The sound of footy music

Almost every game has its own music, and football is no exception. We take a look at the music inspired by the Beautiful Game It is the most popular sport in the world by a few miles. And although not too many know it, it is also one of the most musical. We are talking about football, the Beautiful Game, which reached its apogee as the World Cup kicked off in South Africa. And as the fans pack the stands to watch their favourites attempt to kick their way to glory, you can bet they won't be sitting quietly. No, we are not just talking about the general noise and hubub that accompanies a football match, but of the musical side of the sport.No sport, perhaps, has as much of a tradition of fans who singas football does. Yes, almost every sport has its team theme songs and the like(generally rendered by some wellknown artiste), but those are generallyrestricted to a period prior to or after a match. Football songs are different -they are often sung right through a match in an attempt to raise the spirits ofa team or simply as an affirmation of support.That is not to say that football does not have songs sung by celebrities. In fact, some of the most illustrious names in music have at some time or the other been associated with the sport - some numbers have been dedicated to teams while some have even been inspired by individual players (Shearer, Shearer for Alan Shearer and Ryan, We Love You for Ryan Giggs being prime examples). The Scorpions teamed up with the German football team in 1994 for the official German World Cup song, No Pain, No Gain; Ricky Martin gained a worldwide audience for The Cup of Life, the official song of the 1998 World Cup; while Nelly Furtado sang Forca, the official song of the 2008 European Football Championship. Robbie Williams, an ardent football fan himself, not only used football imagery on his Sing When You Are Winning album, but also provided the soundtrack for the EA Football 2000 videogame and has released a new version of England's iconic anthem The Three Lions, just in time for the World Cup. In many cases, songs that did not actually have football in mind when they were first sung have been adapted for the sport - Tina Turner's (Simply) The Best, Queen's We are the Champions, and Gerry and the Pacemakers' You Will Never Walk Alone being prime examples. And it is not just celebrities of the singing type who have sung forfootball audiences. Many football players too have tried their hands (and lungs)behind the recording microphone. The most notable was the England World Cupwinning team of 1966, which sang Back Home to get its title defence in 1970 offto a good start. The song did well on the charts and before you knew it, anumber of players were trying their hands at singing - footballplayers-cum-singers including the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne andChris Waddle. But for all the celebrities who have belted out songsrevolving around the sport, football music predominantly remains in the hands ofthe fans. Most of the singing in the stands is often nothing but banter aimed atrival fans, involving extremely high levels of lyrical improvisation and morethan the odd expletive. Manchester United fans, for instance, paid tribute totheir strike Ole Gunnar Solksjaer by singing You are my Solksjaer, You are mySolksjaer, You make me happy when I am feeling gray, They wanted Shearer, But hewas f** king dearer, So please don't take my Solksjaer away, taking a poke atEnglish striker Alan Shearer, who Manchester United had attempted to get intotheir team only to find him too expensive even for their expansive pockets. Acommon refrain heard on the terraces is the taunting chant of You are notsinging any more, You are not singing any more targeted at a team which concedesan equaliser, jeering at their silence. But for every seeminglymindless and tuneless ditty, there are proper songs that are sung immaculatelyby spectators too. I am Forever Blowing Bubbles, a melancholy, but melodious,song was a hit way back in the 1920s, but is still kept alive by thousands ofWest Ham fans who break into it every time their team plays a match. And anyvisitor to a Liverpool match cannot help but be moved when the team's supportersbreak into an amazingly immaculate rendition of You Will Never Walk Alone, theclub's anthem borrowed from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel. Andthis is not just an English football phenomenon, supporters all over the world -from Europe to Brazil - are known to burst into song at the sight of theirteams. Given the fact that clubs play more often than countries do,it is hardly surprising that there are more songs dedicated to them. You aremore likely to encounter a singing crowd in a club match than in one involvingcountries, although those who have heard French fans belting out theMarsellaise, the Germans chanting Deutschland Uber Alles, or Brazilian fansdancing to Qui Bontio e' during an international match might be tempted todisagree. Small wonder then that the true measure of the greatness of a footballsong is not in its musical or lyrical quality or even the position it occupieson the pop charts, but its acceptance by those who follow the sport. Yes, everyfootball tournament worth its salt will have its official song and album, butthe real songs of the sport will be the ones heard inside the stadium once playcommences. And ends. Ooh to be a Gooner | Arsenal You Will Never WalkAlone | Liverpool When the Saints Go Marching In | Southampton I am ForeverBlowing Bubbles | West Ham Seven Nation Army | AS Roma Glory Glory Man United |Man United Three Lions | EnglandLike each of its recent predecessors, the 2010 edition of the WorldCup also has its official song. Or make that songs. For unlike in the past,where there generally was a single defining number for the tournament, this timethere are a host of songs that are being identified with the 2010 World Cup. Themost famous of them is perhaps K'naan's Wavin' Flag, which many peoplemistakenly assume to be the official song of the tournament as it has been airedin most World Cup ads. However, Wavin' Flag is only the anthem for Coca-Cola'sWorld Cup South Africa campaign. The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Song actuallyis Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), sung by none other than Shakira, she of thetruthful hips. And that's not all. There's an Official 2010 FIFA World CupAnthem - Sign of a Victoryby R (I Believe I Can Fly) Kelly and the SowetoSpiritual Singers, and even an Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Mascot Song - GameOn, by Pitbull, TK Zee and Dario G. This official threesome can be found on theOfficial 2010 FIFA World Cup album recently released by Epic Records, which hasa dozen numbers in all in it. Whatever this World Cup lacks, it definitely won'tbe official music. It has the stars, the courts, the scandals... but amazingly, noreal music associated with it, apart from the odd number played when playersenter the court at some venuesIt is fastand furious, but alas, it hath no inspiring music. You would have thought theelegance of the Danes and the power of the Chinese would have brought forth somesmash hits! Chak de! India is the closest the sport got to getting asoundtrack, but in general you will rarely hear any fan associating a song withIndia's national game You would have expected some classy symphonies for this mostlaid-back and slow moving of sports, but nay, the musical cupboard of this sportis on the bare side There is a lot of music, but only when the gymnasts are performing.Think of a song associated with gymnastics and it is a fair chance that yourmind will register a blank Rare is the boxer who does not march into the ring with musicblaring out from speakers in the stadia. And who can forget Rocky and Eye of theTiger or the memorable Gonna Fly Now?Theremight not be actually too much music during or before the races, but the sportof speed demons has inspired a lot of music. There is even an F1 Rocks series ofconcerts around F1 venuesJohnTesh's Roundball Rock for the NBA was one of sports' most compelling anthems andof late, the NBA has been attracting a number of artistes from genres as diverseas hip-hop and country. Artistes bitten by the NBA bug include the likes of theRolling Stones, Justin Timberlake and LL Cool J.From CBS'disco-infected version of the Star Wars theme in the '70s to a host ofcelebrities who have used the SuperBowl to showcase their music, there is a lotof music revolving around the gridiron version of football, with most teamshaving their own songs and, in some cases, entire albumsThere mightnot be songs for individual athletes when they turn out, but who can forget thatit was athletics that inspired one of the most famous soundtracks of all time -Vangelis' Chariots of Fire? There are many who would bristle at the very thought of callingWorld Wrestling Entertainment a sport, but there is no doubt that thedramatical, musically-driven entries of wrestlers have a following of their own.WWE even has a music label to promote its music, the WWE Music Group. Thoselooking for loud, aggressive music will love itYes, theGentleman's Game has more than its fair share of music, although almost all ofit (at least the good stuff) seems to come from the calypso-soaked Caribbean.Who can forget Lord Relator singing It was Gavaskar the real master just like awallway back in the seventies?