"Those were the days my friend" song

[mat]

Jimmy Hill's a bastard

On MOTD that night he said "i'd just like to tell Man City fans i have a mother and father"

Following week

Jimmy Hill's a wanker

I've just pissed my horlicks all over the screen funny as fuck.

 

[super_city_si]

We hate Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben
We hate Ken Dodd and his diddy men
We hate playschool and all their toys
We are the City boot boys
na na na na na na na na na na na

a bit gay but funny

 

[City Soul Boy]

An old classic to the Terry Jacks 1974 hit seasons in the sun,
We had joy we had fun we had united on the run
But the joy did not last cos the bastards ran to fast .

 

[reddishblue]

Sandy Shaw, 1967?

 

[Gary James]

Heres one I remember from the 70s.......
Way back in 1962 we went to Division 2
The stretford end cried out aloud its the end of them sky blues
Joe Mercer came we played the game we went to Rotherham
WE won 1 nil and we were back into Diivision One
Since then .....weve won the league weve won the cup weve been to Europe too
And when we win the cup this year we`ll sing this song to you..........CITY
ALways loved this song.......not sure if the lyrics are spot on

Why do so many Blues get this wrong? Maybe because Gary James got it wrong in "Manchester The Greatest City".

"In 1963 we fell into division two" is the correct opening.

I actually got part of it wrong in a programme piece for the Kippax Last Stand when the year was printed as '62 not '63 (not "Manchester The Greatest City" - I'll have to check but I'm pretty certain I don't refer to it at all in that, but it's a few years now so I'd have to review it).

There's a thread which talks about the wording:

<a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=162431&start=20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">viewtopic.php?f=1&t=162431&start=20</a>

Part of that thread included:

Gents for some reason City fans seem to constantley change the words of songs FFS I heard some muppet sing "he's the greatest center forward" to the Kings song anyway with all due respect you are both wrong the original words are.

IN 1963 WE FELL INTO DIVISION 2
THE STRETFORD END CRIED OUT ALLOWED
THATS THE END OF YOU SKY BLUE
JOE MERCER CAME WE PLAYED AGAIN
WE WENT TO ROTHERHAM
WE WON 1-0 AND WE WERE BACK INTO DIVISION 1
SINCE THEN WE'VE WON THE LEAGUE
WE'VE WON THE CUP AND BEEN TO EUROPE TO
AND WHEN WE WIN THE LEAUGE THIS YEAR WE'LL SING THIS SONG TO YOU.
CITY CITY CITY

God I feel old

Ah, I thought the 4th line (as written above) was: "Joe Mercer came, we played the game"

That was the version I used in the original version of my book on Joe Mercer and also what I remember singing, but I may have been wrong. I thought the fact came and game rhymed was why it worked. I'll have to correct this in the new version of the book.

Also, in later years, the line that says 'been to Europe to' was added to with a shout of 'and won!' before the rest of the song carried on.

Shouldn't line one be: In 63 the Boys In Blue fell into Division Two.

The tune for this song/chant was "Auld Lang Syne" though it is sometimes hard to tell.

There were several comments from others on that thread and I also got a few PMs & emails. Taking it all into consideration it's clear there is a lot of debate about the opening lines. My view (and I remember singing this but obviously I could have got the wording wrong) is that the words are:

In '63 the boys in blue fell into Division Two,
The Stretford End cried out aloud, 'it's the end of the Sky Blue',
Joe Mercer came,
We played the game,
We went to Rotherham,
We won one-nil and we were back into Division One.
Since then we've won the League,
We've won the Cup,
We've been to Europe too (and won!),
And when we win the League again we'll sing this song to you... CITY!

Like I say, I could be wrong, but as the tune is "Auld Lang Syne" the longer opening line works properly with the scan of the tune (not that I'm musical in any way!). A short opening line simply doesn't work.

I'd like to hear more views on this because I think this is one of our most important chants. It's more of an anthem than most and it should be properly recorded. I'm happy to go with the majority view on the opening lines.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Gary
You got it wrong in the "Farewell to Maine Road" book!

I put it to you you're wrong about the lyrics you've posted above.

The version which was sung in the pubs in the 80s and 90s was definitely

"In 1963 we fell into division 2
The Stretford End Cried out aloud, it;s the end of the sky blues".

Now this may be different to the original 60s song, but this is unquestionably the version which was sung in the pubs around every away game throughout that entire period.

 

[mancunial]

i remember being at west ham 67, in there end and the main boys were handing out song sheets for everyone to learn as we were singing?

 

[levets]

Heres one I remember from the 70s.......
Way back in 1962 we went to Division 2
The stretford end cried out aloud its the end of them sky blues
Joe Mercer came we played the game we went to Rotherham
WE won 1 nil and we were back into Diivision One
Since then .....weve won the league weve won the cup weve been to Europe too
And when we win the cup this year we`ll sing this song to you..........CITY
ALways loved this song.......not sure if the lyrics are spot on

not sure if the lyrics are spot on
===========================
No they're not mate...

 

[levets]

Heres one I remember from the 70s.......
Way back in 1962 we went to Division 2
The stretford end cried out aloud its the end of them sky blues
Joe Mercer came we played the game we went to Rotherham
WE won 1 nil and we were back into Diivision One
Since then .....weve won the league weve won the cup weve been to Europe too
And when we win the cup this year we`ll sing this song to you..........CITY
ALways loved this song.......not sure if the lyrics are spot on

Why do so many Blues get this wrong? Maybe because Gary James got it wrong in "Manchester The Greatest City".

"In 1963 we fell into division two" is the correct opening.

Always remembered it as 'we went' into div 2.... I'm older than you :-)

In 1963 we went into Division two,
the Stretford end cried out aloud, "it's the end of 'YOU' sky blues",
Joe Mercer came, we played the game, we went to Rotherham;
We won one nil and we were back into division one.
Since then.. We've won the league, we've won the cup, we've been to europe too,
and when we win the 'LEAGUE' this year, we'll sing this song to you... City, City, City.....

 

[mike o]

I always thought we shouted "and won" after the "bin to europe too" bit?

That not the case?