Sunshine on Leith - what a song

[AguyIknow]

Must say though the Hibees wouldn't be my most favourite of teams I think Sunshine on Leith is THE best of any songs at the fitba. Really lends itself to the crowd singing

What's your favourite song at Scottish Fitba - and why?

[AguyIknow]

That song the huns were singing at Firhill yesterday wasn't too bad. Was it blue sea of ibrox? though not as good as Sunshine on Leith

[Higgins09]

That song the huns were singing at Firhill yesterday wasn't too bad. Was it blue sea of ibrox? though not as good as Sunshine on Leith

Probably the famine song. Jack heard it.

[Sevvy too 2]

Gotta agree with you on SOL, in fact, I've just been singing along to it in the shower with the shuffle function on Spotify,I wish it was a Celtic song to go along with all the other ones we have.

[JackSnakes]

Gotta agree with you on SOL, in fact, I've just been singing along to it in the shower with the shuffle function on Spotify,I wish it was a Celtic song to go along with all the other ones we have.

Never heard it...

[JackSnakes]

Probably the famine song. Jack heard it.

4421

[Hairdrier]

Every weekend some sectarian ditty is sung by fans of one or other of the old firm - and nothing gets done about it in our backwards wee country.

Other than that best song I've heard was "It's a heartache - following the Partick" by the Thistle supporters to the tune of Bonnie Tyler.

[AguyIknow]

Every weekend some sectarian ditty is sung by fans of one or other of the old firm - and nothing gets done about it in our backwards wee country.

Other than that best song I've heard was "It's a heartache - following the Partick" by the Thistle supporters to the tune of Bonnie Tyler.

Can understand the concept behind "It's a heartache - following the Partick" but can't say I've ever heard it

[Sevvy too 2]

Never heard it...




I think you might be telling porkies Jack, but if not,here it is, go n YouTube and look at the hobby fans singing it, triffic.



https://youtu.be/ZmELS03_4So

[JackSnakes]

I think you might be telling porkies Jack, but if not,here it is, go n YouTube and look at the hobby fans singing it, triffic.



https://youtu.be/ZmELS03_4So

Well that wasn't what I was expecting from the title...

[JackSnakes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeHkQYDoVJ0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeHkQYDoVJ0

wow....

[AguyIknow]

Now THAT is a top top football song!

[Mook1]

I've got a soft spot for Hibs & I think it's shyte.

Sorry.

[AguyIknow]

I've got a soft spot for Hibs & I think it's shyte.

Sorry.



You're a Jambo with a soft spot for Hibs but think Sunshine on Leith is a shyte song? Hmmmmmmmmm DEMLN

[Mook1]

You're a Jambo with a soft spot for Hibs but think Sunshine on Leith is a shyte song? Hmmmmmmmmm DEMLN

How in the name of Christ am I a Jambo?

I've had a soft spot for Hibs since I moved to Edinburgh in 1997, I used to go out with a girl who went to the odd game & I'd go with her, hence the soft spot. I don't like The Proclaimers though & the Sunshine on Leith is pysh.

[AguyIknow]

Always thought you were a Jambo and a liverpoo fan Mook. Apologies if I got that wrong.

Proclaimers aren't really my thang either tbh but there's something about a crowd singing Sunshine on Leith together that seems to elevate it to being better than what it otherwise is imho. Lyrics aren't really what youd associate with a football song but despite all of that it seems to work.

[Mook1]

Always thought you were a Jambo and a liverpoo fan Mook. Apologies if I got that wrong.

Proclaimers aren't really my thang either tbh but there's something about a crowd singing Sunshine on Leith together that seems to elevate it to being better than what it otherwise is imho. Lyrics aren't really what youd associate with a football song but despite all of that it seems to work.

Aye, fair enough.

I can see the attraction but it disnae do an awfy lot for me.

[England_First]

Aye, fair enough.

I can see the attraction but it disnae do an awfy lot for me.

Nice to know there are other jambos on here B)

[Cambusman]

Well that wasn't what I was expecting from the title...

wasnt expecting the song 'sunshine on leith' from the title 'sunshine on leith - what a song'.

What an eejit.

[Cambusman]

Gotta agree with you on SOL, in fact, I've just been singing along to it in the shower with the shuffle function on Spotify,I wish it was a Celtic song to go along with all the other ones we have.

Ye could always just nick it like ye did with YNWA...

[Sevvy too 2]

I'll try and steal you a personality while I'm there eh.

[JackSnakes]

I'll try and steal you a personality while I'm there eh.

XD

[AguyIknow]

Speaking of "stealing songs" my pal Dave keeps accusing our tim mates of stealing "For its a grand old team to play for..." since "stolen" by Everton, from the huns? Any truth to that? :O

[JackSnakes]

Speaking of "stealing songs" my pal Dave keeps accusing our tim mates of stealing "For its a grand old team to play for..." since "stolen" by Everton, from the huns? Any truth to that? :O

None whatsoever.

[Mook1]

Speaking of "stealing songs" my pal Dave keeps accusing our tim mates of stealing "For its a grand old team to play for..." since "stolen" by Everton, from the huns? Any truth to that? :O

As far as I'm aware both Everton & Celtic have sung it forever (no idea who first), I've never heard of Rangers supporters singing it.

[AguyIknow]

Dave, or Dave Blue as we call him, keeps referring to it as "Fritz" (as in Fritz a grand old team...) and is adamant that RFC fans sung it way back when. Must confess I've only heard Everton fans sing it the last 15 maybe 20 or so years

[Cambusman]

Dave, or Dave Blue as we call him, keeps referring to it as "Fritz" (as in Fritz a grand old team...) and is adamant that RFC fans sung it way back when. Must confess I've only heard Everton fans sing it the last 15 maybe 20 or so years

Dave Blue - is that not a tad cumbersome? I cant imagine saying - 'fancy a pint, Dave Blue', or 'is Dave Blue coming out to play', or 'Alright Dave Blue, what you been up to today?' Just seems a wee bit of an effort to me, that's all. I suppose if you've known him for a long time and are used to it, you might not notice (could put potential new friends off mind).

[AguyIknow]

He's known variously as Dave, Dave Blue when talking about him, and Bluey which he takes in good spirit in fairness depending on who's in the company and needing to distinguish between another Dave we know. We don't call either of them David for some reason.

[Cambusman]

He's known variously as Dave, Dave Blue when talking about him, and Bluey which he takes in good spirit in fairness depending on who's in the company and needing to distinguish between another Dave we know. We don't call either of them David for some reason.

I have a mate called Dave as well. Everyone calls him Dave except his wife - she calls him David. One day I called him David - yknow, just for a laugh - and she gave me a mad stare so now I do it periodically but only in front of her.

[Mook1]

Dave, or Dave Blue as we call him, keeps referring to it as "Fritz" (as in Fritz a grand old team...) and is adamant that RFC fans sung it way back when. Must confess I've only heard Everton fans sing it the last 15 maybe 20 or so years

I brought it up with an Evertonian a while back & he was adamant that they were singing it before Celtic & that it was a song which had come across from Ireland in some form or other.

Mind you, he was an Evertonian so it was hard to hear what he was saying over my laughter.

[AguyIknow]

I brought it up with an Evertonian a while back & he was adamant that they were singing it before Celtic & that it was a song which had come across from Ireland in some form or other.

Mind you, he was an Evertonian so it was hard to hear what he was saying over my laughter.



From Ireland? I thought it was originally lifted from some Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta or other.

[AguyIknow]

I have a mate called Dave as well. Everyone calls him Dave except his wife - she calls him David. One day I called him David - yknow, just for a laugh - and she gave me a mad stare so now I do it periodically but only in front of her.


I know what you mean. There's a guy here at work who's called Bill by everybody but his manager and his mother - who both call him William. As he says himself he knows he's in trouble if someone's calling him William :D

[Cambusman]

From Ireland? I thought it was originally lifted from some Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta or other.

Thats ynwa - from rodgers and hammerstein

[JackSnakes]

I brought it up with an Evertonian a while back & he was adamant that they were singing it before Celtic & that it was a song which had come across from Ireland in some form or other.

Mind you, he was an Evertonian so it was hard to hear what he was saying over my laughter.

Evertonians aren't very bright...

[JackSnakes]

From Ireland? I thought it was originally lifted from some Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta or other.

It is from a Gilbert and Sullivan score, who lifted it in turn from Verdi...

[Sevvy too 2]

Verdi? Is that not Italian for Green? :p

[Sevvy too 2]

From an Everyone an site.......



https://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/got-song-origins.47563/

[JackSnakes]

Verdi? Is that not Italian for Green? :p

Kinda fitting... :D

History of the song
Celtic Song

It all starts in 1853 with the Opera Il Trovatore (The Troubadour), written by Verdi. In act II, scene 1, the gypsies sing the famous Anvil Chorus

Fast forward to 1879. W.S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan write the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance. They heavily rip off Verdi's Anvil chorus for the song "With cat-like tread, upon our prey we steal", which is sung by the pirates at the climax of the show.


Come, friends, who plough the sea,
Truce to navigation;
Take another station;
Let’s vary piracee
With a little burglaree!
Come, friends, who plough the sea,
Truce to navigation;
Take another station;
Let’s vary piracee
With a little burglaree!

Now fast forward to 1917. A military marching song is written by D.A. Estron and Theodore Morse called "Hail Hail the gangs all here", based on "With Cat-like Tread". The song is first recorded by Irving Kaufman, and becomes a number one hit in 1918.

The lyrics to the chorus are:

Hail! Hail! the gang's all here,
What the deuce do we care,
What the deuce do we care,
Hail! Hail! we're full of cheer,
What the deuce do we care Bill!

After this, at some point prior to the 1960's the song is sung on the Parkhead Terraces as:

Hail Hail, the Celts are here,
What the hell do we care,
What the hell do we care,
Hail Hail, the Celts are here,
What the hell do we care now...

Then, in 1961, "Mr Glasgow" Glen Daly records a completely unrelated song called "The Celtic Song". The music is credited as "traditional" and the lyrics are credited to "Liam Mallory". However, nobody seems to know who Liam Mallory is, and it has been suggested that it is actually a pseudonym for Glen Daly himself!
It is also suggested however, that the song was written by a man called Mick McLaughlin, known as "Garngad Mick", who allegedly also wrote "Hampden in the Sun". The story goes that he sold the rights to the the Celtic Song to Glen Daly for a fiver!

The Celtic Song lyrics

Glen Daly also released a song called "Hail Hail Celtic" which is another completely original song, obviously inspired by the common "Hail Hail the Celts are Here" terrace chant. It bears some resemblance to Irving Kaufman song (above)


So today, when the Celtic fans sing "hail hail the celts are here" followed by "its a grand old team...", we are singing two different songs, of which you now know the (almost) complete history!

http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/Hail+Hail+%28Grand+Old+Team%29+-+Song

[AguyIknow]

Wow - some research there! Every day's a schoolday they say.

Between the 1918 Irving Kaufman hit and "some point prior to the 1960s" it is very plausible that the Belfast Celtic links referred to in the Everton page did bring it over to Glasgow, as someone here said it came over from Ireland.

I knew Celtic sang it before the Toffees mind.


It's all Joey Green's fault :D

[52N4E]

Nae danger of any other fans stealing the filthy huns song repertoire. ;D