David Byrne - Dirty Old Town Chords & Tabs

The album version of this song is in the key of F though David plays it in G on 
the acoustic bootlegs.


Intro: (2x)

F Gm Dm
F Gm C

Verse:
                F                 Gm
Well, there are sixteen people in Danny's apartment
F                  Gm
Sixteen people are living in there
F                    Dm
Remember the days of rent control
C                 Bb
Grandpa remembers rock and roll

           F             Gm
These days won't last forever
           F               Gm
These days won't last for long
          F                  Gm
You know, somebody somewhere owes us a favor
F                            Gm
That's how things really get done
        C              Bb              C           Bb
In this World of Opportunities, it's a Land of Possibilities

Chorus:

F        Bb        C         Bb
We wanna live in a dirty old town
F           Bb  C          Bb
Building it up, tearing us down
         F           Bb              C          Bb
With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground
F        Bb               F     Gm Dm
We wanna live - dirty old town
Dm        F     Gm C
Dirty old town

F Gm Dm
F Gm C
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/d/david_byrne/dirty_old_town_crd.html ]
Verse:
             F                Gm
Now when the ladies come from Kansas
     F                      Gm
They wear their traditional colors
F                     Dm
Today the fabrics are ragged and torn
    C                         Bb
The clothes on their backs is all that they own
          F                     Gm
They say, "Don't draw attention to yourself
        F                    Gm
They'll tear you apart for a couple of bucks
F                      Dm
Keep you head down and keep you nose clean
       C                       Bb
'Cause people who're scared do dangerous things"

           F             Gm
These days can't last forever
           F              Gm
These days can't last for long
         F       Gm
You know someday things'll get better
F                 Gm
Somehow things'll get done
       C               Bb               C             Bb
In this World of Possibilities, it's the Land of Opportunities

Chorus:

F        Bb        C         Bb
We wanna live in a dirty old town
F           Bb  C          Bb
Building it up, tearing us down
         F           Bb              C          Bb
With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground
F        Bb                F     Gm Dm
We wanna live - dirty old town
Dm        F     Gm C
Dirty old town

Verse:

           F                      Gm
These days shoes are worn only on special occasions
F                      Gm
Battles are fought for fam'ly and nations
F                      Dm
Maybe you'll pray, but God isn't home
            C                 Bb
And there's no guarantee that justice be done

Chorus:

F        Bb        C         Bb
We wanna live in a dirty old town
F           Bb  C          Bb
Building it up, tearing us down
         F           Bb              C          Bb
With our head in the clouds and our feet on the ground
F        Bb               F     Gm Dm
We wanna live - dirty old town
Dm        F     Gm C
Dirty old town

Outro:

(Horns play melody)
F--------
Gm C

(Notes are sung along)
(2x)
F Gm Dm
F Gm C