A poem about Liverpool, penned by Scousers, has captured the heart of the city.
It was originally shared by BBC Radio 6 back in March 2019 as part of 6 Music Festival, but has recently resurfaced on social media.
Compiled by British poet, stand-up performer, broadcaster and playwright Murray Lachlan Young, it was written "by Scousers" and arranged by Young.
And it struck a chord with Liverpudlians far and wide.
In a video shared by the official BBC Radio 6 Twitter account, the poet referenced "big hearts, passion, humour and long memories".
The video shows Murray Lachlan Young delivering the rhythmic poem to the camera, sometimes looking down the lens while other times, the camera pans to his side.
In some clips, the footage showcases some of the most iconic parts of the city like the Liver Building.
* We love this poem, but what do you think? Tell us in the comments
The poem itself mentions some of Liverpool's most famous buildings, but also some details that could only come from Scousers - like the Mersey tunnel and the Deaf School.
The poem proved a hit on social media - and you can read it below, in full.
* Do you call yourself a Scouser? Tell us what you think of the S word here
Katherine tweeted: "Summed up Liverpool well!! As a Scouser I loved it! And yes we do have bounce back ability - brilliant! Thank you."
Keep up to date with local news in your area by adding your postcode below:
Liverpool. A peoples’ poem.
Words by Scousers, arrangement – M.L.Young, 01/03/2019
If you want to write a poem about Liverpool
then you really have to live there
And if you don't live there
Then - all you can do
Is ask the people that do…
And they'll wish you luck,
But then they might tell you….
Omit the usual stereotypes
Like “We are all comedians”
Or “the city’s the working man’s last bastion”
the usual "tabloid fodder"
It’s more diverse and complicated than that
Yes, humour, yes, Resilience
Yes, Community,
Random conversations
And a river which comes and goes
And parks and trees.
Accents, humour, energy
and vibrancy,
Strong Women
And creativity,
If you want to write a poem about Liverpool
They’ll tell you…
“Find yourself a little backstreet pub
and sit and listen and hear”
They’ll tell you to look up.
Architecture. Liver birds,
Art Deco murals,
graffiti, gargoyles,
Then, the warmth, the swagger,
the cheek, the laughter
And the Beatles
The Banter
The horrors of the 10A
And don't forget the Deaf School.
Seagulls, Parakeets
Dalglish, Shankley, burglars
drug dealers and Ken Dodd
Ken Dodd’s dad’s dog’s dead.
And that Carl Jung said -
“Liverpool is the pool of life”
Scousers hate injustice.
They can deal with most things but
it has to be fair!
Like the toilet in Kenny Market
that was just a hole
where the toilet should have been
And the Emperor Hirohito’s Brother
Lived on Park Road
Where he was a street cleaner
And they all called him Paddy Murphy
and that’s true - look it up.
The pool of life never leaves your soul
Where Adolph Hitler's brother lived
with his Irish wife
On Upper Stanhope St.
And that Trevor Jordache is still buried
under the patio of 10 Brookside Close.
And daytime Karaoke - that’s a thing, in Liverpool.
Like the sunset at Albert Dock
In the city that faces outwards
Where cruise liners berth in the middle of town.
And if you're lost,
we’ll actually take you to your destination.
Whilst gabbing ten to the dozen
and using the adjectives
"boss" and "sound"
And the Scouse brow and Scouse for tea,
And Wet Nelly for pudding.
And Mersey tunnels, two cathedrals
The 96, Dixie Dean, radio city tower,
Sugar, slaves and
The pools.
Red Rum, Lime Street.
Tarbuck, Pier Head, tickling stick.
"Bouncebackabiliy" The Bucket Fountain
Billy Butler, Bunnymen and Yosser Hughes
and The Las, Mighty Wah,
Pete Best, Half Man Half Biscuit, Probe Records, Eric’s
Gerard Manley Hopkins, Bubble perms
Tony Beep-Beep
The greatest collection of unique individuals
And best potholes on the planet
Liverpool
The one thing which cannot be disputed is:
We don’t give up easy.
Cross the Mersey and see, from a distance
A total eclipse of The S*n
And don’t forget St Lukes.
And the Hillsborough families
And that no matter who you support, red or blue -
attack one - we defend all.
Big hearts, passion, humour and long memories.
Together-stronger - All you need is love
And if you want to write a poem about Liverpool
whatever you write about Liverpool
one thing is for certain
You’ll always end up missing something or someone out.
So "Calm down"
Poem shared with permission of Murray Lachlan Young. You can follow him on Twitter @MurrayLYoung, on Instagram @murrayly or visit his website here.
Murray's latest project is an album mixing music, soundscapes and comedy, available on BandCamp here.
