The Celtic Song
Encyclopedia
The Celtic Song is the song played over the public address system at Celtic Park
, Glasgow
when the Scottish football
team, Celtic
, run on to the pitch before kick-off. It has been claimed that is set to the tune of "With cat-like tread, upon our prey we steal", from the 1879 Gilbert and Sullivan
operetta
, The Pirates of Penzance
, but this is not entirely correct: "Hail hail the Celts are here" is sung to the tune of "Come friends who plough the sea" from the same sequence in Pirates, but "It's a grand old team" bears no resemblance to "With cat-like tread" http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/pirates/web_op/mid/pp25.mid. On the popular television program Lost
, Desmond Hume
can be heard singing the original version of the song.
There are many versions of the song. However, the original version played at Parkhead
was recorded by Glen Daly
.
Versions of the song are sung by supporters of other clubs around the British Isles, most notably The Everton Song
, a more ribald rendition by the fans of Everton
.
Vienna Celtic RFC, a rugby club founded in 1978 in Vienna, Austria have their own adaptation of the song as well.
The tune of which, is also heard in the film 'The Man That Shot Liberty Valance' that features amongst others James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin and Lee Van Cleef.
Sure it's a grand old team bedad,
When you read its history,
It's enough to make your heart grow sad,
God bless them.
We don't care if we win, lose or draw,
Darn the hair do we care,
Because we only know that there's going to be a show,
And the Glasgow Celtic
will be there.
Sure it's the best darn team in Scotland,
And the players all are grand,
We support the Celtic,
As they are the finest in the land we love them,
We'll be there to give the Bhoys a cheer
When the league flag flies,
And it cheers us up when we know the Scottish Cup
,
Is coming home to rest at Paradise
.
Sure it's a grand old team to play for,
Yes it's a grand old team bedad,
When we read its history,
It's enough to make your heart grow sad,
God bless them.
We don't care if we win lose or draw,
Darn the hair do we care,
Because we only know that there's going to be a show,
And the Glasgow Celtic will be there,
And the Glasgow Celtic will be there.
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
when the Scottish football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, run on to the pitch before kick-off. It has been claimed that is set to the tune of "With cat-like tread, upon our prey we steal", from the 1879 Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
, The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, but this is not entirely correct: "Hail hail the Celts are here" is sung to the tune of "Come friends who plough the sea" from the same sequence in Pirates, but "It's a grand old team" bears no resemblance to "With cat-like tread" http://math.boisestate.edu/GaS/pirates/web_op/mid/pp25.mid. On the popular television program Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, Desmond Hume
Desmond Hume
Desmond David Hume is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost portrayed by Henry Ian Cusick. Desmond's name is a tribute to David Hume, the famous empiricist author and philosopher. Desmond was not a passenger of Flight 815. He had been stranded on the island three years prior to...
can be heard singing the original version of the song.
There are many versions of the song. However, the original version played at Parkhead
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
was recorded by Glen Daly
Glen Daly
Glen Daly was a Scottish singer and entertainer.-Career:Daly was born in Glasgow where he attended St Mary's School...
.
Versions of the song are sung by supporters of other clubs around the British Isles, most notably The Everton Song
The Everton Song
The Everton Song, "It's A Grand Old Team", has been sung for many years by supporters of the club.Parallels are drawn between the Everton Song and The Celtic Song sung by supporters of Celtic F.C, with a recording of the Celtic version being played out before kick-off...
, a more ribald rendition by the fans of Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
Vienna Celtic RFC, a rugby club founded in 1978 in Vienna, Austria have their own adaptation of the song as well.
The tune of which, is also heard in the film 'The Man That Shot Liberty Valance' that features amongst others James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin and Lee Van Cleef.
Lyrics
Sure it's a grand old team to play for,Sure it's a grand old team bedad,
When you read its history,
It's enough to make your heart grow sad,
God bless them.
We don't care if we win, lose or draw,
Darn the hair do we care,
Because we only know that there's going to be a show,
And the Glasgow Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
will be there.
Sure it's the best darn team in Scotland,
And the players all are grand,
We support the Celtic,
As they are the finest in the land we love them,
We'll be there to give the Bhoys a cheer
When the league flag flies,
And it cheers us up when we know the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
,
Is coming home to rest at Paradise
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
.
Sure it's a grand old team to play for,
Yes it's a grand old team bedad,
When we read its history,
It's enough to make your heart grow sad,
God bless them.
We don't care if we win lose or draw,
Darn the hair do we care,
Because we only know that there's going to be a show,
And the Glasgow Celtic will be there,
And the Glasgow Celtic will be there.