The Greasy Chip Butty Song

The Greasy Chip Butty Song is a football chant originally sung by the supporters of Sheffield United football club to the tune of Annie's Song, glorifying the dubious delights of life in Sheffield, in chief the eponymous 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, other football codes teams, and by other sports teams, both in the UK and internationally.

Origin

The provenance of the song is unknown but its origin is often claimed by Sheffield United supporters. It has been claimed it was first stolen by the Blades during Sheffield United's first match of the 1985-86 season in Division 2. This was a Blades 3-1 away win at Stoke City's Victoria Ground on 17 August 1985.

There are claims by near neighbours Rotherham United that they actually sang this during the previous season.

Words and music

The song is to the tune of Annie's Song by John Denver:

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....
Na Na Na Naa Naa Naaaaa, ooo!

Meaning

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. Some people claim that the second line is really Like a gallon of maggots. Maggots are obtained from fishing tackle outlets in denominations of imperial pints and hence this version would not be unreasonable, as fishing is popular in the region and hence a gallon of maggots would mean a good day out fishing.
• Woodbines refers nostalgically to a once popular brand of strong cigarette.
• Snuff is ground tobacco for sniffing up the nose. Snuff produced by Wilson's Snuff Mill is world famous, and produced only a mile away from Bramall Lane.
• A Greasy chip butty can be purchased in any of the many local fish and chip shops. Butty is a slang 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.

Original incidence

The song itself is a plaintive rally-cry by the fans of Sheffield United. It is usually heard on commencement of the 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 domestic versions

Burton Albion FC

Burton Albion are another team who use the chant, with slightly different lyrics:^{[citation needed]}

You light up my senses,
Like a gallon of Peddi,
Like a packet of Walkers,
Like a pinch of good snuff,
Like a night out in Burton,
Like a greasy chip butty,
So come Burton Albion,
Come thrill me again,
Na na na na na na na OOO!

• Peddi refers to the local beer brewed in Burton-on-Trent, Marston's Pedigree. When it was first used is unknown (at least 01/02 season), however it is highly unlikely it is the original source.

Barnsley FC

Barnsley FC are one of Sheffield Uniteds South Yorkshire rivals, and after condemning the Blades to League One football at the end of the 2010/2011 season, the Reds fans coined their own version of the song.

You fill up me senses, like a league game at Yeovil. Like the Johnstones Paint trophy. In an empty old lane. Like a Steel City Derby. In the old Third Division. Oh Sheffield United. You've f**ked up again. Na, na, na, na, na, naaaaaa, ooo!

Radcliffe CC

Fans of Radcliffe Cricket Club have their own version of The Greasy Chip Butty Song

You fill up my senses,
Like a gallon of Carlsberg,
Like a Packet of Woodbine,
Like pinch of good snuff, snuff, snuff, snuff,snuff, snuff,[sic]
Like a night out in Radcliffe,
Like a greasy chip butty,
Will the boys from the Racecourse,
Come fill me again.

• The Racecourse ground is the home ground of Radcliffe Cricket Club.

Grimsby Town FC

Some fans of Football League Two club Grimsby Town F.C. also have created their own version of "The Greasy Chip Butty Song" with lyrics:

You fill up my senses,

Like a barrel of Tetley's,
Like a packet of Woodbine,
Like a good pinch of snuff,
Like a night out in Nunsthorpe,
Like a greasy chip butty,
O, Super Black and Whites,
Come fill me again
Na na na na na Town,

Na na na na na na na

St Helens RLFC

St Helens Rugby League Football Club have also adapted the song:

You light up my senses,
Like a gallon of Greenalls,
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!

Greenalls - In reference to the beer, which originated in the town
Geno's - In honour of a takeaway in St Helens town centre
Martines - A former nightclub in the town that closed down in the late 1990s.
Split,fish and curry - The word split, is used locally and means chips and mushy peas

Newcastle United Football Club

You fill up my senses,

Like a Night at the Hoppings,
Like the Get Carter Car-Park,
Like a Greggs Sausage roll,
Like a Pint down the Quayside,
Like a Ham & Pea Stottie,
O, Newcastle United,
Come thrill me again
Na na na na na,

Na na na na na na na

Northampton Saints RFC

The song has been adapted by Northampton Saints Rugby Union fans also

You light up my senses

Like a Pint of Dog Bolter
Like a packet scratchings
Like a try from Air Brooce! (Brooce, Brooce)
Like a night out in Jimmies
Like the Weedon Road Chippy
Oh Nor-thamp-ton Rugby
Come thill me again....

Na Na Na Naa Naa Naaaaa, Ooooh!

Worcester Warriors RFC

The song has been adapted by Worcester Warriors Rugby Union fans also

You fill up my senses

Like a night out in Worcester
Like a try from Nick Baxter
Like a good squirt of sauce
Like a pub crawl down The Tything
Like the Gold 'n' Blue Warriors
So come Faithful City
Come thill me again....

Na Na Na Naa Naa Naaaaa, Ooooh!

The Greasy Chip Butty Song internationally

Canada

Toronto FC have also adapted the song, and they sell chip butties at matches at BMO Field.

You fill up my senses,
Like a gallon of Fifty,
Like a Tim's double-double,
And a big WALNUT CRUNCH!
Like a night out at Beeee-MO,
Like a greasy chip butty...
Like Tor-on-to F-C,
Come fill me again!
Na na na na naa Ooo!

• For reference purposes... "Fifty" refers to Labatt 50, one of Canada’s best-selling beers, a "Tim's double-double" refers to a coffee with two creams and two sugars from the Tim Hortons doughnut chain, and the "walnut crunch" is a popular doughnut sold at Tim Hortons.

Norway

Fans of the Norwegian Association Football team Strømsgodset IF translated the song into Norwegian and it soon became a terrace favourite.^{[citation needed]}

Du fyller mine sanser,
Som et glass med St. Hallvard,
Som en pris under leppa,
Som ei halv ei med Aass,
Som ei natt ute i Drammen,
Som ei pølse på Dalen,
Åh Strømsgodset IF,
Kom fyll meg igjen,
Na na na na na na na OOO!

Chengdu Blades and The Greasy Egg Noodle Song

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.

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...

External links

• You Fill Up My Senses...by Blades4PremTake2 (U8741018) 20 December 2007
• Google Video: The Greasy Chip Butty Song