West Ham supporters have become known for their iconic rendition of the song “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”, with it playing a massive role in each matchday at London Stadium.
Here are the lyrics to the song and the story behind the club’s association with it.
I’m forever blowing bubbles,
Pretty bubbles in the air,
They fly so high,
They reach the sky,
Then like my dream, they fade and die!
Fortunes always hiding,
I’ve looked everywhere,
I’m forever blowing bubbles,
Pretty bubbles in the air!
United! (Clapping)
United! (Clapping)
“I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” was originally written in 1918 and released in late 1919. It was a hit for Ben Selvin’s Novelty Orchestra before it was adopted and revived by West Ham fans.
The song was played at various football grounds, including those of Swansea and Millwall, before it was introduced to the Hammers by former manager Charlie Paynter in the 1920s.
A player, Billy J. ‘Bubbles’ Murray who played for the local Park School side, had a resemblance to a child in a painting named ‘Bubbles’ which was being used in an advert at the time. Headmaster Cornelius Beal would then break into song with “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” when the team played well.
Beal knew Paynter and several West Ham players through schoolboy football. Through that relationship, West Ham fans took it as their own and it remains synonymous with the club to this day.
