the heft and the edge                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     10/6/2020

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KING BILLY

Here is a song originally written (on a flight from Oslo to Bergen) when plans for a new stadium in Stanley Park came to light. The thought of leaving Anfield was a bit of a shocker.

Now that John Henry is clearly thinking that staying put is the best option, the song might be thought to be redundant. But you could change the “we” for “I” throughout and it would be a song for anyone who’s leaving Liverpool and the club behind them.

Some people might wonder that the song is not based on King Kenny but on King Billy Liddel - Mr Liddlepool. Well Kenny is still with us, thank God, and I hope his last season is many years in the future. But really it’s for “all the Anfield greats” - the fans included.

The tune will be well known to you - The Londonderry Air / Danny Boy - but you guessed that didn’t you. It is slightly adjusted to fit.

King Billy – This Is Anfield

Oh Billy Boy
The Reds, the Reds are calling
From Spion Kop: the roaring crimson tide
Your season’s gone
But all the boys are singing
Although we must go our hearts with you will bide

And we’ll be there whenever we are dreaming
We’ll march the path to glories we have known
And when we sing of mem’ries we are leaving
You know King Billy you will never walk alone

To every red who filled this field with passion
A cheer for all those mighty Anfield greats
A song for all the dads and lads and lasses
For the mums who leave their scarves on Shankly Gates

We will return whenever we are dreaming
There’ll be a tear for troubles we have known
But when we sing of Anfield we are leaving
You know King Billy you will never walk alone

Oh Billy Boy
The Reds, the Reds are calling
On  Spion Kop: that scarlet roaring tide
And all around
All Liverpool is singing
And our famous ground is echoing the pride

We will return whenever we are dreaming
Of victory and glories yet to come
And we will SING of Anfield we are leaving
You know King Billy you will never walk alone

You know Bill Shankly you will never walk alone
You know Bob Paisley you will never walk alone
You know King Kenny you will never walk alone
 

I think you’ll know what this next one is about. If you don’t know the John Henry folk song, go into spotify and try Lonnie Donnegan’s version.

John Henry and the Texan

Well John Henry he came from Boston
Where the Nation rule the MLB
He came up to Anfield
as the Kopites cried and moaned
“This Texans gonna be the death of me
Oh Lord
This Texans gonna be the death of me”

Now the Texan he told John Henry
“Gonna bring my hammer down
Gonna get ole Judge Jimmy
To run you out of town
Gonna knock that red team down
Oh Lord
I’m gonna beat those red boys down.”

Oh John Henry he told the Texan
“Well I don’t give a flying damn!
Before I let your old
cheating beat them down
Gonna die with your hammer in my hand
Oh Lord
Gonna die with your hammer in my hand”

Now John Henry’s he’s driving on the right side
The Texan he’s driving on the left
John cries: “Before I let that Goddamn
Texan beat you down,
Gonna work all those wigs to death
Oh Lord
Gonna work all those wigs to death”

Now here’s the Texan in fear and trembling
He moans “What is that storm I hear?”
Our John Henry cries
“It’s those Kopites singing loud:
Your greed has gone and cost you dear
Old fool
Your greed has gone and cost you dear”

Well John Henry came up from Boston
Where the Red Soxs ride that mound
He’s comin’ up to Anfield
With that ceegar in his mouth
And our singing’s gonna shake this ground
Oh Lord
Yes our singing’s gonna shake this ground

WILF JONES