Friday 16 February 2024

CONGRATULATIONS, JOAN! YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE

Today, The Fosters have celebrated Joan Foster's birthday in Liverpool.
 
Happy birthday, bro! 
 
You'll never walk alone!

They have spent a great and unforgettable day singing, eating and receiving the wonderful visit of Tony Granger, an old friend of The Grandma, who has shared his memories and impressions about Cambridge Exam, life, sport and friendship.

It has been a great visit and The Grandma is very happy with the new path that Tony is going to start. 

Good luck, friend! You'll never walk alone!

Before this, the family has been studying Adverbs of Frequency and Modal Verbs (Should/Shouldn't).

More information: Adverbs of Frequency

More information: Should/Shouldn't

More information: Tony Granger, The Greatest Celtic Love for Rugby

You'll Never Walk Alone is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel

In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings You'll Never Walk Alone to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the male lead, stabs himself with a knife whilst trying to run away after attempting a robbery with his mate Jigger and dies in her arms. 

The song is reprised in the final scene to encourage a graduation class of which Louise (Billy and Julie's daughter) is a member. The now invisible Billy, who has been granted the chance to return to Earth for one day in order to redeem himself, watches the ceremony and is able to silently motivate Louise and Julie to join in with the song.

The song is also sung at association football clubs around the world, where it is performed by a massed chorus of supporters on match day; this tradition developed at Liverpool F.C. after the chart success of the 1963 single of the song by the local Liverpool group Gerry and the Pacemakers.

In some areas of the United Kingdom and Europe, You'll Never Walk Alone became the anthem of support for medical staff, first responders, and those in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The composition is sometimes treated by performers as a religious song, such as with the 1967 version by Elvis Presley, which was featured on several of his gospel albums.

Christine Johnson, who created the role of Nettie Fowler, introduced the song in the original Broadway production. Later in the show Jan Clayton, as Julie Jordan, reprised it, with the chorus joining in.

In the film, it is first sung by Claramae Turner as Nettie. The weeping Julie Jordan (Shirley Jones) tries to sing it but cannot; it is later reprised by Julie and those attending the graduation.

In the UK, the song's most successful cover was released in 1963 by the Liverpudlian Merseybeat group Gerry and the Pacemakers, peaking at number one on the UK Singles Chart for four consecutive weeks. The band's version also reached the top of the charts in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.

After becoming a chart hit by the local band, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the song gained popularity on the Anfield terraces, and the song quickly became the football anthem of Liverpool F.C., which adopted You'll Never Walk Alone as its official motto on its coat of arms. The song is sung by its supporters moments before the start of each home game at Anfield with the Gerry and the Pacemakers version being played over the public address system.

According to former player Tommy Smith, lead vocalist Gerry Marsden presented Liverpool manager Bill Shankly with a recording of his forthcoming cover single during a pre-season coach trip in the summer of 1963. Shanks was in awe of what he heard. ... Football writers from the local newspapers were travelling with our party and, thirsty for a story of any kind between games, filed copy back to their editors to the effect that we had adopted Gerry Marsden's forthcoming single as the club song

The squad were subsequently invited to perform the track with the band on The Ed Sullivan Show with Marsden stating, Bill came up to me. He said, 'Gerry my son, I have given you a football team and you have given us a song'.

More information: Goal


When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm

There's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain

For your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

Gerry & The Peacemakers

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