When it comes to songs sung by the Kop, there are some that everyone in the ground knows all of the words to, some that nobody has heard for decades and some where the chorus is well known, even if the rest of the song isn’t. A Liverbird Upon My Chest definitely fits into the latter category, with the singing of the main hook becoming popular when the Reds were on the way to their 20th league title in the 2024-2025 season.
What is considered to be an old Kop classic was given a dusting off for the title run in and has remained part of the songbook ever since.
A Marathon of a Song
What a lot of people might not realise, whilst they’re busy belting out the chorus and enjoying the atmosphere that it creates, is that A Liverbird Upon My Chest is actually something of a folk song. That is to say, supporters have added more and more verses to it as the years have gone by and the club has added more and more trophies to the Anfield cabinet.
Here are the ‘official’ words, if you can call them that. See if you recognise the bit that is sung the loudest at Anfield:
Here’s a song about a football team
The greatest team you’ve ever seen
A team that plays Total Football
They’ve won the league, Europe and all.
A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(Of Shankly’s best!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
With Kenny Dalglish on the ball
He was the greatest of them all
And Ian Rush, four goals or two
Left Evertonians feeling blue
A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(Of Shankly’s best!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
Now if you go down Goodison Way
Hard luck stories you hear each day
There’s not a trophy to be seen
‘Cos Liverpool have swept them clean
(With Mr Sheen!)
A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(Of Shankly’s best!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
Now on the glorious 10th of May
There’s laughing reds on Wembley Way
We’re full of smiles and joy and glee
It’s Everton 1 and Liverpool 3
(Easy!)A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(Of Shankly’s best!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
Now on the 20th of May
We’re laughing still on Wembley Way
Those Evertonians feeling blue
At Liverpool 3 and Everton 2
A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(Of Shankly’s best!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
And as we sang round Goodison Park
With crying blues all in a nark
They’re probably crying still
At Liverpool 5 and Everton 0
A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(Of Shankly’s best!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
We remember them with pride
Those mighty Reds of Shankly’s side
And Kenny’s boys of ’88
There’s never been a side so great
A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(Of Shankly’s best!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
Now back in 1965
When great Bill Shankly was alive
We’re playing Leeds, the score’s 1-1
When it fell to the head of Ian St John
A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(Of Shankly’s best!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
On April 15th ’89
What should have been a joyous time
97 friends we all shall miss
And all the Kopites want justice
(JUSTICE!)
A Liverbird upon my chest
(JUSTICE!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(JUSTICE!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
(JUSTICE!)
And wins the Championship in May
(JUSTICE!)
The angels came one sunny day
They came to take our Bob away
The greatest sight for you to see
Three European cups for Bob Paisley
(PAISLEY!)
A Liverbird upon my chest
(PAISLEY!)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
(PAISLEY!)
A team that plays the Liverpool way
(PAISLEY!)
And wins the Championship in May
(PAISLEY!)
We went to Rome in ’84
We won the treble like never before
Barney Rubble was the man
Who won the cup for Joe Fagan
(Fagan!)
A Liverbird upon my chest
(Upon my chest)
We are the men, of Shankly’s best
A team that plays the Liverpool way
And wins the Championship in May
