Ferry Cross The Mersey by Gerry & the Pacemakers

Album: Ferry Cross The Mersey (1964)

Charted: 8 6

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Songfacts®:

The Mersey Ferry runs along the Mersey river from Liverpool to the Wirral Peninsula in England. It still runs, but these days is mostly a tourist attraction. Written by lead singer Gerry Marsden, the song is a nostalgic look at the area where he is from.
The music played by bands from the Liverpool area around this time became known as the "Mersey Sound." This song came to symbolize the style, which was made famous by The Beatles and The Kinks.
In 1965, Gerry & the Pacemakers starred in a film called Ferry Cross The Mersey, which was based on this song. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Mark - Sarnia, ON
"Ferry Cross The Mersey" was remade in May 1989 as a charity version to help those affected by the Hillsborough disaster, which claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool football fans. Featuring Gerry Marsden and other Liverpool stars such as Paul McCartney, The Christians, and Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Holly Johnson, it reached #1 in the UK and raised millions of pounds.

Comments: 9

Vivion O'kelly from SpainI was on the ferry in the summer of '64 when Gerry and the Pacemakers were filmed performing the song.
Wirral. from WirralThe song is about Gerrys love for Wirral which is a short ferry ride from Liverpool to Wirral. He loved it so much he lived here permenantly.
Tom from FlI just love the feeling and melody of this song awesome song
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 11th 1965, Gerry and the Pacemakers performed "It's Gonna Be Alright" and "Ferry Cross the Mersey" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
At the time "It's Gonna Be Alright" was at #43 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and at one position lower at #44 was "Ferry Across the Mersey"...
"It's Gonna Be Alright" was working its way up the chart, on May 9th it would peak at #23; while "Ferry Across the Mersey" was heading down the chart, the month before on March 21st it reached #6 for two weeks.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 6th, 1964, the movie "Ferry Cross the Mersey" starring Gerry & the Pacemakers had its world premier in London, England...
Two months later on February 19th, 1965 its U.S.A. premier was in New York City...
Two songs from the movie made Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; the title song peaked at #6 and spent 11 weeks on the Top 100, while "It's Gonna Be Alright" reached #23 and stayed on the Top 100 for 8 weeks.
Randy from Portage, InGerry Marsden has one of the most distinct voices in all of rock.
Michael from Kissimmee, FlI read somewhere that this song also refers to the warm welcome the Pacemakers received during their first tour of the United States.
Roman from Barrie, Onas indicated in one of the other comments, the ferry is somewhat of a tourist attraction in addition to a local transportation mode. the blood pressure rises as the ferry returns back to Liverpool and this song is blasted over the crisp P A system on the boat, it's almost as if the band was there performing the song...
Guy from Woodinville, WaLove the song. Gloria Esteban's cover is nice, too. When we visited England and I made my pilgrimage to Liverpool, it was ironic to think of the song as we drove through the tunnel under the river.

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