Aston Villa anthems – Why do fans sing Holte Enders in the Sky and Hi Ho Silver Lining?
Aston Villa have a number of songs linked to their tradition and history.
Aston Villa are known as the Villans due to the unique name of the location where William McGregor and Co. formed the club.
With that being said, there are questions to be raised about other traditions at Villa Park, which make up the matchday experience to this day.
Whether fans went to a game 15 years ago or today under Unai Emery, the noise, chants and songs around the B6 stadium have largely stayed the same.
As a result, Villa News looks at why Villa fans are known for singing Ghost Riders in the Sky and Hi Ho Silver Lining without fail at home fixtures.
Why do Aston Villa fans sing Holte Enders in the Sky?
It is fair to say that hearing “Holte Enders in the Sky” is one of the more unique chants on the terraces throughout all of English football.
This has become a way to dedicate songs to those who are no longer with us, taking on sentimental purposes for many on a matchday.
With that being said, its origins weren’t so wholesome as the chant is based on the Jonny Cash single “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky,” released in 1979.
Bizarrely, the song tells a story about a cowboy who has a vision of red-eyed cows thundering across the sky, while being chased by the spirits of damned cowboys.
This was ultimately transformed into an anti-Birmingham City anthem for the Villans:
As I walked down to Villa Park one dark and dusty day,
I spied a poor old City fan running far away,
I said to that poor City fan, it looks like you must die, ‘Cuz you have seen the glory of … Holte Enders in the sky.
Nowadays, words relating to those lot across the second city have been removed to form a much more iconic anthem that every Villa fan can relate to.
Why do Aston Villa fans sing Hi Ho Silver Lining?
Arguably, Hi Ho Silver Lining is one of the most widely used songs around English football stadiums up and down the ladder.
Many teams utilise the song before kick-off, with their own team name taking over to get behind their side.
Villa fans do it better than most, and the anthem also has an interesting story in B6 that gives it a special meaning to the claret and blue faithful.
Jeff Beck’s song resurfaced in the 1990s, having initially been released in 1968, and was then recorded by Villa fan, Dave Chance and released on cassette under the name “Hi Ho Aston Villa”.
This was then played at the final game with the Holte End terrace looking over the pitch, although there had been prior demands to play You’ll Never Walk Alone to appease the travelling Liverpool fans.
The decision to go against this wish has led to Hi Ho Silver Lining being belted out by supporters ahead of some massive fixtures over the years.
Sign up for the Villa News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Aston Villa news sent straight to your phone.