Friday 11 November 2011

You'll Never Walk Alone





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 is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The song, "You'll never, ever walk alone" comes from a 1945 musical called Carousel. You may read more about it at the link in this paragraph but I'd like to have Joss Stone introduce the song for us here. She does it so well. 


What a pity, I wish that Joss Stone would have sung the song through. It is a very inspiring song indeed and in the story of the musical it is sung by a friend to inspire someone in very distressing circumstances.

Over the years, many artists have performed it including notable performances by jazz musician, "Satchmo" Louis Armstrong, The Three TenorsRighteous Brothers, and gospel singer Mahalia Jackson to name a few.

A version by "The Priests":


This song, "You'll never, ever walk alone" also goes back a long way into the history of Liverpool Football Association whose fans sing the song at every match that liverpool plays. Below is a Liverpool crowd version that seems to date back to 1963 - where Liverpool is playing Everton. You hear the rival clubs sing as the game shifts its fortunes back and forth.


Today perhaps many associate the song with the Liverpool football club as we  are used to hearing it when we are watching a football match in which Liverpool is playing especially in England.

Below is a version by the Norwegian Tenor, Marius Roth Christensen:


And a great version from Jordin Sparks. I really like her version, though I should say that many artists do tend to render it in this way:



And finally an incredible and rousing rock performance of the song by a group that is probably Germany's greatest Punk Rock Band, Die Toten Hosen. Witness this band bring the house down with their rendition of the song. Enjoy..!



In spite of the ample variety of versions of this song, this performance by Mahalia Jackson, known as "The Queen of Gospel", is probably the most moving of all versions, available to the listening public today.

With such incredible, almost haunting performances, Mahalia Jackson, heralded internationally as a singer and civil rights activist; caused entertainer Harry Belafonte to call her "the single most powerful black woman in the United States".

He interpretation of the song below seems to be the most fitting to the spirit and intention of the song. Her vocal touches to the various emotions of the lyrics are as honest and credible as if they did come from a caring soul.