England supporters are singing Springsteen, The Beatles, and ABBA during Euro 2024.
BERLIN — Question: Where else can you hear the music of Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, and ABBA — live — at a crowded stadium full of screaming fans amid an amazing environment, outside of a Baby Boomer/Gen Xer’s greatest dreams?
In response to England’s game. There’s even a little soccer match thrown in.
Here’s a guide, albeit admittedly not a comprehensive one, in advance of Sunday’s final against Spain (3 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), for those who have watched parts of Euro 2024 on television and wondered what all those incomprehensible tunes and chants were.
I don’t mean to minimize your experience, but since most soccer songs are written to honor a certain player, they are only relevant while that person is still playing. That being said, international soccer moves swiftly.
Here is how it works. In England more than anywhere, fans love a sing-along, and they like to support their team. Or sometimes, mock the opposition.
There’s no “J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets” or “Let’s go La-kerrrrrs” or “Deeeee-FENSE” (with the aid of a stadium sound system) going on. Sorry to break it to American sports fans, but most European soccer supporters have an extremely dim view of the way NFL, NBA and even college sports followers get behind their teams.
In England’s quest for soccer lyricism, imagination is cherished, though cheesiness and cringe are not forbidden. The best ditties come from well-known chart-toppers with the words suitably changed to become footy-fied.
They spring from seemingly nowhere and before long everyone in the stands seems to have it down. There are message boards for such things but messing around on those doesn’t go down particularly with the hardcore. That’s considered to be trying too hard, too contrived.
Springsteen has come into it mostly over the course of this tournament. The Boss released “Dancing in the Dark” four decades ago and he’s still playing it live at eye-watering prices, but somewhere, by someone, a version popped up that paid tribute to Phil Foden; England attacker, Manchester City’s English Premier League player of the season, much-loved member of Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions.
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