Football anthems and soccer songs, including one by Pop Will Eat Itself
May 27, 2016 9:46 PM Subscribe
There are a ton of football (soccer, for the US hooligans) songs and chants (Wiki category), enough to warrant a 4 CD compilation of "hit anthems" back in 2010, with such notables as Come On England and Goldenballs, which got both 4-4-2 and Bell and Spurling on Top of the Pops for their respective songs. But what about those lads who petitioned (but failed) to have FIFA get the Italian pornstar-turned-MP Ilona ‘Cicciolina’ Staller to present the 1990 World Cup trophy, Pop Will Eat Itself? They had their turn on TOTP with their unofficial World Cup anthem, Touched By The Hand Of Cicciolina (SFW music video).
This seems like a somewhat appropriate place to drop this video of all the Australian Rules Football Club Songs. Many of them have taken their tunes from various songs, with a surprising number taken from American patriotic songs.
A good 15 years ago or so, I, an American, was visiting Australia and went to see Hawthorn ("The Yankee Doodle Boy" at Melbourne ("You're a Grand Old Flag"), because it's a crazy sport everyone should see at least once. They started playing the team songs over the PA, and the words were somewhat hard to make out, so it sure sounded like they had a whole playlist to welcome the Americans to the stadium. I don't remember who won, but I remember those team songs.
posted by zachlipton at 10:03 PM on May 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
A good 15 years ago or so, I, an American, was visiting Australia and went to see Hawthorn ("The Yankee Doodle Boy" at Melbourne ("You're a Grand Old Flag"), because it's a crazy sport everyone should see at least once. They started playing the team songs over the PA, and the words were somewhat hard to make out, so it sure sounded like they had a whole playlist to welcome the Americans to the stadium. I don't remember who won, but I remember those team songs.
posted by zachlipton at 10:03 PM on May 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
He's done alright for himself, has Clint Poppie.
Of course Adam and Joe have the best football song: The Footie Song
FOOT + KICK + BALL = GOAL
posted by Artw at 10:04 PM on May 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Of course Adam and Joe have the best football song: The Footie Song
FOOT + KICK + BALL = GOAL
posted by Artw at 10:04 PM on May 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
"Touched by the Hand of Cicciolina" was peak PWEI. All other football anthems pale in comparison.
posted by N-stoff at 12:22 AM on May 28, 2016
posted by N-stoff at 12:22 AM on May 28, 2016
A hit anthems album without "Sunshine on Leith"? Hmm, maybe they should admit, as another anthem goes, "We're shite, and we know we are!"
posted by scruss at 4:32 AM on May 28, 2016
posted by scruss at 4:32 AM on May 28, 2016
That collection seems pretty England-centric, which means that of course they're missing all the good stuff.
Like this one, by far the best world cup anthem ever made, Global Fussball OK. Allen sind ready, ready für fussball!
posted by effbot at 4:59 AM on May 28, 2016
Like this one, by far the best world cup anthem ever made, Global Fussball OK. Allen sind ready, ready für fussball!
posted by effbot at 4:59 AM on May 28, 2016
Please be sure to check out the semi-official hymn for Euro 2016 French team.
posted by nims at 6:42 AM on May 28, 2016
posted by nims at 6:42 AM on May 28, 2016
peak PWEI.
Maybe that Can U Dig It? lyric should have been "Bobby Moore knows the score"?
posted by Paul Slade at 10:05 AM on May 28, 2016
Maybe that Can U Dig It? lyric should have been "Bobby Moore knows the score"?
posted by Paul Slade at 10:05 AM on May 28, 2016
TIL "World in Motion" (1990) was New Order's only song to chart #1 in the UK.
(here's another PWEI track. early 90s was peak alternative IMO)
posted by kurumi at 10:28 AM on May 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
(here's another PWEI track. early 90s was peak alternative IMO)
posted by kurumi at 10:28 AM on May 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
'We Are the Champions' has always amused me, at least in the American football context- this incredible macho venue, and Freddie Mercury presiding over it all.
posted by MtDewd at 11:34 AM on May 28, 2016
posted by MtDewd at 11:34 AM on May 28, 2016
We are talking football anthems yes? , well "Sunshine on Leith" is up there surely ;
Hibs Fans singing after last weeks cup win
The Proclaimers are Hibs fans , Hibs are a teams from Leith , so there is a certain logic and lovelyness around the fans adopting this song, I actually dont like the original , but the massed choir version is something ...
posted by burr1545 at 12:44 PM on May 28, 2016
Hibs Fans singing after last weeks cup win
The Proclaimers are Hibs fans , Hibs are a teams from Leith , so there is a certain logic and lovelyness around the fans adopting this song, I actually dont like the original , but the massed choir version is something ...
posted by burr1545 at 12:44 PM on May 28, 2016
A hit anthems album without "Sunshine on Leith"? Hmm, maybe they should admit, as another anthem goes, "We're shite, and we know we are!"
It's an absolutely bizarre compilation that doesn't even work terribly well as a collection of English football tunes. You've got official and unofficial theme songs from different World Cup campaigns but it's missing the real biggie - Three Lions, and the version of World in Motion isn't by New Order. It's got songs associated with big games (like 'Abide With Me' - the FA Cup song). It's got songs played as theme music on football shows...well, OK. It's got some songs associated with clubs, or that get played before games - but there's no 'You'll Never Walk Alone', 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles''Blaydon Races' or any of the Man Utd songs. Instead there's novelty hits by footballers, but not even all of them.
posted by Pink Frost at 2:40 PM on May 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
It's an absolutely bizarre compilation that doesn't even work terribly well as a collection of English football tunes. You've got official and unofficial theme songs from different World Cup campaigns but it's missing the real biggie - Three Lions, and the version of World in Motion isn't by New Order. It's got songs associated with big games (like 'Abide With Me' - the FA Cup song). It's got songs played as theme music on football shows...well, OK. It's got some songs associated with clubs, or that get played before games - but there's no 'You'll Never Walk Alone', 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles''Blaydon Races' or any of the Man Utd songs. Instead there's novelty hits by footballers, but not even all of them.
posted by Pink Frost at 2:40 PM on May 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
What is the process in which chants and songs are adopted by fans? Is it spontaneous or is it through official vetting? I get an artist releases a song, but the chants in the the stands.
posted by jadepearl at 8:56 AM on May 29, 2016
posted by jadepearl at 8:56 AM on May 29, 2016
Ooh, I can answer this one. (First an apology to filthy light thief for the negativity in my first reply; it's an interesting FPP and always good to be reminded of PWEI).
Anyway, it's basically spontaneous, not official, but with some exceptions.
Firstly you've got your traditional external songs that are become with one club. They were picked up decades ago and will probably always be sung by that club: 'You'll Never Walk Alone', which Liverpool adopted after Gerry and the Pacemakers released a version in 1964, is probably the canonical example. [There's some argument that Celtic fans sang it first, but that seems less likely given that Gerry and the Pacemakers are a Liverpool group].
Then you've got songs that are written for or about a club, whether officially or not: Manchester United fans still sing Edric Connor's United Calypso, released in 1957, but whether that's because the club played it over the PA system, or the fans started it first and the club adopted it, I don't know.
Then you have what are essentially traditional/folk songs: tunes that quickly become adopted by multiple clubs. Obviously someone started using them first, but most people wouldn't know who. And some of the songs seem bizarre at first glance: Go West ("One nil, to the Arsenal"); Son of My Father ("Oh Gary Gary, Gary Gary Gary Gary Linekar"); Seven Nation Army ("Oooooh, Robin Van Persie"); Brown Girl in the Ring ("Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Tra-la-la-la-lah"); Blue Moon ("Keano, there's only one Keano"); and (very common right now) Sloop John B ("He plays on the left, he plays on the ri-ii-ight, that boy Ronaldo, makes England look shite"). [Using Manchester United here as an example, other teams are available].
Those ones tend to be almost spontaneous, everyone knows the tune so anyone can start a chant - my friend managed "who let the goals in? You! You!" from close behind the opposition goalkeeper.
But the really interesting thing is the chants that are specifically developed. In the case of Manchester United, there's a guy called Pete Boyle, who basically leads meetings in the pub before the game, and workshops chants and songs with his friends. Then they try to get those chants going when United play at other grounds (it's easier, because there are fewer fans to learn the words). Then the rest of us see them singing on TV, and when United play at home everyone else joins in. Boyle has written probably hundreds of chants over the decades.
And then you get answering chants. So for a while Man Utd mocked their local rivals with:
'So this is how it feels to be City / this is how it feels to be small / this is how it feels when your team wins nothing at all' (to the tune of Manchester band the Inspiral Carpets, This is How it Feels).
When City got successful they stole the chant, repurposed the last line as 'you signed Bebe, and we signed Kun Aguero' (referring to a famously bad United signing and a very good City one).
United then turned it around again after City were eliminated early from the European Champions league as 'this is how it feels when your passport's back in the drawer' (video shows United fans singing this while waving their own passports in the air....)
posted by Pink Frost at 1:31 PM on May 29, 2016 [4 favorites]
Anyway, it's basically spontaneous, not official, but with some exceptions.
Firstly you've got your traditional external songs that are become with one club. They were picked up decades ago and will probably always be sung by that club: 'You'll Never Walk Alone', which Liverpool adopted after Gerry and the Pacemakers released a version in 1964, is probably the canonical example. [There's some argument that Celtic fans sang it first, but that seems less likely given that Gerry and the Pacemakers are a Liverpool group].
Then you've got songs that are written for or about a club, whether officially or not: Manchester United fans still sing Edric Connor's United Calypso, released in 1957, but whether that's because the club played it over the PA system, or the fans started it first and the club adopted it, I don't know.
Then you have what are essentially traditional/folk songs: tunes that quickly become adopted by multiple clubs. Obviously someone started using them first, but most people wouldn't know who. And some of the songs seem bizarre at first glance: Go West ("One nil, to the Arsenal"); Son of My Father ("Oh Gary Gary, Gary Gary Gary Gary Linekar"); Seven Nation Army ("Oooooh, Robin Van Persie"); Brown Girl in the Ring ("Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Tra-la-la-la-lah"); Blue Moon ("Keano, there's only one Keano"); and (very common right now) Sloop John B ("He plays on the left, he plays on the ri-ii-ight, that boy Ronaldo, makes England look shite"). [Using Manchester United here as an example, other teams are available].
Those ones tend to be almost spontaneous, everyone knows the tune so anyone can start a chant - my friend managed "who let the goals in? You! You!" from close behind the opposition goalkeeper.
But the really interesting thing is the chants that are specifically developed. In the case of Manchester United, there's a guy called Pete Boyle, who basically leads meetings in the pub before the game, and workshops chants and songs with his friends. Then they try to get those chants going when United play at other grounds (it's easier, because there are fewer fans to learn the words). Then the rest of us see them singing on TV, and when United play at home everyone else joins in. Boyle has written probably hundreds of chants over the decades.
And then you get answering chants. So for a while Man Utd mocked their local rivals with:
'So this is how it feels to be City / this is how it feels to be small / this is how it feels when your team wins nothing at all' (to the tune of Manchester band the Inspiral Carpets, This is How it Feels).
When City got successful they stole the chant, repurposed the last line as 'you signed Bebe, and we signed Kun Aguero' (referring to a famously bad United signing and a very good City one).
United then turned it around again after City were eliminated early from the European Champions league as 'this is how it feels when your passport's back in the drawer' (video shows United fans singing this while waving their own passports in the air....)
posted by Pink Frost at 1:31 PM on May 29, 2016 [4 favorites]
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But do it at the right time
You can be slow or fast
But you must get to the line
They'll always hit you and hurt you
Defend and attack
There's only one way to beat them
Get round the back
Also, speaking of Poppies, the 4 CD compilation includes "Lux Aeterna" written by, you guessed it, Clint Mansell.
posted by infinitewindow at 9:59 PM on May 27, 2016