Song: Chelsea FC, they had a reputation

This rarely heard song is a throwback as it was once a real old hoolie anthem. It can most often be heard nowadays in some back street bar on a Euro away, as sung by some of the regular faces such as legendary songster Howard. It was requested by RI reader Rick Baxter who enjoys this particular feature in the mag.

Chelsea FC, they had a reputation

For smashing up the stations in the Southern region

Acting upon reliable information

We sent a delegation from the Stretford End

One Armed Babs, he tried to take us alone

But we left him lying in a pool of blood

And laughed about it all the way home

 

I have heard other slight variations to these lyrics with the word ‘league’ replacing region on line two and ‘we cut him up’ commencing the second to last line, but overall this is the general consensus of the song from Reds I have spoken too. The Chelsea hooligan ‘One Armed Babs’ was well known back in the day, and his legend is such that he features in at least two United songs. I wonder if he’s still alive and going the match. If so what would he think of the once extremely moody Stamford Bridge now being full of tourists and grown men from the Home Counties wearing tight replica tops…

What’s the tune?

The original song is ‘The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde’ which was written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callender after the release of the Murray and Collander’s song was recorded by English R&B singer Georgie Fame and it reached number one in the UK charts in January 1968, replacing The Beatles’ Hello Goodbye.classic gangster film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967 starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. At the time the film, which focused on a pair of bank robbers in America during the Great Depression, was considered extremely controversial for its romanticised portrayal of deadly criminals as well as its violent content.

Some of the original lyrics

Bonnie and Clyde advanced their reputation And made the graduation into the banking bus’ness.
“Reach for the sky” sweet-talking Clyde would holler
As Bonnie loaded dollars into the dewlap bag
Now one brave man he tried to take them alone
They left him lying in a pool of blood
And laughed about it all the way home

 

Acting upon reliable information

A fed’ral deputation laid a deadly ambush

When Bonnie and Clyde came walking in the sunshine

A half a dozen carbines opened up on them

Bonnie and Clyde, they lived a lot together

And finally together they died

As you can see, United’s version, though very clever for the time, does actually use a few of the original lines word for word.

From the album “Sauna Of Love – United We Sing 8” check out the album on the music page.

This article was first published by Pete Boyle in Red Issue magazine