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Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:05 pm
by SE13
Thinking back through the mists of time, I'm fairly sure we were one of the first teams (if not the first team) to have an individual chant for each player.

We were quite creative up on The North Bank, and a bit of credit has to go to those on The Clock End for reciprocating and on occasion inventing some as well.

I'll start the series with Ian Wright.

The chant as you know it now was similar, but with a single "Wright", so sounded "Ian Wriiiiiiiiiiiiight" to start with, and it evolved quite by accident. For those that can remember terraces, The North Bank was very vocal, and we tended to split ourselves top, middle and lower (bottom)

Anyhow, the idea was that the top would start the chant, the middle would start the chant as the top went to "Wright" and so on. But it all went completely wrong, and sounded more as it does now. The Clock End chanted it back as it now sounds, and so that one was born.

Palace may well have used it previously, they claim so, but it wasn't one I'd ever heard, nor those of us up the top of The North Bank who created the majority of the chants had either.

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:09 pm
by SE13
Red Army

This is another that happened by accident, the chant was originally "Georgie Graham's red and white army" which with the splitting up on The North Bank made chants come out in different orders, and at different speeds.

Trying to squeeze "red and white army" into less than a second wasn't working, and sounded more like "red army" and that's fairly much how this chant started. Circa 86/87 IIRC

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:21 pm
by SE13
North Bank, Clock End

Dodging a few punches from Libertine here, The Clock End were a lively bunch, but not particularly vocal unless something was happening, most of the tunes came from The North Bank and the up to 20 or so thousand of us in there.

This one started as a taunt mainly; "We're The North Bank" (which latterly got split as described above between the three areas)

Two versions, depends on where you were I suppose, "We're The North Bank, we're The North Bank, we're The North Bank over here" is how it started because it was a taunt at those down the quiet area at the other end. This also morphed replacing "over here" with "Highbury" you'll probably be able to work out how old people are depending on how they would say/chant it.

The chant went on for quite a few games before they burst into life down at The Clock End, deafening most of North London in the process, and the "North Bank, Clock End" song came into being.

Memory being not too great, but it was certainly a game against Middlesex, and late 70's (78/79?) and lasted right through to the old gal closed for business.

I reckon it was Charlton in 87 when The East Stand began to join in, it was the first game after thrashing Liverpoo in The League Cup (and screwing Ian Rush's goal scoring record in the process) and only about 24,000 turned up. I remember that game more for the fact that the team did a ¾ lap of honour with the cup, and ignored The North Bank. (Think we won 2-1 though)

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:40 am
by SE13
Does anyone know the origins of She wore..... ?

That came from down at the Clock End and was used for other purposes than just regular chanting which we also picked up on in the North Bank......

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:45 am
by djaxster
SE13 wrote:Does anyone know the origins of She wore..... ?

That came from down at the Clock End and was used for other purposes than just regular chanting which we also picked up on in the North Bank......



I remember all of us singing that at Highbury corner when the team paraded the League title back in 89 and i think that was the first time i heard it.

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:57 am
by djaxster
Does anyone remember Rip-Roar. I think he used to be either NBank or east stand but some say he would stand/sit anywhere.
He would wait until it was quiet(he wouldn't have long to wait now) and then he would yell" come on you riproaring reds" sometimes adding something after riproaring like super scoring reds.
If we hadn't heard him during a match a chant mainly from the NBank would start "Rip-Roar gis a song. Rip-roar rip-roar gis a song" and then everyone would go "suuusshhh......"and wait for his response.

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:57 am
by SE13
djaxster wrote:
SE13 wrote:Does anyone know the origins of She wore..... ?

That came from down at the Clock End and was used for other purposes than just regular chanting which we also picked up on in the North Bank......



I remember all of us singing that at Highbury corner when the team paraded the League title back in 89 and i think that was the first time i heard it.


It goes back further than that, I remember it from the back end of the 70's.......

Libertine will know, he was a Clock Ender......

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:03 pm
by SE13
djaxster wrote:Does anyone remember Rip-Roar. I think he used to be either NBank or east stand but some say he would stand/sit anywhere.
He would wait until it was quiet(he wouldn't have long to wait now) and then he would yell" come on you riproaring reds" sometimes adding something after riproaring like super scoring reds.
If we hadn't heard him during a match a chant mainly from the NBank would start "Rip-Roar gis a song. Rip-roar rip-roar gis a song" and then everyone would go "suuusshhh......"and wait for his response.


Oh yes! I think he was over at the East side of the fence in the middle area of the NB. We were beating Southampton 4-0 one time (87/88/89ish) and that chant was the only one after the fourth went in. I presume it was he that just started the "shhhh" bit after the quiet began because for about 15 minutes all that could be heard was the "shhhh" sound!

He was also the one that started the "What do you think of T*****ham" chant virtually every time.

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:08 pm
by SE13
Taunting ManUre

Bizarre this one, it came from the 1991 home game against ManUre, and following Forest beating Liverpoo earlier in the day, we were champions.

Out of complete silence at a dull moment the East Stand in the corner over by the CE all rose and started this chorus of laughing, sitting, then standing and laughing again. They suddenly burst into a chant of "Maybe it's because you're a Londoner, that you support Man Yoooooo"

I'd love to know who dreamed that one up!

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:11 pm
by djaxster
SE13 wrote:
djaxster wrote:Does anyone remember Rip-Roar. I think he used to be either NBank or east stand but some say he would stand/sit anywhere.
He would wait until it was quiet(he wouldn't have long to wait now) and then he would yell" come on you riproaring reds" sometimes adding something after riproaring like super scoring reds.
If we hadn't heard him during a match a chant mainly from the NBank would start "Rip-Roar gis a song. Rip-roar rip-roar gis a song" and then everyone would go "suuusshhh......"and wait for his response.


Oh yes! I think he was over at the East side of the fence in the middle area of the NB. We were beating Southampton 4-0 one time (87/88/89ish) and that chant was the only one after the fourth went in. I presume it was he that just started the "shhhh" bit after the quiet began because for about 15 minutes all that could be heard was the "shhhh" sound!

He was also the one that started the "What do you think of T*****ham" chant virtually every time.



ha ha i used to love that chant then someone added to it "Thank you" and everyone else would say"thats alright".
Very Monty Pythonish :lol:

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:13 pm
by gzagee
SE13 wrote:
djaxster wrote:Does anyone remember Rip-Roar. I think he used to be either NBank or east stand but some say he would stand/sit anywhere.
He would wait until it was quiet(he wouldn't have long to wait now) and then he would yell" come on you riproaring reds" sometimes adding something after riproaring like super scoring reds.
If we hadn't heard him during a match a chant mainly from the NBank would start "Rip-Roar gis a song. Rip-roar rip-roar gis a song" and then everyone would go "suuusshhh......"and wait for his response.


Oh yes! I think he was over at the East side of the fence in the middle area of the NB. We were beating Southampton 4-0 one time (87/88/89ish) and that chant was the only one after the fourth went in. I presume it was he that just started the "shhhh" bit after the quiet began because for about 15 minutes all that could be heard was the "shhhh" sound!

He was also the one that started the "What do you think of T*****ham" chant virtually every time.


Still love that chant today. :)

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:15 pm
by SE13
Random, pinched from ManUre

One of my creations that never really took off, this goes back to circa 85. The Mancs had that constant "We are the pride of all Europe" cack and it was decided that we would rip it, and sing it against them. None of the versions really took off, and I certainly doubt they are still used these days, but my version was.....

We are the pride of all England
The cream of the South
The envy of T*****ham
The scourge of The Scouse
We're the Red Army
From Highbury
And we all follow The Arsenal


Followed by the "hello hello, we are the Arsenal boys" song.

Worked well for about half a season, and was used a few times up until the day they killed football.....

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:15 pm
by djaxster
Ons song i remember starting was when we were in one of the boozers watching that Cnut-ex-yid score that goal in the CupWinners final was the Paddy Viera remix after the Ruddock incident
" Viera wooooooh
viera wooooooh
He plays football with grace
He spits in ruddocks face
Viera wwooooohhh"

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:20 pm
by SE13
djaxster wrote:
SE13 wrote:
djaxster wrote:Does anyone remember Rip-Roar. I think he used to be either NBank or east stand but some say he would stand/sit anywhere.
He would wait until it was quiet(he wouldn't have long to wait now) and then he would yell" come on you riproaring reds" sometimes adding something after riproaring like super scoring reds.
If we hadn't heard him during a match a chant mainly from the NBank would start "Rip-Roar gis a song. Rip-roar rip-roar gis a song" and then everyone would go "suuusshhh......"and wait for his response.


Oh yes! I think he was over at the East side of the fence in the middle area of the NB. We were beating Southampton 4-0 one time (87/88/89ish) and that chant was the only one after the fourth went in. I presume it was he that just started the "shhhh" bit after the quiet began because for about 15 minutes all that could be heard was the "shhhh" sound!

He was also the one that started the "What do you think of T*****ham" chant virtually every time.



ha ha i used to love that chant then someone added to it "Thank you" and everyone else would say"thats alright".
Very Monty Pythonish :lol:


*Puts hand up*

I started the "thank you" bit :biggrin: It was only meant out of complete sarcasm because hardly anyone bothered to join in one time, and I reckon it was R/R who added "it's alright" later in the same game.

Blimey, that one goes back years and years, I think it would have been 1980/81ish when the additions were made, but the original pre-dates me.

Re: Arsenal Chants

PostPosted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:23 pm
by SE13
djaxster wrote:Ons song i remember starting was when we were in one of the boozers watching that Cnut-ex-yid score that goal in the CupWinners final was the Paddy Viera remix after the Ruddock incident
" Viera wooooooh
viera wooooooh
He plays football with grace
He spits in ruddocks face
Viera wwooooohhh"


The Vieira song is a remake of the original one used for SuperMac in the 70's....

Macdonald woooaaawhooaaa
Macdonald woooaaawhooaaa
He came from Newcastle
And now he's Arsenal