky car and a big bass stack
Dirty old town, dirty old town.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: meself
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 10:41 AM

Nonetheless - thanks to Joan of Wigan. It can be worthwhile to speculate on the scraps left on the workshop floor ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Dirty Old Town - new verse
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 12:22 PM

So, we have sorted Dirty Old Town, what shall we do next? I always felt "Famous Flower of Serving Men" could do with a few more verses.

Chiz

L in C