Gerry And The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone

You’ll Never Walk Alone is a very emotional song for me, and occupies opposite ends of the spectrum of happiness.

Ever since I was young, I’ve followed the fortunes of Liverpool Football Club, although as the son of an Evertonian, I’m not quite sure how that happened. As everyone knows, You’ll Never Walk Alone is the club anthem, and regularly shakes the foundations of Anfield and many a rival stadium. So for the longest time, this song has been the soundtrack to my football spectating - consoling us in our disappointments, but more often celebrating our great victories. The 80s was a fantastic time to be growing up as a Liverpudlian.

Nearly two years ago, however, it gained a more mournful association. A song which, for me, invoked great happiness and elation, a song to sing when you’ve achieved your dreams, now also marks the greatest sorrow, the monumental gulf in my life. For a long time I had mixed feelings about the fact that my father chose it to be played at my sister’s funeral; upset that it had been taken away from me as a song of celebration, and guilt for allowing football to cloud our family’s darkest hour.

But it obviously has great meaning to my Dad too. And the sentiment and lyrics of the song are perfect. With the passing of time, my fears that it would be a constant reminder of that painful time have proved unfounded, for to be reminded I must first have forgotten. It is a truly great song, for it has taken up the extra burden without faltering, and is now also a celebration of the memory of Karen.