Summer’s here (whisper it), and although it brings with it the downsides of cricket on the back pages and flies in your beer, it’s always a good time of year for a footy song. It’s just a pity that more often than not the footy songs in question aren’t actually any good.
This summer might be different. First of all there aren’t any of the home nations, or Ireland, in the European Championships this summer, so we’ve less chance of being bombarded with singers in Russ Abbot style “Jimmy” hat-and-wig combos telling us how good Scotland are. No real fears of an England song featuring John Terry slipping and missing a note. And as always, no Welsh or Northern Ireland song celebrating their appearance in a major summer championships.
Instead we’ve got a Liverpool song to listen to. It’s not in celebration of any silverware, unfortunately, but with the player who is the subject of the song in our side we surely can’t have long to wait until we add another line on that long honours list we have.
Before you click “back”, one thing that may attract your attention is that the song is available for free.
It’s called “We’re Gonna Bounce In A Minute” and that probably tells you immediately who it’s dedicated to. Fernando Torres of course, Liverpool’s number nine, whose song to the tune of “Johnny Comes Marching Home” is preceded by that chant warning under-fire stewards of the impending bouncing.
Musician, producer, and lifelong Red Paul Hammond, is responsible for this recording of the song, which features the Kop singing as well as Paul’s own additions to the song, including some new lyrics.
He recalls hearing the song sung by Liverpool fans for the first time: “I’ve been to all the Champions League matches at Anfield this season. I always sit on the Kop. It was just after the Inter Milan game when I heard the fans belting out a new chant for Spanish superstar Fernando Torres. It began with the fans singing, ‘We’re Gonna Bounce In A Minute!’ followed by the entire Kop launching into a really catchy and vibrant chant whilst at the same time bouncing up and down with huge grins on their faces!”
Since then the song’s taken off and is sung by fans even if Torres isn’t playing, partly because of how catchy it is, partly because of the party atmosphere it instantly creates, and partly of course because of how much the supporters idolise the Spanish genius.
Paul went to the Arsenal Champions League game and recorded the Kop performing the chant: “I took my small but effective digital camera with me to record some chants and film a bit of footage. The atmosphere was electric during what was a pulsating match. Again Torres scored, again the chant roared from the Kop.”
It was then time to get his version of the song together: “Once home I set about constructing the song around the Kop chants. I wrote a brand new verse to compliment the original verse; this gave it more structure as a ‘song’.”
He enlisted the help of Sleeping With The Fishes bass player Brian Tramp, who recorded some Spanish acoustic guitar for the track, and did the vocals himself.
He also worked on the video, which features “some home-made video of my kids, family and friends.”
His three-year-old daughter Jessie (pictured here with Paul) and ten-year-old son Jamie feature in the video, as do his dad Charlie, his sister Julie and his nephew Chris. Unfortunately Chris is a blue. Other Sleeping With The Fishes band members Mick and Justin make an appearance too.
For more information and to hear the song visit the “We’re Gonna Bounce In A Minute” MySpace page – www.myspace.com/liverpoolsno9. You can download it from there free of charge, and if you play it loud enough on a summer’s afternoon on holiday or in the garden you’ll probably find anyone in earshot will be singing along whether they want to or not!
To see the video, visit YouTube – www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbEycC0lXJo – or see the embedded version below.
Full lyrics, including Paul’s extra verse:
“We’re Gonna Bounce In A Minute!”
His armband proved he was a red – TORRES! TORRES!
You’ll never walk alone it said – TORRES! TORRES!
We bought the lad from Sunny Spain,
He gets the ball, he scores again,
FERNANDO TORRES LIVERPOOL’S NO 9!(BOUNCE!)
Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na – TORRES! TORRES!
Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na – TORRES! TORRES!
Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na
FERNANDO TORRES LIVERPOOL’S NO 9!El Nino AKA ‘The Kid’ – TORRES! TORRES!
He’s big, he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s quick – TORRES! TORRES!
He joined the Reds to reach the top,
Now he’s our King Of The Kop,FERNANDO TORRES LIVERPOOL’S NO 9!
(BOUNCE!)
Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na – TORRES! TORRES!
Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na – TORRES! TORRES!
Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na, Na Na
FERNANDO TORRES LIVERPOOL’S NO 9!New Lyrics Copyright © Paul Hammond 2008 reproduced with permission.
Photo of Paul with Jessie taken by and reproduced here courtesy of Geoff Abbot.
Hahahahahaha!!!!
Why does he ‘sing’ with such a deep voice? He sounds like he needs to clear his voice!
Nice song .. it will sound soooo good with kop singing at full blast.
Great tune!
A real STOMPER!!! I can’t get it out of me ‘ed. I keep singing ‘the goals went in two by two, hurray’.
Cheers mate 🙂