From 'Wise Men Say', to 'We're on our way'. As Sunderland's signature songs boomed around Wembley Stadium at full-time, with 46,500 fans joining in with gusto through tears of joy and relief, it felt like a huge cloud had lifted.
The vast majority had never seen their team win at Wembley, despite multiple visits over the decades since the club's 1973 FA Cup triumph. None had seen their team win a play-off final. Until now.
So they deserved to celebrate under the arch, and those celebrations continued long into the night back at Trafalgar Square - the traditional London rallying point for Sunderland fans which had also been packed on the eve of the final. From their first game following relegation to the third tier against Charlton Athletic at the Stadium of Light in August 2018, to this weekend's play-off final, Sunderland had spent 1,387 days wandering in the League One darkness.
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But the Black Cats' victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley provided a glorious ending to what has been the most ignominious chapter in the club's history. They have now emerged blinking back into the light, and will play Championship football next season.
Head coach Alex Neil has become a totemic figure since his arrival in February for the way he galvanised a squad that had hit the skids, and a fanbase that was flirting with open revolt as it looked like promotion was slipping away and the new ownership was not all it had been cracked up to be, and delivered first a place in the play-off and, ultimately, promotion. The players who sprayed champagne over each other following the trophy presentation have written themselves into the club's history.
It may be only promotion from the third tier, but that did not tarnish the achievements of players such as Marco Gabbiadini, Eric Gates, Gary Bennett, and Gordon Armstrong, who are still treated as heroes on Wearside nearly 35 years after they dragged the club out of its previous brush with life at that level.
Sunderland created new heroes this weekend in the shape of Wembley goalscorers Ross Stewart and Elliot Embleton, young goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, defender Bailey Wright - who played despite suffering from a sickness bug, and travelled to London by helicopter to keep him separate to the rest of the squad - midfielder Corry Evans who has been transformed under Neil, while the craft and guile brought by Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts was too much for Wycombe to handle.
Those were just a few of the stand-out players on the day, but the whole team deserves to share the credit. And not only the team, the entire squad because without the contributions of Dan Neil, Nathan Broadhead, Jack Clarke, and Callum Doyle - who were on the bench on the day - along with Carl Winchester, who missed out on the final weeks through injury, it would not have been possible.
Neil's predecessor in the hotseat Lee Johnson, too, should look back with pride at the first half of the season before things tailed off in the run-up to his sacking. The play-off final itself could have been a nervy affair given Sunderland's history and the fact they were coming up against a Wycombe side whose physical style - and set-piece mastery - can be difficult to combat.
But Sunderland showed they were in the mood right from the off, and could have scored twice inside the opening five minutes. As it was, they were ahead inside a quarter-of-an-hour when Embleton drove forward through the middle and hit a swerving shot which deceived goalkeeper David Stockdale, who could only help it into the net.
Stewart could have added another before half-time but was denied by Stockdale, and early in the second half the Scot headed inches wide. Wycombe's best chances came from Sunderland errors, but when Wright misread the bounce of the ball inside the box to let in Sam Vokes, Patterson was there to make the save.
And when a double-ricochet put sub Brandon Hanlan in on goal, he sent his shot tamely at Patterson. Even though Sunderland held only a slender lead, they controlled the game for the most part and at no point did they look in danger of losing.
Stewart did eventually get his goal - his 26th of a magnificent season - ten minutes from time, firing low into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, and that killed the game off. In the closing stages, Clarke and Roberts both had chances to add a third but the former was denied by Stockdale and the latter steered his shot narrowly wide.
But two goals were enough.
Sunderland are back in the Championship. They're on their way.
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