Unlike the mysterious beginning at Stoke, the history of the running out music as used by Everton is well documented.
Was going to pose another open question as to where, when and why and how the theme from Z Cars is used at Goodison, but Wikipedia answered that:
“On matchdays players walk out to the theme tune to Z-Cars, called ‘Johnny Todd’, a traditional Liverpool children’s song collected in 1890 by Frank Kidson which tells the story of a sailor betrayed by his lover while away at sea.”
» Gwladys Street End – Theme From Z-Cars
Further to this Wikipedia adds:
“Based on the traditional folk song Johnny Todd, the Z-Cars theme tune was arranged by Fritz Spiegl and performed by John Keating and his Orchestra. The single reached #5 on the UK singles chart in April 1962.
It was soon adopted by fans of the football club Everton, who are based in Liverpool near to where the programme supposedly took place. To this day, the theme tune is still played as the team come out onto the pitch at the beginning of all their home matches.”
We are very familiar with the Z-Cars theme (well, those of a certain age anyway), but not the song Johnny Todd. The first couple of verses »
Johnny Todd he took a notion
For to cross the ocean wide.
There he left his true love a-weeping
Waiting by the Liverpool tide.
For a week she wept full sorely,
Tore her hair and wrung her hands
Till she met with another sailor
Walking on the Liverpool sands.
There are a few artists who have covered it. Including – and probably obviously by the (Liverpool) Spinners, Bob Dylan, some Irish folk singers and even a sea shanty. (Although looking at the lyrics it could claim to be more as a shanty than a folk song).
There was another group a few years later who also called themselves the Spinners.
They were known in the UK as the Detroit Spinners
This is from The Genuine Basement Tapes, which is a collection of demo recordings. A bit of a racket even for Bob.
The Clancy Brothers were an Irish folk music singing group, most popular in the 1960s,
who are often credited with popularizing Irish traditional music in the United States.
» Clancy Bros & Tommy Makem – Johnny Todd
The shanty:
to the gent who wrote about the Z-cars tune and Johnny Todd.
If he would like a lot more information about the song and other liverpool folk-songs, my page will help him.
If he cares to supply a postal address I will send him a free copy of myself singing a lot of these songs including Johnny Todd. (If he’s feeling flush, then he can buy a copy at the 08 Place shop in Whitechapel.
Gerry