.. "The Swansea Song" instead of "Hymns & Arias" for the rest of the season? I don't mind Hymns & Arias - but not all the time! Swansea, oh Swansea, City said I, Standing on the North Bank, till the day I die, Take me to the Vetch Field, way down by the sea, Where I will follow Swansea, Swansea City!
I think the fact its talking about the Vetch is killing the song now tbh Take me to the Li-ber-ty, way down by Rossi's doesn't have the same ring to it though
Although i agree with the reason for sining Hymns and arias.It's all o do with telling the enlish teams we are welsh,and toremind Cardiff we are the only welsh team there. i still dislike the bloody song. i dont know maybe instead od singing "Take me to the vetcfield" we could sing " We started at the vetchield".or "Take me to The Liberty the place i love to be "
I really like "Hymns and Arias",but I think many don't because of it's rugby connections. The Swansea City song is also great,but now a little dated,and as The Vetch is no longer,today's Jacks don't feel it's their song.I understand that. Your two suggestions are good,bongo,why not post the whole song with these amendments?
So what exactly is the rugby connection? Who sings it? Wales? Ospreys? Sorry, but I never watch rugby.
its a welsh song that can be sung in any sports event. rugby fans dont own it, its for all welsh fans to sing to let the opposition know we are proud of our nationality.....
Correct me if I'm wrong,but isn't this a Max Boyce song,and was introduced by him back in the 70's glory days of Welsh rugby? I was really surprised to hear it sung at Swans' games.
Just made a quick visit to Wiki,(yes,I know),and there is a quote on the sleeve of Max Boyce's first album,namely, "It may well be that future years will find "Hymns and Arias" rolling a thunderous chorus across the terraced rugby grounds". This,to me, suggests that it was,in fact,written as a rugby song,which has been adopted by The Jack Army,and is none the worse for that. Max must be delighted at the crossover. It's a great song,and hearing it sung at The Liberty,and away grounds,with such gusto,never fails to give me a lift.
Of course it was written as a rugby song. Does Max Boyce ever write about anything else? Oh yes...mining. Got no problem with it myself because at least it's unique amongst football fans who all tend to sing a variation of one song to fit their team. Cardiff don't own it and neither does rugby. We've adopted it just as West Ham adopted 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles' (from us I believe) many many years ago, and as others have said it's to remind the English fans of who we are. Nothing wrong with that imo.
"Hymns & Arias – not just the world’s most famous rugby anthem but a modern folk song, adopted by the people in the way that music has moved from a single singer to the masses in a centuries’ old tradition." Kind of sums it up. Well done Aswan.
Nothing wrong with the song, I love hearing it when the swans faithful are singing it, you could clearly hear it at Fulham where the swans fans out sung the Fulham crowd. It's welsh be proud of it no matter if it was a rugby song first.
It's about a rugby trip to London to watch Wales beat England. Nothing wrong singing a song about beating the English. I'd happily sing Men Of Harlech, Bread of Heaven or anything else to do with Wales, the more the better. It's better than having only one song like Man City and Spurs for example and no bloody songs at all like Arsenal. Swansea City song is my favourite though and I like Bongo's lyrics for it.
Hymns and Arias has become our second anthem especially since that day in May at Wembley where it resounded around the stadium and heard around the world on sky and other channels. The Swansea City song is still important to us as well but I do ask that the younger fans please get it right....the correct words are Swansea oh Swansea oh City said I...I'LL STAND THERE on the North Bank (not STANDING)
Apart from the welsh songs being powerful and lovely to hear sung by the rugby fans at a full house at the millenium stadium and also hymns and arias sung by us jacks. If it gets up the noses of our rivals and gives us a uniqeness at cross border games then why not adopt a few more. ? Calon Lan is one of the greatest welsh hymns for a starter !
