Millwall Songs and Chants: From No One Likes Us to South London La La La

There are few football teams anywhere in the United Kingdom as divisive as Millwall. Even then, ‘divisive’ might not be quite the right word, given the divide is essentially Millwall supporters on one side and everyone else on the other. That is largely thanks to the football club’s long association with football hooliganism, which came to the fore in the 1970s and 1980s but is still part of what you’re likely to experience nowadays. The Millwall Bushwackers are the football firm that tends to lead the charge when it comes to football-associated violence around that part of southeast London.

There have been well-publicised examples of Millwall fans being involved in riots or other forms of violence. In the May of 2002, for example, hundreds of hooligans were involved in violence around the ground as the club lost a play-off game against Birmingham City. Seven years later and a flare-up occurred when Millwall were up against West Ham United in the League Cup. Even in general matches, there are often anecdotal reports of supporters engaging in racist, sexist or homophobic chanting, which is all part of the reason why Millwall as a club is so universally disliked.

That is often reflected in the songs and chants that the supporters are willing to engage in during football matches. The nastiness of what is produced by the fans goes up a notch if the club is up against one of their rivals, even if supporters are quick to suggest that they are the victims of a slur campaign, which has led to a siege mentality developing at The Den. The songs and chants are not all of the nicest variety, but many would say that that is the old-school side of football that hasn’t yet left that part of South London.

This list isn’t exhaustive, so if you think there’s a Millwall song that we’ve forgotten, then the likelihood is that you’re right. Still, what we’re looking to do is offer something of a taste of what you can expect to hear from the club’s supporters if you attend a match or watch one on the television.

No One Likes Us, We Don’t Care

It was back in the late 1970s that Millwall supporters were first heard engaging in this chant, which is sung to the tune of the song (We Are) Sailing, by Rod Stewart. There was a Panorama documentary produced in 1977 that featured Millwall fans and Dr. Anthony Clare said the following about them:

“But within Millwall’s terraced army, there are divisions. … In the trench warfare of the terraces, it’s F-Troop who go over the top. F-Troop are the real nutters … who go looking for fights and are seldom disappointed.”

As a result of the feeling of being victimised, Millwall fans began singing the song that has come, in many ways, to be something of an anthem for the team in general. Here is what they sing:

No one likes us, no one likes us!
No one likes us, we don’t care!

We are Millwall, Super Millwall
We are Millwall from The Den!

Let ‘Em Come

Whilst No One Likes Us, We Don’t Care may be the unofficial song of Millwall, Let ‘Em Come is far more likely to be considered an official one. A version of it was sung by Roy Green in 1985, forever being associated with the Lions from that point onwards. In many ways, it is a song that sums up what following a football club is all about, complete with the ups and downs of going on such a journey.

Here is the full version of the song:

It’s Saturday on Cold Blow Lane,

We’ve all come down to cheer,

We’ve had our jellied eels,

And our glass of beer,

Come rain or shine all the time,

Our families will bring,

And as the Lions run on the pitch,

Everyone will sing,

Let ’em come, Let ’em come, Let ’em come,

Let ’em all come down to The Den,

Let ’em come, Let ’em come, Let ’em come,

We’ll only have to beat ’em again,

We’re the best team in London,

NO, the best team of all,

Everybody knows us,

We’re called Millwall,

Let ’em come, Let ’em come, Let ’em come,

Let ’em all come down to The Den

Let ’em all

Come down

To the Den!

We Paid For Your Hats

It isn’t exactly outrageous to suggest that Millwall supporters have something of an adversarial relationship with the police force. The hooliganism mentioned earlier has often led to a stronger police presence for Lions games than you might see for other football clubs, which is something that has pitted them against the authorities on a regular basis over the years. Of course, not every adversarial relationship needs to be serious, with Millwall supporters ok to have a bit of a laugh at the expense of the boys in blue.

That is seen with this chant, which is aimed at police officers and making reference to the fact that members of the police are effectively civil servants, paid for by the taxpayer. Here is what the supporters chant:

We paid for your hats,

We paid for your hats!

Oh yes we did,

We paid for your hats!

When I Was Just a Little Boy

There are numerous different teams up and down the country that sing a variation on this, which is the footballing version of Que Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), first published in 1955 and written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. It is a song that hints at the idea of picking your football club being more like a certainty that you have no choice over rather than being something you can actively choose. It also has the added benefit of throwing shade at other London-based clubs.

Here’s how it goes:

When I was just a little boy,

I asked my mother what would I be,

Will I be Arsenal,

Will I be Spurs,

Here’s what she said to me:

Millwall, Millwall,

Millwall, Millwall, Millwall,

Millwall, Millwall!

Let Him Die

We can dress up Millwall supporters as much as you want, offering the theory from the club’s own supporters that they’re somehow victimised by the police and other organisations. This song is one that shows the lie on that front, however. It is one that is brought out by fans when an opposition team player goes down injured and is, if you were to be polite, tasteless at best.

Here’s what gets chanted by supporters:

Let him die,

Let him die!

Dirty Northerners

Whatever else might be said about Millwall supporters, and we’ve said a fair amount on these pages, they are fiercely loyal towards both the club and where in the country they come from. As a result, they aren’t exactly sending out a welcoming committee to clubs that come from further afield, with the following being what gets chanted at fans from clubs that have come to the Dell from the north of the country. In some cases, it will even be aimed solely at a player who used to play for a club based in the north.

This is what they chant:

You dirty Northern bastards!

(Repeat)

South London La La La

Sometimes, songs don’t need to be overly complicated. In this case, Millwall supporters opt to sing a song that points to the fact that the club is one of many based in London, but are specifically the South London club that others might well be envious. Given the fact that they have spent most of their existence outside of the top-flight, it is more likely that others would be jealous of the likes of Crystal Palace, who are also based in South London.

Regardless, the truth of the matter is that some chants are simple and benefit from that simplicity, being used to get the atmosphere going from time to time when it is felt as though it needs a lift. Here is what supporters chant:

South London la la la,

South London la la la!

(Repeat)