I recall one day in 1969 hearing a boy in school singing "Viva Bobby Moore, viva Bobby Moore". Bobby Moore I knew was England captain but quite where the song came from I was not sure. I now realise it must have been a chant on the terraces and is based on the song by the multi-racial group The Equals. The writer of the song was Eddy Grant, who went on to have solo success. It is not clear what the Equals are singing about and the words give little away. They are presumably referencing a musician in the funk style (Bobby Joe and his funk machine) and how everybody's gonna see a sensation. He has already been from Liverpool to Brighton ... in next to no time and now he is about to do a homecoming gig for the first time ... since he made the big time. "Bobby's gonna do an open-air show for free". Is it a veiled reference to Bob Marley? The football chant was eventually released in punk style in 1994 by The Business. "Bobby Moore viva Bobby Moore ... Bobby Moore's football machine. Everybody knew they'd seen a sensation, a sensation. Hear what I say now Bobby Moore's football machine ... West Ham to England's Wembley, They knew it just maybe he's the best they have ever seen. Taught people how to play, the football game including Pele who said he was the best he' d ever seen ... No. 6 was all he knew he was the best in red white and blue. Turned out to be the Captain of the crew. Beckenbauer would look in awe, Bobby was the score in a sensation." The song was also sung by other football crowds in celebration of others such as Billy Best of Southend United. There was a French version of the original song by Claude François - Vivre que c'est bon. It was adapted by François and Ann Grégory.
