“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is an incredibly popular song in Liverpool, serving as the anthem for both the city itself and its main football team. It’s a true cultural phenomenon, a creation that has endured for decades and remains a favourite for many Scousers, despite the fact that even the best hits usually fade over time. The song has a fascinating history, so let’s discuss it on iliverpool.info.
Who Wrote YNWA and How?
The song is often abbreviated to YNWA, so we’ll use this for convenience. The story of this lyrical piece and its connection to Liverpool FC and the city dates back to the 1960s. It’s worth noting that the song was not written specifically for the football club, but it holds immense significance for its fans. The letters “YNWA” are even inscribed on the Liverpool captain’s armband.
In fact, YNWA was written way back in 1945 for the Broadway musical “Carousel” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. In this vibrant show, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is sung to comfort the heroine after her father’s death. Rodgers wrote the music, and Hammerstein wrote the lyrics. The musical was first seen by audiences in the USA and was well-received, but the aforementioned song was what everyone loved the most. Perhaps this was because it spoke of triumph in times of trial, which deeply resonated with audiences living through the final months of the Second World War.
It’s no surprise that YNWA was later covered by just about everyone. The most successful covers of the song were by Gerry and the Pacemakers (1963), The Crowd (1985), Robson Green and Jerome Flynn (1996), and Michael Ball and Captain Tom Moore (2020). It was also sung by Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. The version by Gerry and the Pacemakers was the most definitive; it stayed at number one in the UK charts for four whole weeks. This group, by the way, was a key part of the Merseybeat scene and was second only to The Beatles.
YNWA and Liverpool
So what led to Liverpool FC making the song their anthem? It happened right after the release of the Gerry and the Pacemakers cover version. During the team’s pre-season tour, the band’s founder, Gerry Marsden, gave a copy of the single to the Reds’ manager, Bill Shankly. Footballer Tommy Smith, who played for the club at the time, noted that Shankly was “in awe” of it. Reporters travelling with the group reported back home that “You’ll Never Walk Alone” had become the new song of Liverpool FC.
The spread of the musical piece was further aided by the fact that Liverpool’s Anfield stadium had recently installed a PA system, a marvel that was rare at the time. Before matches, various hits were played as part of the entertainment programme. Since Merseybeat bands were dominating the charts at that time, YNWA was played quite frequently for this reason as well. The song was loved throughout Britain, which added to the club’s fans’ sense of pride and confidence. Moreover, its theme of hope is relevant for any sports team, so the hit supported the fans during the toughest times, both in the stands and beyond the stadium.
Shankly, whom we mentioned earlier, chose this song for the BBC radio show “Desert Island Discs”. This was just before the FA Cup Final, which was being filmed for television. Footage from that game proves that the song was being actively sung on the terraces.
Claims from Other Clubs
Other clubs also laid claim to YNWA as their anthem, among them the Scottish club Celtic. Some even argued that the Glasgow club used it first. However, most researchers are inclined to believe that the Scots borrowed the song after playing against Liverpool at Anfield in the semi-final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1966.
One way or another, at a time when such brilliant and life-affirming songs were few and far between, the hit spread like wildfire. The anthem is particularly popular in Germany and the Netherlands, where it has been adopted by Feyenoord. You can even hear the hit in Japan (FC Tokyo). One of Liverpool’s main rivals in the claim to the song has been Borussia Dortmund. They joined forces with the Merseyside team’s fans to perform it together during the 2015/2016 season when the clubs played in the Europa League semi-final. It was an unforgettable spectacle!
Touching Facts from the Song’s History
But that’s not the most interesting part, as history knows even more touching facts about “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. When Liverpool played pre-season matches in Australia in 2013, 95,000 supporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground formed an incredible choir before the game.
YNWA took on new meaning and symbolism after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, where 96 supporters died. At the time, some media outlets claimed that the fans were to blame, but the families of the deceased later proved that the tragedy occurred due to the reckless actions of the police. Throughout this entire period of dispute, the words and themes of the song took on a special significance. And indeed, even after their deaths, the Liverpool fans were not left alone. They were defended by their close relatives and friends.
The words “You’ll Never Walk Alone” are now even on the Liverpool FC crest, having become a motto for the players and fans. The song has also accompanied the club’s greatest successes since the 1960s, notably the 2005 UEFA Champions League victory in Istanbul against AC Milan, when Liverpool came back from 3-0 down to win the final on penalties. It is said that it was the fans’ singing that spurred on the Merseyside team. The then-Milan manager, Carlo Ancelotti, later said:
“When [the Liverpool fans] sing a song… I don’t know English but your skin…” [gestures fingers up and down his arm].