Song: The United Calypso
The United Calypso
One of the oldest United songs and significantly different from every other song I’ve covered so far. It is the first song that was actually written as a tribute by an observer/artist about United rather than the usual way whereby well known songs are adapted by terrace songsters. Although I’d usually rather we didn’t adopt official club songs as terrace anthems like Leeds did with Marching On Together, Norwich with On The Ball, City and Arsenal with Good Old Arsenal (which was written by that well known Gooner Jimmy Hill!), I must make an exception in this instance. My dad told me the first time he heard it was when it was played over the public address system at Piccadilly station as he prepared to board the train to the 1957 FA Cup final with Aston Villa.
What’s the story behind it?
There was a little calypso scene in the 1950s which was mainly due to the arrival of immigrants from the West Indies who of course were being encouraged by the British government yet vilified by ignoramuses amongst our tolerant population. A general calypso was recorded by Edmundo Ross in 1953 which praised most of the top teams of the time with Arsenal, Blackpool, West Brom, Newcastle, Tottenham, Portsmouth, Wolves, Huddersfield, Burnley, Aston Villa, Bolton, Charlton, Preston and Chelsea all getting a mention. So whilst he was the trendsetter, a guy called Edric Connor was soon following in his wake, writing the magnificent Manchester United Calypso.
What are the original words?
Now football is a pleasant game Played in the sun, played in the rain And the team that gets me excited? Manchester United Manchester, Manchester United A bunch of bouncing Busby babes They deserve to be knighted If ever they’re playing in your town You must get to that football ground Take a lesson, come to see Football taught by Matt Busby! They are the greatest team today If you don’t believe me go and see them play A type of football second to none Now they’re at the top of Division One Manchester, Manchester United A bunch of bouncing Busby babes They deserve to be knighted If ever they’re playing in your town Get yourself to that football ground Take a lesson, come to see Wizardry by Matt Busby! It’s the greatest team you’ve ever seen They are almost a soccer machine They are the best there is no doubt Raise a cheer and give a shout For Manchester, Manchester United…When did we start singing it?
Older Reds assure me it has been aired in the pubs on many a Euro away since the ‘60s but I’ll stick my fat neck on the line and say it was Bolton away in 1997 when it first took off as a terrace song, being sung non-stop for about twenty minutes or so, after which it got aired quite frequently. Sadly Keith Fane organised a dreadful cover version of ‘fans’ screaming over a Pete Waterman-esque backing track and used it to burst our eardrums in later seasons. Maybe that’s why our fans sing this song and every other at 300mph inside Old Trafford nowadays after that version made a complete mockery of the West Indian-vibed original.
Other teams’ calypsos
Both Norwich and fellow carrot crunchers Ipswich had their own calypso songs but probably the weirdest one was composed by Ronnie Hilton in 1974 for the then mighty Leeds United. I’ll let you work out why it’s weird!
Another classic song featured next month. If you would like to see one featured then get in touch.
This article was first published by Pete Boyle in Red Issue magazineSong: The United Calypso,
