4 Spine Tingling Football Anthems You Need To Hear
From Liverpool’s ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ to the goosebump-inducing ‘Roma Roma’ sung by AS Roma fans
English beat group Gerry and the Peacemakers' 1963 version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" has gone on to become Liverpool's euphoric club anthem. Photo: David Farrell/Redferns/Getty Images
The 2018/19 football season came to a close last week in Madrid with Liverpool’s triumphant 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur ensuring that the Merseyside club walked away with their sixth European Cup (Champions League). At full time we heard the Liverpool supporters belting out their club anthem, the euphoric “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and that got us thinking about other spine tingling football anthems that fans sing to spur their teams on. Here are four anthems you need to know about and sing along to.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone”
Originally a show tune from the 1945 musical Carousel and written by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” was covered in 1963 by Liverpool beat group Gerry and the Pacemakers which charted at Number One on the U.K. singles charts and stayed there for four weeks. That same year Liverpool fans began singing the track and adopted it as their anthem. The song’s slow build up, inspiring lyrics and ecstatic climax make for an encouraging and motivating anthem.
“Blue Moon”
While Manchester bands such as Oasis and The Stone Roses who are both ardent Manchester City supporters and have their songs regularly ring out at the club’s Etihad Stadium, it’s the sing-a-long “Blue Moon” which has become synonymous with the team. Penned by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, the song has been covered by various artists such as Billie Holiday, Elvis Presley and Rod Stewart. City made the song their own in the early Nineties with different versions of the track being played at the stadium; the most recognized is Supra’s amped-up high-energy punk rock version.
“Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home)”
The England national football team’s anthem “Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home)” is one you couldn’t have missed during last year’s FIFA World Cup even if you aren’t a fan of the sport. Written in 1996 to mark the country hosting the European Championships by U.K. rock band The Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie and comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, the song has taken a life of its own and has chartered at Number One in the U.K. whenever England play in a major tournament. As of last year the track has sold over 1.6 million copies in the U.K. The anthem’s catchy chorus, references to English players and the pain of not having won a trophy since the 1966 World Cup make for a fun listen and give supporters hope that “football’s coming home” once more.
“Roma Roma”
A.S. Roma’s club anthem is a joyful and thrilling song by Italian singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti. The track talks about how Roma is to not be questioned but loved. The song features a splendid bass line and a choir like chorus making it a must play on match day.
