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The Greasy Chip Butty Song

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"The Greasy Chip Butty Song" is a football chant sung by the supporters of Sheffield United football club to the tune of "Annie's Song", glorifying life in Sheffield, in chief the chip butty but also nightlife, beer and tobacco products. The song, with its good-natured humour, has been adopted and adapted by fans of a number of other association football teams.

Origin

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The song was initially written in the late 1970’s by a Rotherham United fan named Terry Moran. While the song became known as the "Greasy Chip Butty Song", Moran's inspiration came from Magnet, with the mention of chip butties being an afterthought.[1] Gavin Hancock, a Rotherham Blade, overheard Moran singing the song in a pub and wrote his own version about the Blades; Hancock's version quickly grew in popularity among Sheffield United supporters from the early 1980’s and is now considered the club's anthem.[2]

Words and music

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The song is to the tune of "Annie's Song" by John Denver to lyrics that have varied over time with changes to the opening and final two lines.[3][1][2]

You light up my senses,
Like a gallon of Magnet,
Like a packet of Woodbines,
Like a good pinch of snuff,
Like a night out in Sheffield,
Like a greasy chip butty,
Oh Sheffield United,
Come thrill me again

— A version from 1997[3]

You fill up my senses
Like a gallon of Magnet
Like a packet of Woodbines
Like a good pinch of snuff
Like a night out in Sheffield
Like a greasy chip butty
Like Sheffield United
Come fill me again

— A version from 2020[1]

In 2010, the Sheffield Star printed a version of the lyrics with "You fill up my senses... come thrill me again".[2] In 2020, local musician Max Restaino recorded a version of the song in aid of the Sheffield Hospitals Charity.[4] This recording also used "You fill up my senses... come thrill me again" lyrics.[5]

Meaning

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To a native of Yorkshire the words are probably self-explanatory; the words celebrate the many pleasures that can be had in Sheffield, culminating in the target of the fan's adoration, in this instance, Sheffield United.

  • Magnet refers to Magnet Bitter from John Smith's Brewery, widely available in Yorkshire.
  • Woodbines refers nostalgically to a once-popular brand of strong cigarette.
  • Snuff is ground tobacco for sniffing up the nose. Wilson's Snuff Mill, established in 1737, is located a mile away from Bramall Lane.[6]
  • A greasy chip butty can be purchased in any of the many local fish and chip shops. Butty is a dialect word for a sandwich, and a chip butty is simply a sandwich where the filling is chips, ideally greasy and sometimes sprinkled with salt and vinegar. Generally, a white sandwich bap will be used for the bread. In Sheffield, these are simply known as breadcakes.

The song itself is a plaintive rally-cry by the fans of Sheffield United. It is usually heard at the start of home games played at 'Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane' (as it is often called by the announcer on match days), the home of the club, and sporadically throughout away matches.

Other versions

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Moran's original version is similar save for the mentions of Sheffield (replaced respectively with "Masborough" and "Rotherham United") and the last line, which Moran changed to "Can’t fill me enough".[1]

Tha fills up mi senses
Like a gallon o' Magnet
Like a packet o' Woodbines
Like a good pinch o' snuff
Like a night out in Masborough
Like a greasy chip butty
Like Rotherham United
Can't fill me enough

— Moran's version[1]

Modified versions of the song are also sung by supporters of Burton Albion (where the references to Magnet and Woodbines are replaced with Marston's Pedigree ("Peddi") and Walkers), Grimsby Town (where Magnet is replaced by Tetley's) and St Helens R.F.C. (where the beer is Greenalls and a kebab replaces cigarettes).[2]

You light up my senses,
Like a gallon of Greenall's,
Like a kebab from Geno's,
Like a good sniff of glue,
Like a night out at Martine's,
Like a split fish and curry,
Oh St Helens rugby,
Come thrill me again!

— St Helens RFC version[2][additional citation(s) needed]

Greenall's is the local beer, Geno's a popular kebab shop in town and Martine's was a nightclub which has since closed. A "Split" is a local slang name for chips and peas ordered from a chippy in St Helens, as in the songs case it is also served with fish and curry. The reference to glue-sniffing is black humour based on the reputation the town gained as industry was closed down under the Thatcher government leaving less opportunities for young people and leading to St Helens being viewed as a dying town. This experience was not unique in the industrial north at the time and the reference in the song should be taken as an example of the sharp wit of Sintelliners rather than a reflection of the town itself.

International version

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In January 2007, in tribute to Sheffield United's visiting Chinese sister team, the Chengdu Blades, the Sheffield Star penned the following version – the Greasy Egg Noodle song.[2]

You fill up my senses,
Like a gallon of soy sauce,
Like a packet of chopsticks,
Like a good crispy duck,
Like a night out in Chengdu,
Like a greasy egg noodle,
Like Chengdu 'n' United,
Come thrill me again...

— Chengdu version[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Thake, Simon (31 August 2020). "Sheffield United: Who wrote club anthem Greasy Chip Butty?". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Last orders for Sheffield United's greasy chip butty anthem?". thestar.co.uk. 9 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  3. ^ a b Hodgson, Guy (3 November 1997). "Terrace hymn sheets fill up the senses". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
  4. ^ "Singing for the Blades, Sheffield and the NHS". Sheffield United FC. 26 April 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. ^ GREASY CHIP BUTTY | Lyric Video (Full Song) Max Restaino. youtube. 23 May 2020. Event occurs at 1:12. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  6. ^ Historic England. "Sharrow Mills (1247589)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
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