London Bridge is Falling Down – Liverpool Song Reborn Out Of Chelsea Rivalry | OneFootball

Scousers are an extremely proud group of people, never happy with the idea of the city being put down or considered to be ‘less’ than anywhere else. The same is just as true of the football club as it is of the city itself. The fact that London regularly gets more attention than Liverpool in almost every aspect is something that is seen as quite annoying by many, so any excuse to put them down is seized upon.

One of the clubs that best encapsulates that arrogance and ‘newly rich’ attitude of London is Chelsea, which is part of the reason why there is such a feeling of dislike between the Reds and the Stamford Bridge side, with Spurs also sung about.

A Footballing Twist on an Old Song

London Bridge is Falling Down, sometimes called simply London Bridge or even My Fair Lady, is a song that has been in the English nursery rhyme almost since songs themselves were invented. There is some evidence of bridge-related rhymes being sung in the Late Middle Ages, whilst records of the rhyme itself can be dated to the 17th century. It took until the 19th century before a recording was made of the modern melody, whilst the Roud Folk Sing Index has it at number 502. It is probably fair to say that basically none of that was taken into account by the Liverpool supporters who decided to give it is modern twist, however.

Instead, it was simply seen as a way to poke fun at Chelsea Football Club, beginning long before they were bought by the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and turned into the football behemoth that they later became. The lyrics aren’t complicated, whilst the fact that the tune comes from a nursery rhyme tells you everything you need to know about the overall sound. This is a song that is used to mock and belittle the London side, especially in instances when the Reds are winning comfortably against them and the supporters want to have a little fun at the expense of their opposite numbers.

Sometimes, it is Tottenham Hotspur that are on the receiving end of the song instead of their London rivals. It isn’t heard sung to Arsenal very often nor Crystal Palace, but if a London club comes to Anfield and gets turned over then there is a very real chance that they will hear the Liverpool fans give this one an airing to poke fun at the opposition.

Here is how the song goes, sung to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down and with Chelsea chosen as the representative team:

London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, falling down.

London Bridge is falling down,

Poor old Chelsea!

Build it up with Red and White,

Red and White, Red and White.

Build it up with Red and White,

Poor old Chelsea!