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It is becoming clear to me that the vocal element of Brentford FC’s away support is far more potent than that of the vast majority of clubs who visit Griffin Park.  This is not really news as far as experienced away travellers are concerned, but what is clearly emerging is our in-depth knowledge of early seventies pop music…and an interesting dismissal of anything written less than forty years ago.  Yet our musical knowledge delves much further back.

It is always lovely to hear the Brentford faithful show their knowledge of opera.  The lovely melody  of Donna E Mobile from Verdi’s Rigoletto is often heard, most notably at Millwall, Gillingham and anywhere further north than Watford in the catchy (if not very original) “We Pay Your Benefits”.  The aria is also cleverly adapted to “Is This a Library?” and the closely linked “Is There a Fire Drill?”

Hymns, too,  provide a rich source of terrace tunes.  It’s always lovely to hear the Brentford fans’ tribute to the Welsh when they take John Hughes’ 1910 tune, Cwn Rhondda (better known to the English as “Bread of Heaven”) wittily transposing their own lyrics, most notably in the delightful ditty “Your support is F******* Sh**”,  “Can We Play You every Week” and “You’re Supposed to be at Home”.

“Knees Up Mother Brown” was sung on Armistice Night 1918 and made popular during the Second World War by Elsie and Doris Walters, keeping up morale during the blitz.  It was of course immortalised in the now old-hat “Who Ate All the Pies?” while we at Griffin Park have moved it on, with the by-now classic, “Bees Up Fulham Down”.

Our “Hey Jude” of course, is the Beatles 1968 song sung straight, a la Manchester City’s “Blue Moon” and West Ham’s “We’re Forever Blowing Bubbles”, which gives us a touch of class.

Back to the early seventies.  In 1972, a group called Middle Of The Road had a hit with a song called “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep”.  It was used to great effect at Millwall recently when adapted for the ditty “Where’s Your Caravan?”


Noddy Holder’s Slade, too, have been referenced by Bees fans; a most impressive recent chant was the perceptive “Uwe Rosler, who do you think you are..we’ve got War-burton…” but I bet not many realise that the tune comes from the January ‘73 hit “Come on Feel the Noize”.

Even more obscure is the chart topper “Son of your Father” by Chicory Tip. In 1972 it got to #1, yet at Brentford we have yet to find a suitable lyrical replacement for “Harry Harry Harry Forester”.  We badly need to sign a striker with a 2-syllable first name and a 3-syllable surname! (Wait a minute…Mar-co Dju-ri-cin?)

Many might think that Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys might be after a shedful of royalties from football fans.  He’d probably come to Griffin Park first, as The current Bees anthem, “We’ll Sing On Our Own” is taken, as are so many terrace chants, from the Pet Sounds classic “Sloop John B”. However, although the song was a 1966 smash for The Beach Boys, it derived from old West Indian folk song. We at Brentford of course avoid some of the less pleasant versions  (many of which feature Emmanuel Adebayor).  Other notable examples include: “Your teeth are offside, your teeth are offside, Luis Suarez, your teeth are offside”  and of course one we can’t sing any more about being the Barcelona of the lower leagues.

But I admit defeat occasionally. I can’t seem to think of a Bees terrace song that has ever been featured on X factor…or in fact is younger that the vast majority of fans who are singing.  I also can’t for the life of me work out the tune to “Harley Harley Harley Dean” (identical to the now defunct “Tony Tony Tony Craig”), or the refrain that backs the goalkeeper taunt “It’s All Your Fault”.  And if I ever hear a terrace song featuring Toumani Diagouraga’s full name- as opposed to the half-a-loaf that is “Toumani scores, I’m on the pitch” (taken from “Tom Hark” by Elias and his Zig Zag Jive Flutes’ 1958 single)…… I will be a proud man indeed.

@Slabbber