World Cup 2010: England’s Anthems
In the extremely unlikely event that you haven’t already noticed, today sees the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. As usual anticipation for the event has reached feverish levels as England prepare for their first match against the U.S.A. on Saturday. Traditionally the event inspires a cross section of musicians (and even footballers themselves) to produce musical works that hope to evoke the passion of the occasion.
While every major national team will have their own individual tracks, the concept of a World Cup song seems to take particular resonance with England fans. From the 1970’s squad rabble rousing ‘Back Home’ to New Order’s timeless ‘World In Motion’ – featuring John Barnes’ era defining rap - every major tournament sees a host of artists all vying to conceive the year’s defining anthem.
However, for this year’s tournament things are a little different. In keeping with manager Fabio Capello’s no nonsense approach to management, the Italian has stopped an official theme for this year’s tournament. Undeterred by this, several artists have chanced their hand and tried to capture the public’s imagination before the tournament kicks off. Here are a few of the most interesting attempts:
