Holte Enders in the sky - the song

[Rico]

Don't shoot the messenger:

As I walked onto the Holte one dark and windy day,
I spied a poor blues fan a running far away
I said to that poor blues fan it's time for you to die
He said I know sir I've just seen Holte Enders in the sky

He ran down the terraces and then ran towards the gate
Little did he know death was to be his fate
He had one more short hour to live and then he'd hear the cry
That every city fan does fear: Holte Enders in the sky

Their fists where just like granite and their pockets full of lead,
And when they catch a city fan, you know he'll end up dead
Cause Villa fans rule Birmingham and city fans know why,
they've all seen and they've all heard Holte Enders in the sky,

Fantastic

[steamer]

Brassneck to my memory is close,the verses I remember differently, but I could have a memory lapse,
He ran across the terraces his feet they felt like lead,
for pretty  soon he knew, that he would sure be  dead
Because, Villa fans are from Birmingham and city fans know why, because they have all seen and they have all heard, Holte enders in the sky.
Yippee aye etc ,etc

as a youngster in the 70,s this was a song that was sang in pubs at away games , at Villa drinking holes in town, or on coaches to away games.
It was almost reverently sung by guys older than me, along with a few other notables. So I am going to guess it was a late 60,s song
I think if you went in the Aston Tavern before a home game you would hear a couple of different versions.

[Pete3206]

Jeez, those verses are dark.

[Brassneck]

Brassneck to my memory is close,the verses I remember differently, but I could have a memory lapse,
He ran across the terraces his feet they felt like lead,
for pretty  soon he knew, that he would sure be  dead
Because, Villa fans are from Birmingham and city fans know why, because they have all seen and they have all heard, Holte enders in the sky.
Yippee aye etc ,etc

as a youngster in the 70,s this was a song that was sang in pubs at away games , at Villa drinking holes in town, or on coaches to away games.
It was almost reverently sung by guys older than me, along with a few other notables. So I am going to guess it was a late 60,s song
I think if you went in the Aston Tavern before a home game you would hear a couple of different versions.

We all have slightly different memories of songs. I saw “A little piece of Heaven “ written down recently and it was Slightly different to how I remember .

Do you remember the old kenny burns song from the Hole in the Wall?

His name is kenny burns
He has these funny turns
He gets booked every game

Things could be better
He could play for Aston Villa
If he only had a brain

For some reason I can’t explain, this is my favourite all time Villa song

[steamer]

I seem to remember,
"He would be  a better fellar if he played for aston villa, if he only had a brain

[big 1st serve]

   
  Steamer, re The Aston Tavern;

                Do you remember....

                Theres a Football Team, Thats for me & You...
                Come from Villa Park, Play in Claret & Blue...
                And The Holte End Rise, so quite majestically,
                We,re Aston Villa FC, we,re the greatest football team
                you,ll ever see...

               And

                Oh we love Aston Villa & we hate West Brom, but most of all
                we hate Birmingham, & we,ll hang all the City fans one by one
                from the roof of the mighty Holte End

                And of course...

                Francis, Francis...I,ll walk a mile & a bit to rub his face in some
                shit,Oh Francis.

                And

                As I walked out on the steps of the Holte End....*** its a bit
                graphic & includes descriptions of damaging rival fans body parts

                There was a bloke in the Aston Tavern circa 1975, who always
                seemed to start the singing off, & after a few beers  would bang
                a beer tray off his head, while singing; "Mule Train"

               
         
               
               

[in exile]

I think it may have been the 76-77 season.

I would say at least the season before

I would have said it started in our Div 3 days.

Oh, ok. I just don't remember

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

At least the early 60s, which is when I first started going and the song brought the hairs on the back of my neck up.

[WassallVillain]

At least the early 60s, which is when I first started going and the song brought the hairs on the back of my neck up.

It was certainly being sung when I started going to matches in the late 60s

[steamer]

With a bit of time on my hands I tried a bit of detective work.
Holte Enders in the sky is sang to the tune of, Ghost Riders in the sky, it was written by Stan Jones in 1948 and has been covered by many artists and featured in a few films, I think the version that we would have adapted the lyrics from would have been the Frankie Laine one in 1963, which fits in with the memories of a couple of posters.
The song remembered by , big 1st serve is to the tune of, streets of Laredo. This could be related to the Jim Reeves version in 1961 or more likely Roy Orbison in 1963
While looking these up another song struck a chord ( sorry ) which went,
I hear the sound of distant bums (or scums ?)
Over there, over there, (lots of pointing to away fans)
and if they come,clap,clap,clap we will not run
This was Jim reeves, sound of distant drums, also mid 60,s
It seems one or more of our earlier Troubadours were into Country and Western
Some great versions of all these on youtube.

[Pat McMahon]

   
  Steamer, re The Aston Tavern;

                Do you remember....

                Theres a Football Team, Thats for me & You...
                Come from Villa Park, Play in Claret & Blue...
                And The Holte End Rise, so quite majestically,
                We,re Aston Villa FC, we,re the greatest football team
                you,ll ever see...

               And

                Oh we love Aston Villa & we hate West Brom, but most of all
                we hate Birmingham, & we,ll hang all the City fans one by one
                from the roof of the mighty Holte End

               

Big 1st serve, the only time I ever heard the first song above was on the special to Leicester in April 1981. Never heard it before or since and I only recall some of those lyrics.

I've never heard the second song above - what tune was that?

Re HEITS I remember first noticing it it in the 1975 promotion season. Back then it was probably sung at half the speed it is sung now and probably only once or twice a game.

[TonyD]

Can you just imagine the next time it’s sung from the Holte and the rest of VP at the first match after this is all over!   

Could be very loud.

[steamer]

Tonight I watched an old edition of Pointless
One of the Answers was Lee Marvin.
Which took me back to another old 60,s favourite, to the tune of Wanderin star,
" I was born under the Holte end stand, I was born under the Holte end stand" the rest contains references to gratuitous violence.
But another link to my previous post about links to C&Western

[trinityoap]

I am pretty sure we sang some version of this in the pubs before away games in the third division.Can I ask your older subscribers if they ever heard this one? My grandfather taught me this obviously before May 1957.It was a bit bizarre because he was from north London and was a Spurs supporter but Villa were his second team. Come down any old time,down to Villa Park
The Board of Directors will show you around
In Aston they're saying we're Wembley bound
We are steeped in traditional ways
Six times  we've won the cup
So come all you fans in the Holte End and stands
Sing "Up the VILLA up".
I am now in my 70s. but never forgot this.
By the way DW,I've still got the Polaroids!

[in exile]

By the way DW,I've still got the Polaroids!

It's the itching that drives you mad isn't it.