If you’re anything like me, you’ll be disappointed with some of the songs masquerading as anthems for this year’s World Cup, and no amount of Steven Gerrard cameos in BTS song videos can change that.
Infused with nostalgia, I’ve been listening to World Cup songs from years gone by to unearth the lesser-heralded gems which have soundtracked football’s darling creation.
There will be no Wavin’ Flag in this list. Sorry. No Shakira tunes, either. And no Love Generation or Carnaval de Paris. These songs are too obvious. We’re looking at a few underrated hits.
El Rock del Mundial – Los Ramblers (Chile, 1962):
Part of the new wave of rock and roll which flooded South American in the 1960s, Los Ramblers produced the best-selling Chilean single ever in El Rock del Mundial (‘the Rock of the World Cup’) – they shifted over two million copies.
With all the attitude of Elvis Presley and a head-swinging guitar solo, the song might not sound like a typical football song on first listen, but it carried Chile all the way to the semi-finals.
What was an audacious, chaotic song for the era encapsulated the topsy-turvy nature of the tournament itself.
In the group stage, Chile met Italy in a match since dubbed the Battle of Santiago. Two players were sent off, punches were thrown, and police intervened four times in a match BBC commentator David Coleman called the ‘most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game.’
Incidentally, the referee from that match, Ken Aston, went on to invent yellow and red cards to help make it clearer when players had been booked or dismissed.
Tómala, métete, remata! Goooooool, gol de Chile!
World Cup Willie by Lonnie Donergan (England, 1966):
Named after the mascot of the 1966 World Cup, this boisterous ditty served as the soundtrack to England’s only World Cup victory to date.
Brimming with banjo and trumpets, World Cup Willie is a bouncing example of the skiffle genre for which Lonnie Donergan was famous – a folk music variety arisen out of the jazz scene.
It’s a fun, carousing track, the type you can imagine merrymakers dancing to in the pub, arms linked and all, before falling in a heap of laughter.
Think of the cheeky feel-goodness of George Formby but a touch more anthemic.
Whether or not it has a renaissance this tournament remains to be seen, but I personally have been unable to resist it, this tune that harks back to a more innocent age.
Willie! Willie! He’s everybody’s favourite for the cup!
El Mundial – Ennio Morricone (Argentina, 1978):
Largely instrumental, El Mundial, composed by legendary film score composer Ennio Morricone, is curiously uplifting.
There are hints of the medieval, the seafaring, marching bands, and even Christmas in this subtle orchestral tune.
Though not Morricone’s best work, it is one of the better things to come out of the 1978 Argentine World Cup.
The tournament was marred by controversy, taking place in a state ruled by a genocidal military junta.
Under dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, around 30,000 left-wing opponents of the regime disappeared or were killed from 1976 to 1983.
While campaigners demanded a boycott, FIFA turned a blind eye to the events and Videla saw an opportunity to whitewash Argentina’s reputation.
Sound familiar?
Let’s Get Together Now – Voices of Korea/Japan (South Korean/Japan, 2002):
If you want a song that sounds exactly like the turn of the millenium, look no further.
In perhaps the least football-esque song ever, a troupe of Japanese and South Korean pop stars came together to produce this groovy hit.
Let’s Get Together Now was the local official song for the 2002 World Cup, released in Japanese, Korean, and in a merged version. It’s hard to locate lyrics or a translation online.
But there’s something entrancing out the reminiscence it provokes. With its blend of competing voices, ooohs, and la la laas – excuse the lacklustre description – it places you right back in the heyday of The X Factor and Now That’s What I Call Music!
While Japan exited in the last 16, South Korea advanced all the way to the semi-finals before a Michael Ballack goal knocked them out against Germany.
I like to think this song might be Ballack’s guilty pleasure.
Featured image: Hansuan_Fabregas via Pixabay.
