England: World in Motion or Three Lions - What has been the greatest song?

England take on France this afternoon in their first game of Euro2012 but expectations of Roy Hodgson guiding the country to glory are as low as those racist yobs in Poland and Ukraine who are grabbing all the headlines. Music could hold the key. England have had some notable tournament songs i...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #15 - England - Dylan, as himself - I hate songs about football

More Billy-Braggness from the moustachioed Dylan going through a range of things that he hates about football from formulaic sports bars to 'soccer' and finding small plastic effigees of players in his cornflakes. Less a song about England, more an anti-song about all the corporate naff-ness that h...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #14 - England - Rockin' Jonny Austin - Victory Day

A rocking song with a hyperactive sexagenarian singer may not be the most obvious combination for an England song; but this one ticks all the boxes. It is at heart a decent singalong with an England theme, which is no bad thing. Not my favourite England song to date - but certainly one of the bett...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #13 - England - Dulwich Ukulele Club - There May Be Glory

This reworking of 'Let's Face The Music And Dance' with a football theme from the Dulwich Ukelele Club is a lovely summery tune that glides along without resistance. The lyrics are somewhat predictable, but that is fine for a fun song that is not trying to break any moulds. I wasn't expecting to f...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #12 - England - The Get - Come on England

A punk style effort with a no-cost video cut-and-pasted from a Google image search by the look of it. Simple lyrics and instrumentals give this a very cut-down feel. Never quite sure if yet another song that has the lyric 'Come on England' at its core is worth reviewing, but this is a decent effor...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #11 - England - DiamondFormation - SexyFootballBack/England

Another good song this time recommended by our reader, SexyFootballBack (the song not the reader), is a jaunty indie style sing-a-long that knows its history. Good lyrics delivered in a melancholy style like: "His English is pigeon.. We'll never know if he'd have stuck Wayne Bridge in" make it a so...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #10 - Holland - Gerrit & de Kokosnoten - Holland gaat aan Kop

Maybe its because its in Dutch, but a nonsense football song is much more fun if you can't really understand it! This is a chirpy little number, with the words on screen to sing along to (and surprisingly easy to translate!) and bounces along for a couple of minutes and then stops. None of the non...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #9 - England- Chenille Steele - Come On You Lions

Pole dancer from 'Secrets' Gentlemans' Club breathily talks about kiss-n-tells with Frank Lampard, 'shagging-out' Ronaldo and so on is what should be a man-friendly internet meme by now. But as everyone is wearing a bikini with a big t-shirt over the top, this is less titilating that the average Rn...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #8 - England - The Skatoons - The World Cup's Waiting for you

This is more like it! A good fun ska track that bounds along with a catchy (if obvious) chorus. Very reminiscent of Madness in the early 1980s, but properly produced and one of the few songs I've reviewed so far that wasn't compiled by someone in marketing trying to tick a series of boxes. Easily...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #7 - England - Denise Happy Mondays - Come On England

Not sure where to start on this one. It's a cover of Dexy's Midnight Runners School Disco dance floor filler 'Come On Eileen' - and although Denise has a great voice I do hope she got paid up front and isn't relying on royalties. The original song is perfect for a terrace chant. This cover, sadly...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #6 - England - Joe Harley - Lace up your boots (and bring it home)

Quite like this song which is lyrically different to the usual 'come on england' type chorus. The song is in a Billy Bragg style, with the vocals way in front of a simple guitar / drum backing. Not very chantable, but sung in a melancholic style its pretty memorable - and the video picture of a kn...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #5 - England - Rik Mayall - Noble England

Another venture that has had some some money thrown at it sees Rik Mayall (he of Young Ones and Bottom fame) come over all Henry V in managing a pub table football team to a famous victory; although the video is not as funny as that summary may have sounded. There's a pub rock backing to match th...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #4 - England - Cliff Portwood & England 1966 World Cup Squad - Up There O'England

An old song (the chorus features England 1966 squad players) that has been remastered and re-released. A very laid back tune in the style of 'Back Home' but without the same discernable hook. According to the blurb some of the players involved were Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Ray Wilson, Roger Hunt,...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #3 - England - Gaylord Vincent and The Sweet FA Choir - Watching England Win Again

A slight departure for England World Cup songs this one, with a folksy, Country and Western tune and far too many lyrics this is almost like listening to a real song. I quite like the song itself, but it has far too many beats per minute to be chanted on a terrace (if you can find a terrace) and th...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #2 - England - Alfie St George - Come Follow Me

Alfie St George's 'Come Follow Me' is released on 18 May (today as it happens) as the annoying advert that repeatedly pops up during the YouTube video points out. The song has a summery, Stock, Aitken and Waterman feel to it and features a toothy singer and both fat and nubile England clad video ex...

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Unofficial World Cup 2010 Songs #1 - England - UkePunk - Come On England!

Without an official England World Cup song there are dozens of indie songs flying on to YouTube and MySpace at the moment ready to catch the interest of everyone back home this summer. So with a month to go, to make sure we're on the ball, we're going to keep the world in motion with some reviews o...

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