Brentford Songs and Famous Chants: From Hey Jude to West London La La La

The fact that Brentford spent the majority of the club’s existence in the lower leagues of the English game means that the supporters have developed a number of different songs and chants to amuse and encourage the players. When they finally made it to the top-flight, there was still that ‘lower league attitude’ of being critical of the teams that they were playing against more than getting behind the team that they support, which sometimes led to the likes of tragedy chanting and singing about poverty in certain parts of the country, failing to win much love from opposition supporters.

Even so, the team has had plenty of good things for the fans to sing about over the years, which has become a part of the folklore of Brentford in the years since. As one of the numerous clubs based either in or on the outskirts of London, the club has had to work hard to forge its own identity in order to ensure that the supporters can feel as though they’re getting to show their love for the team and the players without it being just a generic songbook sung by any other club. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that some of those more generic songs aren’t also sung if the occasion calls for it.

Here, then, is a look at some of the songs that Brentford supporters are likely to sing before, during or even after the completion of a football match. It obviously isn’t even close to being an exhaustive list, but if you don’t know much about the Brentford songbook then it might help you to understand some of the songs that are sung every time a match day comes around:

Hey Jude

You would be forgiven for thinking that Hey Jude is a song that would be more readily associated with Liverpool or Everton, given the fact that The Beatles were from Merseyside. It has, however, been the song that has been sung by Bees supporters before and during matches for as long as most people can remember, first gracing the terraces back in the 1970s. Former Brentford stadium announcer Peter Gilham is credited as having started the trend of playing the song, doing so for a girl called Judy Kaufman who was part of his group of match-going supporters.

Regardless, the fact that Brentford is a two-syllable name and Hey Jude is a song with two syllables means it was an easy move to change the lyrics. Ever since Gilham began playing it on a regular basis, the supporters have belted it out with that slight tweak to what they’ve been singing. Now it goes something like this

Brentford, don’t make it bad

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better

Brentford, don’t be afraid

You were made to go out and get her

The minute you let her under your skin

Then you begin to make it better

And anytime you feel the pain, Brentford, refrain

Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders

For, well, you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool

By making his world a little colder

Na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na

Brentford, don’t let me down

You have found her, now go and get her (let it out and let it in)

Remember (Brentford) to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better

So let it out and let it in, Brentford, begin

You’re waiting for someone to perform with

And don’t you know that it’s just you?

Brentford, you’ll do

The movement you need is on your shoulder

Na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, yeah

Brentford ’Til I Die

Some songs can be quite complex, with lyrics that have been carefully crafted in order to cleverly put across the passion for the team felt by supporters. Others are much more simplistic in their nature, being nothing more than a show of love for the players and the club in a way that is easy enough to understand.

It is fair to say that Brentford ’Til I Die fits into the latter category, hardly being the kind of lyrics that Billy Joel or Paul McCartney would’ve been proud of coming up with. Here are the words, which tend to be sung on repeat:

I’m Brentford till I die,

I’m Brentford till I die,

I know I am,

I’m sure I am,

I’m Brentford till I die!

You Are My Brentford

As mentioned in the introduction, Brentford supporters are just as liable to end up singing generic songs as any other group of fans, which is why the idea of signing You Are My Brentford fits in. It is based upon You Are My Sunshine, which was originally an American standard, written as long ago as 1939 and first published by Jimmie Day and Charles Mitchell. Given the fact that it has been recorded by more than 350 artists in over 30 languages, you will know the tune that it goes to. The lyrics that you’ll hear from the Brentford fans are as follows:

You are my Brentford,

My only Brentford.

You make me happy

When skies are grey.

You’ll never notice

How much I love you,

Until you take my Brentford away

LA LA LA LA LA BEEEEEEES!

LA LA LA LA LA BEES! BEES!

We’ll Sing On Our Own

When it comes to singing the sort of generic thing that any group of supporters tend to sing, this song is perhaps the best example. It is something that Brentford supporters are liable to bring out if they go to one of the biggest grounds in the country like Anfield or Old Trafford and are somehow surprised that their visit hasn’t brought out the kind of atmosphere that Liverpool and Manchester United supporters have become known for over the years. If they tire of singing something such as ‘Where’s your famous atmosphere?’, the chances are that this one will be brought out next:

Sing up for the Bees! Oi oi oi!

Sing up for the Bees! Oi oi oi!

Can’t hear (insert opponent’s name here) sing, we’ll sing on our own!

We’ll sing on our own… we’ll sing on our ooooown…

We’re Brentford FC,

We’ll sing on our own!

Bees Up, Fulham Down

It is fair to say that there is no love lost between Brentford supporters and Fulham fans, with the two clubs being based in the West of London. The fact that they also spent far longer outside of the top-flight than in it also meant that the two teams would come up against one another on a regular basis, so the fans would look for ways to try to get one over on each other. There is an argument that there is no finer way to do that than by using an old Cockney classic as a song.

Knees Up, Mother Brown might not be that well known to some, but to people from the London area it is a song that has been sung for many decades. The inventiveness of football supporters means that Brentford fans found a way to turn the lyrics in their favour, making a reference to the club’s nickname of ‘the Bees’ in order to chant about their desire to see their own club promoted whilst Fulham were relegated. To the tune of Knees Up, Mother Brown, then, they sometimes sing the following:

Bees up, Fulham down.

Bees up, Fulham down.

Bees up, Bees up, Bees up, Bees up!

Bees up, Fulham down!

West London La La La

When you’re a team based in or around London, there are plenty of other clubs that you’re competing with for attention. In the Premier League alone you’ve got behemoths such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, alongside smaller sides like Fulham and Queens Park Rangers. We’ve already mentioned the enmity between Brentford and Fulham, which is why the club’s supporters enjoy singing West London, La La La. There is something of a battle between the two sets of fans as to which team is the ‘pride’ of West London, happily ignoring the presence of Chelsea there.

Here is how the chant goes:

La la la, la la la,

West London la la la!

La la la, la la la,

West London la la la!

La la la, la la la,

West London la la la!

(Repeat)