You'll Never Walk Alone (song)

Infobox Standard
title = You'll Never Walk Alone
english_title =
comment = Introduced in the 1945 musical, "Carousel"


image_size =
caption =
writer =
composer = Richard Rodgers
lyricist = Oscar Hammerstein II
published =
written =
language = English
form =
original_artist = Christine Johnson
recorded_by = Nina Simone
Johnny Cash
Gordon MacRae
Frank Sinatra
Judy Garland
Mario Lanza
Roy Hamilton
Doris Day
Gerry & The Pacemakers
Patti LaBelle and the BlueBelles
Elvis Presley
The Blind Boys Of Alabama
Bryn Terfel
Many other artists; see #Recorded versions
performed_by = "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, "Carousel".

In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the male lead, has killed himself after a failed robbery. It is reprised in the final scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise (their daughter) is a member. Billy attends this ceremony during his return to earth and inspires them with his words of encouragement to assure them of his love.

Christine Johnson, who created the role of Nettie first introduced the song in the original Broadway production, and later Jan Clayton as Julie Jordan reprises it at the end with the chorus joining in. In the film it is sung by Claramae Turner as Nettie (although the weeping Shirley Jones (as Julie) first tries to sing it, but cannot), and later reprised by Ms. Jones and a chorus.

Because the song is included during the graduation finale of the musical, it has become a standard, sung by graduation classes in the United States.

The song is also sung at football clubs around the world, where it is performed by a massed chorus of supporters on matchday; this tradition began at Liverpool F.C. in the early 1960s and later spread to several other clubs. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AXxf52k0cE Liverpool vs. Leeds United] , F.A. Cup Final, BBC, 1965. The song was covered by Liverpool group Gerry & the Pacemakers in 1963. At this time, supporters standing on the Spion Kop terrace at Anfield began singing popular chart songs of the day. The mood was captured on camera by a BBC "Panorama" camera crew in 1964. One year later, when Liverpool faced Leeds in the cup final, the travelling Kop sang the same song and match commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme commended the "Liverpool signature tune".]

Besides the recordings of the song on the Carousel cast albums and the film soundtrack, the song has been recorded by many artists, including Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Mario Lanza, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, 24 inch ride, Tom Jones, Kate Smith, Johnny Cash, Bryn Terfel, The Three Tenors, Mahalia Jackson and The Blind Boys Of Alabama.

porting anthem

In England, the song's most successful performance was recorded in 1963 by the Liverpudlian Merseybeat group Gerry and the Pacemakers (peaking at number one in the singles chart for four consecutive weeks). It quickly became the anthem of Liverpool Football Club and is invariably sung by its supporters moments before the start of each home game. [ [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5276731486322975785 Liverpool vs. Chelsea] , European Champions League, 2005.] Aldred, Jessica. [http://football.guardian.co.uk/news/theknowledge/0,9204,912750,00.html Liverpool or Celtic: who Walked Alone first?] "The Guardian". March 12, 2003.] The words "You'll Never Walk Alone" also feature in the club crest and on the Shankly Gate entrance to the stadium. Gerry Marsden told BBC Radio how, in the nineteen-sixties, the deejay at Anfield would play the top-ten commercial records in ascending order, with the number one single transmitted last, shortly before kickoff. Supporters standing on the Spion Kop terrace would sing along, and once "You'll Never Walk Alone" dropped out of the top-ten, says Marsden, they continued to sing it. [Cavanagh, John. "The History of You'll Never Walk Alone", BBC Songlines, 2006.] [Morgan, John. "The Other Mersey Sound", BBC Panorama, 1964.] The song was later adopted by the Scottish team Celtic and Dutch teams Feyenoord and FC Twente. [Whyatt, Chris. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7556749.stm McClaren's new charges] BBC. 13 August, 2008.]

A special recording was made in solidarity with Bradford City following the Valley Parade fire in 1985, when 56 fans died and many more were injured. The song was performed by The Crowd (including Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney and Rolf Harris). [Scrivener, Peter. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/4506597.stm Bradford remembers fire disaster] , BBC., 11 May, 2005]

On 19 April 1989, a few days after the Hillsborough Disaster resulted in the deaths of 96 fans of Liverpool Football Club, a European Cup semi-final between A.C. Milan and Real Madrid was played. The referee blew his whistle 6 minutes into the game to stop play (the game at Hillsborough stadium had been stopped at 3:06) and held a minute's silence. About 20 seconds into the silence the Milan fans began to sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" as a tribute to those who died. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZrVfMRyoE0 A.C. Milan versus Real Madrid C.F.] April 19, 1989.]

After witnessing a rousing rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" at Anfield in 2007, the President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, said he felt inspired to seek lyrics to his country's wordless national anthem, the Royal March, ahead of Madrid's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. [ [http://www.webcitation.org/5bUccOnOm Liverpool fans inspire Spain to write words to anthem] , Reuters. June 5, 2005] [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19442872/ Spain to add lyrics to wordless national anthem] , MSNBC. June 26, 2007.]

Other performances and recordings

* An operatic version by José Carreras, Plácido Domingo & Luciano Pavarotti with James Levine, reached number 21 in the UK charts in July 1998.Fact|date=February 2008

* In 1999, it was performed by John Farnham, who made his first release of the song in 1972, at the Tour Of Duty Concert in Dili, East Timor, for the Australian peace-keeping troops.Fact|date=February 2008

* On "The Led Zeppelin DVD" a version was performed by the crowd at the conclusion of the 1979 Knebworth performance on the second disk of the set.Fact|date=February 2008

* It is also played by the Western Illinois University Marching Leathernecks at the end of every performance. The band faces each other in a large circle with a quartet in the centre. The members play and sing "Never Walk" as reminder of the strength of the bond between members. This tradition was started by the late Dale Hopper during the 1970s. The University of North Texas also follows this same practice. The Spirit and the Pride of Pennsylvania Mountie Marching Band from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania also follows this practice. The quartet includes 2 trumpets and 2 mellophones.Fact|date=February 2008

* The song is traditionally sung by the Desert Vista marching band after every performance, a tradition started by the late Eric Holden.Fact|date=February 2008

* It is also the corps song of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.Fact|date=February 2008

* The song is also sung by Jerry Lewis at the end of his annual telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.Fact|date=February 2008

* Frankie Vaughan recorded the song several times, most notably for his album 'Moonlight and love songs' in 1979.Fact|date=February 2008

* Elvis Presley recorded the song and had a minor hit single with the song in the late 1960s, he also scored a hit album with the song later in 1971.Fact|date=February 2008

* On December 23, 1989, Regine Velasquez gave a vocally challenging rendition as her winning piece at the prestigious Asia Pacific Song Festival in 1989 which catapulted her as the "Asia's Songbird". Her exposure from the contest sky-rocketed her from Filipino celebrity to Asian music superstar. She released the song as a CD single in 1990 which reached double platinum status in sales in the Philippines and has become one of her signature songs. [http://youtube.com/watch?v=hsfjJx86P1A] Fact|date=February 2008

* The inspirational Aretha Franklin version of the song was played at the wedding of the late John Peel.Fact|date=February 2008

* Kevin Rowland of Dexys Midnight Runners included a version of the song on his 1999 cover album "My Beauty"

* Status quo on their album On the level just after the final track Bye bye johnny there is a small section of the song sung by a group of their fans from a gig which was taped from a concert. This is quite similar to the pink floyd version from meddle following the track Fearless

Television, film, and radio

* The Pink Floyd song "Fearless", from their 1971 Meddle album, includes a recording of the Liverpool Kop singing "You'll Never Walk Alone". The recording is repeated many times during the song and appears solely as a conclusion at the end of the track.

* The song was also sung in the BBC radio show "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Eddie, the shipboard computer.

* The Mario Lanza version is also played during the closing credits of the Peter Jackson film "Heavenly Creatures".

* In the US sitcom "Cheers", the song is also sung at the end of an episode when Carla learns she is pregnant again. Feeling sorry for her situation and lack of money, Diane, Sam and Coach get a collection of donations for her and she is walked out of the bar as this is sung, led by Diane, accompanied by much eye-rolling from Sam and Cliff who obviously see the connection between this and "Carousel".

* In the 1994 film "Priest", the song is sung by a church chorus after Father Greg demands divine intervention to help him deal with the fact that Lisa is suffering repeatedly at the hands of her incestuous father while Greg is powerless to do anything because he is bound by the seal of the confessional. The song continues as Lisa's mother discovers that Lisa's father has been raping her and chastises Father Greg for his inaction. The song is repeated in an instrumental version at the end of the film when Lisa is the sole person willing to receive communion from a disgraced Father Greg and the two hug.

* In 2001, Barbra Streisand performed the song on the Emmy Awards in tribute to the victims of the 11 September attacks.

* The song is featured as the background music in Rune Glifberg's part in Flip's skate tape Really Sorry.

* In the summer of 2006, Aoife Mulholland performed her rendition on the British reality TV show "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria" (the winner getting to play the part of Maria von Trapp in "The Sound Of Music"). Her emotional performance in rehearsals had apparently brought tears to Andrew Lloyd Webber's eyes. Her performance on the live show began well but half way through the song, Aoife herself was overwhelmed by the lyrics, causing her voice to crack. However, the panel agreed that her performance was "good".

* On 16 December, 2006, 18-year-old Ray Quinn performed the song on "The X Factor" UK's semi final, in which he was competing against Leona Lewis. Ray said the song meant a lot to him and was a way of showing his appreciation to his supporters from his local area, Liverpool. The end of the performance received a standing ovation; Ray himself also broke down as the song had meant a lot to him. Mentor Simon Cowell said the performance was an assurance that Ray "had not let him down".

* On April 24, 2007, 17-year-old Jordin Sparks (who also won that season's competition) performed the song on "American Idol"'s first "Idol Gives Back" episode, in which each contestant performed an "inspirational" song. The performance, the last of the night, received a jubilant ovation from the live audience and cemented her ascent from also-ran to favorite. Judge Randy Jackson called it "one of the best performances on American Idol, ever, in six seasons." Judge Simon Cowell said of her performance, "I thought you were fantastic. That song is about 60 years old [and] I think you'd have a hit record with that. Brilliant".

* The song itself is referenced in Franz Ferdinand's song "L. Wells".

* The song, performed by Lesley Garrett and 2008 West End cast of "Carousel" was featured as interval act of Eurovision Dance Contest 2008 on September 6, 2008. [ [http://esckaz.com/edc/2008/ Eurovision Dance Contest info page] ]

Recorded versions

*Frank Sinatra (1945) (1963)
*Mario Lanza (1950)
*Roy Hamilton (1954)
*Louis Armstrong (1954) in a medley with Tenderly
*Claramae Turner on the Carousel film soundtrack (1956)
*Perry Como (1956)
*Nina Simone (1959)
*Malcolm Vaughan (1959)
*Judy Garland (1960) [" [http://www.jgdb.com/capstud.htm Recorded for Capitol Records by Judy Garland with Orchestra conducted by Norrie Paramor, August 3, 1960. Released on LP Judy in London, 1972. Re-released in multiple formats, 1991, 1992, 1994] ]
*Mahalia Jackson (1961) ["Recorded Live in Europe During Her Latest Concert Tour" [record album, LP format] , Sony Music Entertainment Inc., 1962. Re-released in multiple formats, 2001]
*Shirley Bassey (1962) ["Columbia Catalog Number DB4816"]
*Doris Day (on the album of the same name) (1962)
*Gerry and the Pacemakers (1963)
*Ray Charles (1963)
*Patti Labelle & The Blue Belles (1964)
*The Righteous Brothers (1965)
*Elvis Presley (1968)
*Tom Jones (1969)
*Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge (1969)
*Pink Floyd (1971) as a part of "Fearless"
*status quo 1975 as part of "Bye bye Johnny"
*Aretha Franklin (1972)
*Lee Towers (1976) [ [http://www.leetowers.nl/lp.htm It's Raining In My Heart] (LP/MC) (Goud & Platina) 1976]
*Frankie Vaughan (1979)
*The Adicts (1982)
*Olivia Newton-John (1989)
*Regine Velasquez (Asia Pacific Song Festival) (1989)
*Kiri Te Kanawa with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (1990) - "Songs of Inspiration"
*André Hazes (1994)
*Robson & Jerome (1996)
*Bryn Terfel (1996) - "Something Wonderful: Bryn Terfel Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein"
*The Vocal Majority (1997)
*Gunther Neefs (1997)
*The Three Tenors (1998)
*Michael Junior (1999) - "Dreamland"
*Hayley Westenra (2001)
*Die Toten Hosen (2002)
*Johnny Cash (2003)
*Renée Fleming (2003)
*Katherine Jenkins (2004)
*G4 (2004)
*Alicia Keys ("Hurricane Katrina Relief") (2005)
*Jordin Sparks (2007)
*Pharoahe Monch (2007)
*Charice Pempengco ("Wowowee") (2008)

References