North London Forever Arsenal's Iconic Anthem Lyrics

Louis Dunford's "North London Forever," has taken the Arsenal fanbase by storm.

Its rapid adoption and widespread acclaim beg the question: What makes this anthem so special, why has it become integral to the club's identity, and does it contribute to Arsenal's recent success on the pitch?

Arsenal has one one of the most vocal fanbases in the Premier League. It's also one the most successful clubs in English football. The historic club boats a vast collection of songs about current players and club legends that they regularly belt out during matches.

Who Created Arsenal's Anthem?

Louis Dunford created Arsenal's new anthem North London Forever via his song the Angel. He is the son of English actress and television personality Linda Robson and her husband Mark Dunford. 

Arsenal's Anthem Singer - Louis Dunford

Born and raised in North London, Louis Dunford released the popular song 'The Angel' in February 2022.

Dunford's song was featured in the Amazon Original documentary series All or Nothing: Arsenal about the 2021–22 Arsenal F.C. season. 

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta

I’ve been searching for many months for a song, an anthem before kick-off so that everybody feels part of what we are doing and it has some DNA about our club. It’s by Louis Dunford, he wrote a song about the streets of North Londo. I want you to play in an incredible atmosphere. The fans are really pushing it now to be played. 

Mikel Arteta's speach to his players before the Leeds game in May 2022

Mikel Arteta picked up the song as a new club anthem to create a stronger bond with fans and an electric atmosphere at the Emirates.

The Importance of the North London Forever Anthem

When discussions arise about football club anthems, ones that resonate often include Liverpool's "You'll Never Walk Alone" or Nottingham Forest's adaptation of "Mull of Kintyre." These classics have stood the test of time, becoming iconic worldwide.

Born and raised in Islington, North London, Louis Dunford has been an unwavering Arsenal supporter throughout his life. "North London Forever" intricately weaves the narrative of growing up in the capital, capturing the essence of the changing landscape of the city. Despite witnessing the transformation of familiar childhood places in the process of modernization, Dunford eloquently portrays the unyielding spirit of the community - "cause the manor might be changing, but the people still remain."

Arsenal's anthem North London Forever has become iconic for Arsenal, not only for its catchy melody but also for its profound connection to the club's heritage and the enduring spirit of North London.

North London Forever Arsenal Lyrics

North London forever
Whatever the weather
These streets are our own
And my heart will leave you, never
My blood will forever
Run through the stone

The Angel by Louis Duford - Song lyrics (North London Forever Full Song)

As I walk these streets alone, through this borough I call home
Upon the baron fields of Highbury 'neath the stadiums of stone
Through the turnstiles at The Angel, see the homeless on the green
From The Cally to The Cross, and every shithole in between

Pass the church, the mosque, a crack den, and the offie on the corner
See the brasses from the brothel that pretends to be a sauna
Watch the bedlam in the bookies, see the winners and the losers
Seeking solace from their sorrow in the local battle cruisers

Through the madness in the market, weathered faces turn to greet ya
"'Ello gov'nor, how's your mother?"
"You alright, son, be lucky, geezer"
Double pie and mash and liquor, a Cuppa Rosie Lee up chap
Or watch retired gangsters bicker, every day in Arthur's café

The little fuckers causing trouble, for the cozzers make you smile
You meet ya muckers for a couple, forget your troubles for a while
From The Thornhill to The Hemmy, all the faces are the same
'Cause the manor might be changing, but the people still remain

North London forever
Whatever the weather, these streets are our own
And my heart will leave you, never
My blood will forever, run through the stone

As I walk these streets alone, through a kingdom made of chrome
I see them ripping up the cobbles, and tearing down our childhood homes
I see the architecture changing, watch the history disappear
And the skyline rearranging into towers of veneer

But I see the remnants of a London that they thought they could erase
Every time I hear the old school talk about the good old days
Or every time I watch the football and have a ruby with the lads
See an hoister selling clobber or a dealer shooting bags

It's in the single mothers juggling a baby and a job
In every single brother struggling that wound up in the dock
It's in the roots and the foundations, still clinging to the land
It's in the bricks that built the Morland and Popham that still stand

It's in my family and my friends, in every gram and every Benz
It's in the roots that we inherit when a generation ends
It's in the ruins of your youth and the faces of your past
'Cause the manor might be changing, but the people always last

North London forever
Whatever the weather, these streets are our own
And my heart will leave you, never
My blood will forever, run through the stone

What Makes the Arsenal Anthem North London Forever So Special?