what is their Irene song all about?
It had me thinking as well. It's certainly different, not heard it elsewhere. I wish we a song or two of our own rather than recycling the rubbish you can hear it any other football ground. This is what Wikipedia has to say about it...
The song which is synonymous with Rovers - sung by fans in support of (and often commiseration with!) the team is "Goodnight Irene", which was originally popularised by The Weavers and written by Leadbelly.
Opinions differ as to how this came about but it is thought to have become popular in the 1950s when a version of the song was in the British charts - the line "sometimes I have a great notion to jump in the river and drown" - seemed to be particularly apt when Rovers lost as the Bristol Frome flows alongside the old Eastville ground.
Another theory is that is was sung at a fireworks display at the Stadium the night before a Home game against Plymouth Argyle in the fifties. During the game the following day, Rovers were winning quite comfortably and the few Argyle supporters present began to leave early prompting a chorus of "Goodnight Argyle" from the Rovers supporters - the tune stuck and "Irene" became the club song.
It's always really pissed me off that rovers have a classy club song, that everyone accepts, abd everyone sings.
Bastards!
