Comments on: Shall we sing a song for you: Italian football songs, Part I

By: Gavski

Gavski — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:31:42 +0000

Interesting to read about the origins of the Seven Nation Army chant. A football fan all my life, I can honestly say i never heard this chant prior to the 2006 Scottish Cup semi-final between Hearts and Hibs in April 2006. The song played over the speakers at Hampden Park provoked a spontaneous chant to the bass line (tongue in cheek but rather politically incorrect amongst the Hearts fans mocking the sexuality of their city rivals with “Oh the Hibees are gay”.

I did not hear this chant again aside from being sung by Hearts fans until the Italians sang it at the world cup to diffrent words.

Incidentally, the Hearts won 4-o !

By: ursus arctos

ursus arctos — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:50:56 +0000

In the early days of the NFL, a number of teams had college-like “fight songs”, but Hail to Redskins is the only one that has survived to the present day with any sort of popular following (”Bear Down, Chicago Bears” was one of the other ones).

The fact that NFL teams were generally not capable of supporting large marching bands in the era before stadium music was taken over by organs and “jock rock” likely has something to do with that. The Redskins actually had a band (as did the Colts while they were in Baltimore).

By: Betty Jean

Betty Jean — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 05:34:03 +0000

I am kinda curious why in the US, we don’t really have football hymns outside of college football.

By: Pedant

Pedant — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:07:35 +0000

A tiny point on an excellent article, the song isn’t called ‘Bread of Heaven’ but ‘Cwm Rhonnda’ or (in English) ‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah/Redeemer’.

By: Pep

Pep — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:01:45 +0000

Thank you Spangly. I love formaggio not just provolone or boccancini type. I love the Roma roma roma type formaggio. My father is an Inter milanista. And he thinks i became a Roma fan when i tripped down the stairs as child and hit four of the twelve steps with my head.

Grazie tanti

By: SpanglyPrincess

SpanglyPrincess — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:25:45 +0000

Pep, of course. If you search on youtube you can find versions of us singing the Inno, and also perhaps of Roma’s other two “official” tunes, both also by Antonello Venditti, celebrated Roman and cheesy crooner extraordinaire: Grazie Roma (which is played at the end of the match only if we win) and as written for the 83 scudetto, and the much rarer “Che C’é?” which he wrote for the 2001 scudetto.

By: Pep

Pep — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 02:01:04 +0000

Wonderful blog. Great post. As a Roma fan may i borrow the Roma,Roma song for my own blog? I will glady credit you for the excellent find.

By: SpanglyPrincess

SpanglyPrincess — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:43:17 +0000

True, Roswitha. It’s not so much of a singalong tune though is it.

Of course, the best and funniest English use of La donna è mobile is West Ham fans to Liverpool (or, I presume, Everton) a few years back: We’ve got Di Canio, you’ve got our stereo

Historyman: by and large ultras of any club are not that interested in the national team. Last time Italy played in Rome, two of the main Roma groups put up a huge sign in the part of the Olimpico where they normally stand saying “Assenti per scelta” [absent by choice]. Even where there is no conflict clubs tend to want their own songs, or at least not to have their songs overwhelmingly associated with another team - there was a sense at Roma that it had been somehow hijacked.

As for the club vs country debate, it’s an interesting one. In England my feeling is that small clubs think England is important whereas big teams aren’t that fussed - the St George’s flags you say at England games are always from Kidderminster or Plymouth Argyle, never Everton or Chelsea. Whether that’s the same here I’m honestly not in a position to say, I’ve never noticed it but that’s not to say it doesnt go on. But that’s a whole other post for another occasion.

By: Davyd Trunyov

Davyd Trunyov — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:37:04 +0000

Vola Lazio Vola is extreme catchy, sounds something that is inspired by Adriano Celentano. Speaking of Celentano i found this on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzlEi8dOVog&feature=related

By: historyman

historyman — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:50:49 +0000

As usual, an informative piece about a fascinating cultural subject.

Excuse my ignorance, but why would the Roma fans drop the ‘Seven Nation Army’ song when it became associated with the Azzuri? Are they like many of the fans from other regions who aren’t particularly interested in the national team?