5 Most Memorable Football Songs Ever
In the weeks leading up to each European Championship or World Cup, countless tournament songs appear. In every participating country, there is a band that writes a catchy text about the upcoming success of his or her country. A large part of these songs is not very uplifting, but every now and then there is suddenly a song that sticks and becomes a big hit. You might read music for football somewhere on hesgoal, but these are five iconic football songs from the past that you must have listened to.
5. World in Motion – New Order (1990)
The English football public is used to the fact that the songs about the national team in the run-up to a major tournament are of a questionable level. Until 1990 pop group New Order is approached to make a song for the World Cup in Italy. The result is a surprisingly pleasant uptempo song that is even been number one on the English charts for a while.
The original plan is that all 22 selection players would work on the clip. However, 16 players see the outing as an opportunity to dive into the pub with each other and so only six footballers show up. Remarkably, Paul Gascoigne is one of the six players who choose to work with him. However, it is not Gazza who steals the show, but John Barnes. In the clip, the midfielder gets an extensive chance to showcase his rap talent. To this day, Barnes gets the request from fans to do the rap from World in Motion one more time.
4. Schwarz und Weiß – Oliver Pocher (2006)
German football is after the failed Euro 2004 quiet in the pit. There must be a change for the World Cup of 2006 in their own country, thinks comedian Oliver Pocher. He releases the song Schwarz und Weiß and scores a huge hit.
The song gets extra meaning after the quarterfinals of Germany against Argentina. Germany wins on penalties and striker Lukas Podolski jumps into the crowd to hand Pocher his match shirt. In the years that follow, Schwarz und Weiß becomes the German football song. Until 2016, the song was played for every home game of Germany.
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3. Don’t come home too soon – Del Amitri (1998)
In 1998, the Scottish band Del Amitri opted for an unusual approach to their World Cup song. Where normally it is sung with confidence that the World Cup is going home, this band goes for depressive realism. Don’t come home too soon is the band’s plea to the Scottish selection. A place in the next round is enough to speak of a successful World Cup. Unfortunately for Del Amitri, to no avail. Scotland finishes last in the group with one point and therefore comes back home very quickly. Scots still speak to singer Justin Currie to say that he should be ashamed of the song.
2. Three Lions – The Lightning seeds (1996)
Perhaps the most famous tournament song in the history of football. England organizes the European Championship in 1996 and soon the slogan Football is coming home arises. England likes to think of itself as the cradle of modern football and David Badiel, Frank Skinner, and The Lightning seeds respond to that. The result is an iconic song that makes its comeback every two years in the stands of a major tournament.
in 2018, a new hype is created around the song, due to the surprisingly good performance of England at the World Cup in Russia. Well-known English footballers such as David Beckham and Gary Lineker get away with the chorus of the song: It’s coming home it sounds after every game won until England loses to Croatia in the semi-finals.
1. We love Orange – André Hazes (1988)
There can only be one song in the first place and that is of course the ode to the Dutch national team of André Hazes. ‘We love orange’ grows after the final of the European Championship ’88 into a piece of Dutch football history. The song is initially offered to Willeke Alberti, but because of her marriage to the Danish footballer Søren Lerby, she refuses. This makes André Hazes the voice that will forever be connected to the only real moment of glory of the Dutch national team.
In 2006, almost two years after Hazes’ death, Ali B made a remake. The chorus remained the same, but the verses are replaced by rap lyrics by Ali B. However, this song never got the same status as the original by André Hazes.