| "You'll Never Walk Alone" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song | |
| Published | 1945 |
| Genre | |
| Composer | Richard Rodgers |
| Lyricist | Oscar Hammerstein II |
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is ashow tune from the 1945Rodgers and Hammerstein musicalCarousel. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the male lead, stabs himself with a knife whilst trying to run away after attempting a robbery with his mate Jigger and dies in her arms. The song isreprised as an epilogue in the final scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise Bigelow (Billy and Julie's daughter) is a member as the Starkeeper is about to give them a graduation sermon. The now invisible Billy, who has been granted the chance to return to Earth for one day in order to redeem himself, watches the ceremony and at the end of the Starkeeper's homily is able to silently motivate Louise and Julie to join in with the song as the whole congregation unite in singing along with them urged on by the Starkeeper as he ascends to paradise.
The song is also sung atassociation football clubs around the world, where it is performed by a massed chorus of supporters on match day; this tradition developed atLiverpool F.C. after the chart success of the 1963 single of the song by the localLiverpool groupGerry and the Pacemakers on their albumHow Do You Like It?.[1] In some areas of the United Kingdom and Europe, "You'll Never Walk Alone" became the anthem of support for medical staff, first responders, and those inquarantine during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[2] The composition is sometimes treated by performers as a religious song, such as with the 1967 version byElvis Presley, which was featured on his albumYou'll Never Walk Alone and several of hisgospel albums.
Christine Johnson, who created the role of Nettie Fowler, introduced the song in the originalBroadway production.[3] Later in the showJan Clayton, as Julie Jordan, reprised it, with the entire cast joining in.
In the 1956film adaptation, the song was introduced byClaramae Turner as Nettie, also the weeping Julie Jordan (Shirley Jones) tries to sing it but can't; the song is reprised by Julie with the entire cast as the end.
| "You'll Never Walk Alone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 1964 US single of the Gerry and the Pacemakers recording | ||||
| Single byGerry and the Pacemakers | ||||
| from the album How Do You Like It? | ||||
| B-side | "It's All Right" | |||
| Released | October 1963 | |||
| Recorded | July 2, 1963 | |||
| Studio | EMI Studios, London[4] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:40 | |||
| Label | Columbia (EMI) (UK),Laurie Records (US) | |||
| Composer | Richard Rodgers | |||
| Lyricist | Oscar Hammerstein II | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| Gerry and the Pacemakers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "You'll Never Walk Alone" onYouTube | ||||
In the UK, the song's most successfulcover was released in 1963 by theLiverpudlianMerseybeat groupGerry and the Pacemakers, peaking at number one on theUK Singles Chart for four consecutive weeks.[6] The band's version also reached the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand and on theIrish Singles Chart.[7]
After becoming a chart hit, the song gained popularity amongLiverpool F.C. fans, and quickly became thefootball anthem of the club, which adopted "You'll Never Walk Alone" as its official motto on itscoat of arms.[1] The song is sung by its supporters before the start of each home game atAnfield with the Gerry and the Pacemakers version being played over thepublic address system.[1][8][9] In 2013, the 50th anniversary of the song being sung on the Kop, Simon Hart ofThe Independent wrote,
Five decades on, the pre-match, scarfs-raised, sing-it-loud ritual is as much a part of Liverpool's fabric as their red shirts, its words written in wrought iron on the gates of their stadium.[1]
According to former playerTommy Smith, lead vocalistGerry Marsden presented Liverpool managerBill Shankly with a recording of his forthcoming cover single during a pre-season coach trip in the summer of 1963. "Shanks was in awe of what he heard. ... Football writers from the local newspapers were travelling with our party and, thirsty for a story of any kind between games, filed copy back to their editors to the effect that we had adopted Gerry Marsden's forthcoming single as the club song."[10] The squad were subsequently invited to perform the track with the band onThe Ed Sullivan Show with Marsden stating, "Bill came up to me. He said, 'Gerry my son, I have given you a football team and you have given us a song'."[1]
Shankly picked the song as his eighth and final selection for theBBC'sDesert Island Discs on the eve of the1965 FA Cup Final.[11] As Liverpool fans sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" atWembley during the 1965 FA Cup Final win overLeeds, commentatorKenneth Wolstenholme referred to it as "Liverpool's signature tune".[12] Marsden toldBBC Radio how, in the 1960s, thedisc jockey at Anfield would play the top 10 commercial records in descending order, with the number one single played last, shortly before kickoff. Liverpool fans on the Kop would sing along, but unlike with other hit singles, once "You'll Never Walk Alone" dropped out of the top 10, instead of disregarding the song, supporters—chanting 'Where's our song?'—continued to sing it.[13][14][15] In retirement, according to his granddaughter Karen Gill, Shankly would get out the gramophone and "put the record on and play it, so we would hear it in the house."[1]
There's not one club in Europe with an anthem like "You'll Never Walk Alone." There's not one club in the world so united with the fans. I sat there watching the Liverpool fans and they sent shivers down my spine. A mass of 40,000 people became one force behind their team.
In his commentary on the memorial service following theHillsborough disaster in 1989,Peter Jones recited the lyrics, which were then sung by a cathedral choir.Aretha Franklin's recording of the song from her 1971 live albumAmazing Grace was played byBBC Radio 1 DJ and Liverpool fanJohn Peel in his first show following the disaster.[17] In 2019, during aTake That concert at Anfield, Gerry Marsden made a guest appearance to sing the song withGary Barlow.[18] Reflecting on 60 years of "You'll Never Walk Alone" as the club's anthem, in 2023 Liverpool managerJürgen Klopp stated, "Simple but powerful lyrics, a real message. Some things have changed since then [the 1960s] but obviously what it means to the people has never changed."[15]
In 1995, the Gerry and the Pacemakers version peaked at number 34 on theDutch Single Top 100 on the week ending March 18[19] and number 24 on theDutch Top 40 on the week ending April 1.[20] It re-entered the Irish Singles Chart in 2012, peaking at number four on the week ending September 20.[7]
"It was subsequently adopted by Celtic fans, after a 1966 Cup Winners' Cup semi-final at Anfield, and is sung today by fans of Borussia Dortmund and several other clubs, but 'YNWA' remains enduringly and indelibly linked with Liverpool."
The song was adopted by Scottish teamCeltic after a 1966Cup Winners' Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Anfield, and is now sung by Celtic fans prior to every homeEuropean tie,[1][12][21] and later by Germany'sBorussia Dortmund, which Liverpool went on to play in the cup final.[1] When Celtic and Liverpool played in the quarterfinals of the2002-03 UEFA Cup, Gerry Marsden performed the song atCeltic Park before both teams took the field and both sets of fans sang along.[22]
The song has also been adopted by Dutch teamFC Twente after it was officially given to them by the Anfield stadium speakerGeorge Sephton during the last game inDiekman Stadion, before moving to the newArke Stadion.[23] Today, Twente fans sing the song before every home game. Elsewhere in the Netherlands,Feyenoord andSC Cambuur have adopted the song as well, with Feyenoord using theLee Towers version from his 1976 albumIt's Raining in My Heart.
Additional football teams which now use the song include1. FSV Mainz 05,TSV 1860 Munich, Austria'sFC Admira Wacker, Belgium'sClub Brugge KV,KV Mechelen andK.V. Kortrijk, Italy'sGenoa CFC, Japan'sFC Tokyo,[24] Spain'sCD Lugo,[25] and Greece'sARIS. Inice hockey, the song has been adopted by GermanDeutsche Eishockey Liga sideKrefeld Pinguine andCroatian Medveščak Zagreb.
Some years later, after witnessing a rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" at Anfield in 2007, the President of theSpanish Olympic Committee,Alejandro Blanco, said he felt inspired to seek lyrics to his country's wordless national anthem, theMarcha Real, ahead ofMadrid's bid to host the2016 Olympic Games.[26][27]
During the2014 Hong Kong protests, legislatorTam Yiu Chung quoted the song during aLegislative Council of Hong Kong meeting, to salute theHong Kong Police,[28] who had received widespread criticism for using excessive force against pro-democracy protesters. More than 2,000 Liverpool F.C. fans in Hong Kong condemned his inappropriate use of the song, comparing his support of the police action to the police actions in the1989 Hillsborough disaster, whereSouth Yorkshire Police were found to have distorted facts relating to theunlawful killing by negligence of 97 Liverpool supporters.[29][30][31]
On 13 March 2016, afterBorussia Dortmund's 2–0 win against 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the GermanBundesliga, supporters of both teams performed the song to commemorate a Dortmund fan who died from acardiac arrest in the stands during the game.[32]
| Chart (1963–65) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 1 |
| CanadaRPM Top Singles[33] | 31 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[34] | 1 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[35] | 1 |
| UK[36] | 1 |
| USBillboardHot 100[37] | 48 |
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
| Ireland (IRMA)[38] | 4 |
| Chart (1963) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia[39] | 16 |
| UK[40] | 3 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[41] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
A special recording of the song was made in solidarity withBradford City following theValley Parade fire in 1985 when 56 spectators died and many more were seriously injured. The song was performed bycharity supergroupthe Crowd, which featured Gerry Marsden,Paul McCartney and others, and spent two weeks at number one in the UK and Ireland in June 1985.[42]
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[43] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[44] | 30 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[45] | 1 |
| UK Indie | 1 |
| West Germany (GfK)[46] | 47 |
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[43] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[44] | 30 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[47] | 1 |
| UK Indie | 1 |
| West Germany (GfK)[46] | 47 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[48] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| "You'll Never Walk Alone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byMarcus Mumford | ||||
| Released | March 20, 2020 | |||
| Length | 2:14 | |||
| Label | Glassnote Records | |||
| Marcus Mumford singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Marcus Mumford, lead singer of the Britishfolk rock bandMumford & Sons, released a cover version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" as a single on March 20, 2020, throughGlassnote Records.[49] Mumford's version was originally recorded for theApple TV+ sports comedy-dramaTed Lasso; it appears in the first-season finale, "The Hope That Kills You" in 2020.[50] Proceeds from the single release were donated to the Grenfell Foundation andWar Child UK.[51]
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[52] | 30 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[53] | 72 |
| UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[54] | 72 |
| "You'll Never Walk Alone" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byMichael Ball,Captain Tom Moore and The NHS Voices of Care Choir | ||||
| Released | April 17, 2020 (2020-04-17) | |||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | Decca Records | |||
| Michael Ball singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In April 2020, to mark 99-year oldCaptain Tom Moore completing the first phase of his fundraising walk during theCOVID-19 pandemic, English actor, singer and broadcaster,Michael Ball sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" for him live onBBC Breakfast.[55] Ball said: "It's an extraordinary achievement. I've been trying to think of a song which encapsulates your achievement and what you have done for us." Within 24 hours,[56] the performance was recorded, and made into a digital single featuring the NHS Voices of Care Choir, and Moore's spoken words.[55] It was released byDecca Records[57] on April 17, with all proceeds going toNHS Charities Together. The duo appeared onZoe Ball'sRadio 2 show, where they both performed the song.[58]
On April 19, 2020, the song went straight to number one in the United Kingdom's "The EE Official Big Top 40" chart, selling almost 36,000 copies in its first 48 hours.[59] On April 21, 2020, the song was the "biggest trending song" as measured by theOfficial Charts Company.[60] On April 24, 2020, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number one, with combined chart sales of 82,000 making it the fastest-selling single of 2020 so far and making Moore – six days short of his one hundredth birthday – the oldest person to achieve that position and meaning that he was at number one on his 100th birthday, beating the previous record-holderTom Jones, who was 68 years old when aComic Relief rendition of "Islands in the Stream" reached number one in 2009.[61]
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scotland (Official Charts Company)[62] | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[63] | 1 |
American singerJosh Groban covered the song off of his 2015 seventh studio albumStages. He also performed the song at the69th Tony Awards on June 7, 2015 during the In Memoriam segment.[64]
| Chart (1963–64) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboardHot 100[37] | 34 |
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CanadaRPM Adult Contemporary[65] | 3 |
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CanadaRPM Top Singles[66] | 55 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[67] | 44 |
| USBillboardHot 100[37] | 90 |
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboardHot 100[37] | 51 |
| USCash Box Top 100[68] | 37 |
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CanadaRPM Adult Contemporary[69] | 21 |
| USCash Box Top 100[70] | 93 |
Gerry and the Pacemakers' version hit No 1 in October 1963, it was picked up by the Kop and the game's greatest anthem was born
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