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NSC Cringers - look away now



Me and my Monkey

Well-known member
Nov 3, 2015
3,325
But it is was what I have always sung since the 60s.

Football fans always change the lyrics, it is part of what we do :)

Don't break my heart, my achy breaky heart, I just don't think he'd understand...

Or...

We've got Knockheart, Anthony Knockheart, I just don't think you understand...

I know which I prefer!
 


ferring seagull

Well-known member
Dec 30, 2010
4,606
I admit I used to go along with everyone else and mindlessly sing the "going up to win the cup" line too, back in the day. But having seen the correct lyrics over the years, I've grown fond of them and so that's what I've been singing for years now when the teams come out. I'm also growing into a cantankerous old fart, hence this is the kind of thing that now irritates me, probably to a disproportionate level.
Me too, already a cantankerous old fart but saddened that we cannot manage to get together with the original words for a wonderful anthem, especially when, at a specific point in time, we may have been lower to mid table and were knocked out of the FA Cup two weeks previously - you get the drift !
 




edna krabappel

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Jul 7, 2003
47,228
While we're on the subject, I know this is a very old one, but I still can't get over just how crap the lyrics to Norwich's favourite On The Ball City are.

Kick off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball, City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now’s your chance,

Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

City!
*Clap*
City!
*Clap*
City!
*Clap*
 


Bry Nylon

Test your smoke alarm
Helpful Moderator
Jul 21, 2003
19,779
Playing snooker
While we're on the subject, I know this is a very old one, but I still can't get over just how crap the lyrics to Norwich's favourite On The Ball City are.

Kick off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball, City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now’s your chance,

Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

City!
*Clap*
City!
*Clap*
City!
*Clap*

That is a truly crap song and not one I have heard of before. I hope Norwich don't mind but I felt inspired to re-work the lyrics:

Kick off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball, City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now’s your chance,

Hurrah! I've married my sister.
 




lawros left foot

Glory hunting since 1969
Jun 11, 2011
13,673
Worthing
While we're on the subject, I know this is a very old one, but I still can't get over just how crap the lyrics to Norwich's favourite On The Ball City are.

Kick off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball, City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now’s your chance,

Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

City!
*Clap*
City!
*Clap*
City!
*Clap*[/QUOte



Done in a Mr Chumley-Warner accent
 




BadFish

Huge Member
Oct 19, 2003
17,013
But its WRONG

"You can tell them all that we stand or fall for Sussex by the sea" is INFINITELY better, it carries so much more meaning. Its the most evocative line in our unique anthem, and yet its been replaced by a line of generic nonsense. Its a real bugbear of mine (as you can probably tell), and was covered at length in its own thread a while back. I totally endorse our GOSBTS words on the screen, hopefully the next generation of Albion fans will learn the right line in the song, being as most Albion fans who have sung it wrong for years are unlikely to change now.

Apart from anything else it is factually incorrect we have never gone up to 'win the cup'. "and we're going up to be runner up" would be much better (although it doesn't scan too well) :)
 




Guy Fawkes

The voice of treason
Sep 29, 2007
8,187
But its WRONG

"You can tell them all that we stand or fall for Sussex by the sea" is INFINITELY better, it carries so much more meaning. Its the most evocative line in our unique anthem, and yet its been replaced by a line of generic nonsense. Its a real bugbear of mine (as you can probably tell), and was covered at length in its own thread a while back. I totally endorse our GOSBTS words on the screen, hopefully the next generation of Albion fans will learn the right line in the song, being as most Albion fans who have sung it wrong for years are unlikely to change now.

Dissecting the original lyrics:
Do many people in Sussex still Plough and Mow, Reap and Sow? Why do those that do this also spend time Marching ? - the context means nothing to those who don't know the history of the song and is pretty meaningless to most in the original form. The original version is lyrically outdated and bares little resemblance to modern life in Sussex.

The Military connection has also been lost with the loss of the Royal Sussex Regiment, then add in that the song never became their regimental march, this was always "The Royal Sussex" and it was written in 1907, long before WW1 so doesn't directly come from that

The football version has been around for decades and is the traditional version for the football club, and not the Stand or fall version which wasn't sung (bar maybe a handful of individuals) before we moved to the Amex. I just don't see the reason to abandon our traditional, football related lyrical version
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,323
Uffern
While we're on the subject, I know this is a very old one, but I still can't get over just how crap the lyrics to Norwich's favourite On The Ball City are.

Kick off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage,
Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;
On the ball, City, never mind the danger,
Steady on, now’s your chance,

Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

City!
*Clap*
City!
*Clap*
City!
*Clap*[/QUOte



Done in a Mr Chumley-Warner accent

No, done in a Norfolk accent. My step-father was a Norwich fan and used to sing that occasionally in his thick accent. I like it: it's from another world
 








Spider

New member
Sep 15, 2007
3,614
But its WRONG

"You can tell them all that we stand or fall for Sussex by the sea" is INFINITELY better, it carries so much more meaning. Its the most evocative line in our unique anthem, and yet its been replaced by a line of generic nonsense. Its a real bugbear of mine (as you can probably tell), and was covered at length in its own thread a while back. I totally endorse our GOSBTS words on the screen, hopefully the next generation of Albion fans will learn the right line in the song, being as most Albion fans who have sung it wrong for years are unlikely to change now.

I'm probably very wrong here but I've always thought it was the 'we'll sing a song as we march along' lyrics that are changed for the football version. Ie

'Now is the time for marching... So on and so on...and we're going up to win the cup for Sussex by the Sea'
All together now
'Good old Sussex by the sea...etc. And we'll tell them all that we'll stand or fall for Sussex by the Sea'

Incidentally, I feel terrible for never realising that there are in fact 5 verses of Sussex by the Sea. Wonder why no North Stand super fan has proudly continued with 2nd verse! How many people know the second verse without looking it up?
 






Trelford Mills Guide Dog

Active member
Jun 14, 2008
572
Dissecting the original lyrics:
Do many people in Sussex still Plough and Mow, Reap and Sow? Why do those that do this also spend time Marching ? - the context means nothing to those who don't know the history of the song and is pretty meaningless to most in the original form. The original version is lyrically outdated and bares little resemblance to modern life in Sussex.

The Military connection has also been lost with the loss of the Royal Sussex Regiment, then add in that the song never became their regimental march, this was always "The Royal Sussex" and it was written in 1907, long before WW1 so doesn't directly come from that

The football version has been around for decades and is the traditional version for the football club, and not the Stand or fall version which wasn't sung (bar maybe a handful of individuals) before we moved to the Amex. I just don't see the reason to abandon our traditional, football related lyrical version

Hear, hear !
 


Boston28

New member
Feb 7, 2014
166
Not sure if this has already been mentioned but what was more of an embarrassment was how many empty seats I could see when I watched match of the day on Saturday. Now I know stoke isn't much of a desirable fixture but I didn't think there stadium held much over 20k and if that's the case there couldn't have been much over 15k for a premier league fixture!
 


Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,865
Guiseley
I admit I used to go along with everyone else and mindlessly sing the "going up to win the cup" line too, back in the day. But having seen the correct lyrics over the years, I've grown fond of them and so that's what I've been singing for years now when the teams come out. I'm also growing into a cantankerous old fart, hence this is the kind of thing that now irritates me, probably to a disproportionate level.

It's nothing like as irritating as the singing it at 2,700 rpm though, which seems irreversible.
 


ForestRowSeagull

Well-known member
Jan 6, 2011
951
Now Brixton
I'm probably very wrong here but I've always thought it was the 'we'll sing a song as we march along' lyrics that are changed for the football version. Ie

'Now is the time for marching... So on and so on...and we're going up to win the cup for Sussex by the Sea'
All together now
'Good old Sussex by the sea...etc. And we'll tell them all that we'll stand or fall for Sussex by the Sea'

Incidentally, I feel terrible for never realising that there are in fact 5 verses of Sussex by the Sea. Wonder why no North Stand super fan has proudly continued with 2nd verse! How many people know the second verse without looking it up?

A (very) small handful of us managed to get the 2nd verse out at Wigan on Saturday. It's a shame we can't all sing the proper words, it's so much more poignant IMO - not often you get a song which is club specific these days.
 




sully

Dunscouting
Jul 7, 2003
7,824
Worthing
I admit I used to go along with everyone else and mindlessly sing the "going up to win the cup" line too, back in the day. But having seen the correct lyrics over the years, I've grown fond of them and so that's what I've been singing for years now when the teams come out. I'm also growing into a cantankerous old fart, hence this is the kind of thing that now irritates me, probably to a disproportionate level.

You've also described me pretty well there! :thumbsup:
 





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