‘Sing it for England’

The world is at our feet, it’s been forty years of longing and waiting for a chance to re-create our nations international glory … through the medium of song.

No this isn’t a Little Britain sketch or the Eurovision Song Contest but a look at the ever increasing mass of England World Cup Anthems.

So great is the number of anthems being released the UK Government intend to build a second floor over Scotland, the plan would see giant pillars put up throughout the country and then a giant board placed on top to house all the songs.

The anthems released so far range from the sublime to the surreal, from the chant to the whine.

The official England World Cup song is World at your feet by Embrace which goes a long way to explain why so many people have felt the need to release thier own.

Everyone from Virgin Radio to a bunch of lads down the pub have released a song for the World cup.

It was our idea, football was our idea

A few of the highest profile tracks include one by Al Murray’s alter ego The Pub Landlord that plays on the fact that the English invented football.

The track is called “It was our idea, football was our idea”, is only available as a download and is available now.

Speaking to a friend at work about the Al Murray track we came to the conclusion that this is possibly the best of the lot not because it will stir england to win but because it can be sung even if we’re losing.

The first line of the song says “who cares about the final score it was us that thought it up”. This approach of saying “who cares if we don’t win, it’s our game anyway” could stop football violence for ever!

The Pub Landlord

Hurry Up England

Probably the biggest hitter, other than the Embrace song is the Virgin Radio people’s anthem “Hurry Up England” which is a re-versioning of Hurry Up Harry by Jimmy Pursey with Blur’s Graham Coxon on guitar.

The track is released on 12 June as a download and in all good (and some bad) music shops, this is expected to go to number one.

Virgin Radio Site

Don’t Mention the World Cup

A suprise success might just be a track by The First Eleven called “Don’t Mention The World Cup”, mainly because they’ve got John (Don’t mention the war) Cleese involved.

The song was originally recorded with the aid of two snare players, a piccolo, a trumpet, two female singers, and an ad-hoc terrace choir.

John Cleese is heavily involved in this track, in fact (other than the incredible terrace choir and a few musicians) John Cleese pretty much is the track.

It’s a bit of a struggle to hear him underneath the choir but he is well and truly there and as funny as ever. It was created in partnership with the man behind the John Cleese podcast Dean Whitbread (Dean did my last e-mail get through in the end?).

According to the BBC website, Cleese has said “it’s a catchy tune, and hopefully you’ll be hearing it on a football terrace near you, very soon. Come on England!”

The track is already available to buy from all good online music stores and the team behind the song also created a site set up with the aim of listing all this years world cup releases.
The First Eleven

That’s England Alright

Think back a few years and remember a group of builders that wen’t to Germany for work, the TV series Auf Weidersein Pet featured a song by Joe Fagin called That’s Livin’ Alright.

Joe has re-versioned the song for the World Cup and it’s now called “That’s England Alright” and is available to buy as a download from 5 June.

That’s England Alright

Sing it for England

Another suprise hit could be one by a group of builders calling themselves the Young Stanleys who have released a song called “Sing it for England”.

It’s reminiscent of Three Lions with it’s chanty chorus and simple lyrics. Sing it for England is available online and in shops from 29 June 2006.

The Young Stanleys

Chant like and English Fan

Have you ever walked like an egyptian? Maybe you’ve just listened to the song, Blockbuster Bob Holness has (the Bangles track is one of his favourite songs apparently).

Now a band called The Ladz are calling for you to “chant like an english fan” to the tune of the Bangles 80’s smash hit.

This track isn’t likely to do anything spectacular in the charts but with enough air play and word of mouth may become a pub favourite.

The Ladz

Stand up for England

This is the song that proclaims to be the official, un-official england world cup anthem and it’s a fantastic little punk pop track (not pop punk, punk pop) with cheesy but quick guitars and an edgy enough lead vocalist to retain a hint of credibility.

It’s a perfect world cup song, anthemic, easy to remember and a great chantable chorus complete with woo ooos.

The chorus basically asks you to Stand up 4 EN- GER-LAND, If you love EN- GER-LAND, Get off yer seat, Get on yer feet
and sing the boys to victory.

Stand up 4 EN- GER-LAND (WOH OH), If you love EN- GER-LAND (WOH OH), Stand up 4 EN- GER-LAND.

Stand up for England

(is this the way to) The World Cup

Tony Christie joins the cue of artists trying to get you to have a listen and sing along to their world cup anthem for the England team.

This is basically a re-working of Amarillo but full of your usual football references including a brilliant one about being hero’s on the plasma screen tv’s.

//isthisTheWay.co.uk

World at your Feet

Finally Embrace and their official anthem “World At Your Feet” - well thats all their is to say really, the song is a typical Embrace track, as a band they have a lot going for them, as a band performing a world cup anthem they really shoulnd’t have bothered.

The lyrics are a poor mans version of New Orders 1990 World Cup Anthem, Embrace tell us “yes it can’t be done” and New Order rouse us to “don’t give up the chase”.

There are apparently around 70 football anthems recorded this year, above is just a small selection of my favourites but there are more on England Songs 2006 so why not visit them and take a look.

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