North London Forever chant, lyrics and story

Arsenal’s revival under Mikel Arteta has been so pronounced that the period of mid-table frustration under Unai Emery already feels like a distant memory for many supporters.

The Spaniard has overseen three successive second-place finishes in the Premier League, and with the Gunners once again in the title conversation this season, belief around the club continues to grow.

While silverware remains the ultimate target, Arteta’s influence has extended well beyond results on the pitch, particularly in how he has reconnected the fanbase with the team.

The Emirates Stadium has transformed into one of the loudest grounds in the country over the past few campaigns, with new Arsenal hants emerging regularly as optimism around the club has surged.

At the heart of that atmosphere is ‘North London Forever’, an anthem that has become synonymous with Arsenal’s matchday identity and is now sung before every home game.

To learn more about the song’s lyrics, melody and how it became a fixture at the Emirates, read on.

North London Forever chant lyrics and tune

The North London Forever chant is an original song written and sung by Louis Mark Dunford. The lyrics are as follows:

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

North London Forever background

The song was released in 2022 by Louis Dunford as an ode to his home town of Islington and his family and friends who live there. Very quickly after it was released, Arsenal fans began sharing it on social media, which clearly attracted the interest of Mikel Arteta.

Arteta then invited Dunford to the club's training ground to meet the players, and he was then invited to a match against Leeds. On that same day, the crowd spontaneously started singing the chorus to North London Forever, and Arteta spoke afterwards about the impact that it had on his players. The Spaniard said:

“It was really emotional. I think there is a link with the way the team started because they were making comments in the dressing room, hearing the song with the spirit and emotion that they did, it was unique.

“I have never experienced that here, it was the first time and I really enjoyed it and I hope that the fans enjoyed it too.”

The fans clearly did, as ever since, it has been sung before every home match.

Arsenal fans singing North London Forever

FGG says: Say what you like, it does its job

The North London Forever chant has faced plenty of ridicule since Arsenal fans started singing it. Some have labelled it ‘cringey', while others have labelled it ‘manufactured'.

At the end of the day, these anthems have to be new at some point, and in time, they will perhaps receive more recognition. For now, though, it's clearly having an impact on the fans, players and staff at Arsenal, and that's all that matters.