Still they knick our Kop Chants !!!
Hardly....
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a song written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for their 1945 musical, Carousel.
In the musical, the song is sung after the death of the lead, Billy Bigelow, to give courage to Julie Jordan, pregnant with child at the time, and is sung in a later scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise (their daughter) is a member. As a result, it has become a standard, sung by graduation classes in the United States.
The song's popularity arose during the original Broadway production because of World War II, where many members of the audience had husbands, brothers, boyfriends, or fiancés at war overseas, which led to solace in the song's message.
The song was recorded by many artists, first charting in 1945 in a version by Frank Sinatra (#9 on the Billboard charts). Patti LaBelle and the BlueBelles had a #34 charting version in 1964. Elvis Presley's version got to #90 in 1968.
In a footballing context, it was originally sung by thousands of fans at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United long before it became associated with Liverpool as a tribute to those who died in the Munich Air Crash.
In England, the song most famous outing was recorded in the early 1960s by Liverpool group Gerry & the Pacemakers, and reached #1 in the UK charts on the 26th October 1963 where it stayed for 4 weeks. It immediately became the club anthem of Liverpool Football Club [1] and is invariably sung by its supporters at matches. [2] The words You'll Never Walk Alone feature in the club crest.
The song subsequently spread to other association football crowds, where it is sung variably, such as:
Scotland: Celtic F.C. - The Celtic & Liverpool supporters have been close due to the large number of Irish immigrants who made there way through the Liverpool docks, many of whom still live in the city.
Netherlands: Feyenoord Rotterdam, Ajax Amsterdam, FC Twente.
Germany: TSV Alemannia Aachen, FC St. Pauli.
Japan: F.C. Tokyo.
Australia: St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill.
Before the first leg of the 2002/2003 UEFA Cup tie between Celtic and Liverpool at Celtic Park, all the fans were led in the singing of "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Gerry & The Pacemakers frontman Gerry Marsden, who became entangled in his microphone lead. Marsden was to do the same at the return leg at Anfield, but was unable due to a scheduling conflict. Another memorable night during which a rendition of the song was sung was Ian Rush's testimonial at Anfield in 1994.
The song also reached #1 in the UK charts in June 1985 for 2 weeks, a charity record, following the Valley Parade fire at Bradford City on 11 May 1985, and not the more topical Heysel Stadium disaster 18 days later (a common misconception). The song was performed by The Crowd (including Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney and Rolf Harris). [3]
The song reached #1 in the UK charts for a third time when it was released by Robson and Jerome. The song reached number one on the November 3, 1996 and remained there for two weeks selling in excess of 300,000 copies. The song was released as a single along with What Becomes of the Broken Hearted and Saturday Night at the Movies.
An operatic version by José Carreras, Plåcido Domingo & Luciano Pavarotti with Mehta, reached number 21 in the UK charts in July 1998.
The song was sung in the BBC radio show The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Eddie, the shipboard computer.
It is also the corps song of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, and is sung by Jerry Lewis at the end of his annual telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The song Fearless by Pink Floyd features a football crowd singing this song at the end.
It is also played by the Western Illinois University Marching Leathernecks at the end of every performance. The band faces each other in a large circle with a quartet in center. The members play and sing "Never Walk" as reminder of the strength of the bond between members. This tradition was started by the late Dale Hopper during the 1970's.
In 1999, it was performed by John Farnham, who made his first release of the song in 1972, at the Tour Of Duty Concert in Dili, East Timor, for the Australian peace-keeping troops.
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Recorded versions
101 Strings Orchestra
Andy Williams
Aretha Franklin
Babelsberg Pöbelz
Barbara Cook
Barbra Streisand
Bernadette Peters
Bill & Gloria Gaither
Bill Medley
Billy Eckstine
Billy Preston
Blue Haze
Boots Randolph
Brett Mitchell
Bryn Terfel
Byrdie Green
Chet Atkins
Claramae Turner
Colin Pryce-Jones
Conway Twitty
Czech Symphony Orchestra
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel Rodriguez
Die Toten Hosen
Doris Day
Dorothy Squires
Dottie West
Ed Ames
Eddie Chamblee
Eileen Farrell
Elvis Presley
Engelbert Humperdinck
Enrique Chia
Enzo Stuarti
Eric Reed
Ferlin Husky
Ferrante & Teicher
Finbar Wright
Fiona Kimm
Florida Boys
Frank Patterson
Frank Sinatra
Frankie Vaughan
Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians
G4
Gene Ammons
Gene Vincent
Gerry & The Pacemakers
Glen Campbell
Glenn Yarborough
Gordon Turner
Grady Tate
Guy & Ralna
Imaginations
J.D. Sumner
Jackie Wilson
James Williams
Jan Clayton
Jane Froman
Jerry Reed
Jim Nabors
Jimmy Durante
Jo Stafford
Joanna Riding
Joe Augustine
John Arpin
John Farnham
John Gary
John MacNally
John Raitt
Johnny "Hammond" Smith
Johnny Cash
Johnny Maestro
Johnny Preston
Jon Jang
Joni James
José Carreras
Judy Garland
Kamahl
Kate Smith
Keely Smith
Kevin Rowland
Kevin Williams
Lee Greenwood
Lee Towers
Lesley Garrett
Liverpool F.C.
London Theatre Orchestra
Louis Armstrong
Mahalia Jackson
Malcolm Vaughan
Mario Lanza
Martin Nievera
Melodie
Michael Ball
Michael Crawford
Michael Junior
Mike Pender
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Muriel Dickinson
Myron Floren
Nettie Fowler
Nina Simone
Nonoy Zuniga
Norma Zimmer
Olivia Newton-John
Papa Bue's Viking Jazzband
Pat Boone
Patti LaBelle
Paul Freeman
Perry Como
Peter Pan Kids
PlĂĄcido Domingo
Ray Charles
Ray Conniff
Regine Velasquez
Renée Fleming
Rev. Cleophus Robinson
Richard Clayderman
Robin S.
Robson & Jerome
Rodgers & Hammerstein
Roger Williams
Ronan Tynan
Roy Hamilton
Sam Harris
Sergio Franchi
Shirley Bassey
Shirley Jones
Simon Estes
Smoking Popes
Starsound Orchestra
Tammy Wynette
The Adicts
The Bachelors
The Blind Boys Of Alabama
The Drury Land Theatre Orchestra
The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama
The Flamingos
The Imperials
The Knickerbockers
The Lennon Sisters
The Lettermen
The Mighty Clouds Of Joy
The O'Neal Twins
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Righteous Brothers
The Sentimental Strings
The Starlite Orchestra
Tom Jones
Tom Netherton
Tony Sandler
Vern Jackson
Wayne Gratz
Women's Chorus Of Dallas