If German football fans started singing a song that contained the lyrics “football is coming home” before a big international tournament, we would probably call them arrogant – so why is it ok for us England fans to do that?
The song became the soundtrack to England’s Euro 96 campaign before being destroyed somewhat two years later before the 1998 World Cup.
Euro 96 was a memorable time for England fans / Stu Forster / Getty Images
Comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner – presenters of the popular 90s football show “Fantasy Football League” – collaborated with Liverpool-based rock band The Lightning Seeds to produce the course, and it did not take long for it to capture the hearts of the English public.
“Three Lions” topped the UK charts where it stayed for two weeks, before doing so two years later in France 98.
Such was the success of the course, following England’s first win in the tournament against Scotland at Wembley, the “Three Lions” shut down the PA system full time – despite requests from the FA not to do so because they felt it would whip the crowd into a frenzy and raise the tensions even longer (they were right) – with everyone present singing along as if it were karaoke night at the local pub.
But what is it about the song that made it – in fact makes it – so lovable?
It’s just about still coming home. pic.twitter.com/NCwuVW9aCi
– David Baddiel (@Baddiel) July 3, 2018
First of all, it was a celebration of the fact that England had finally been given the opportunity to host a major international tournament for the first time since 1966. Finally, after 30 years, we finally welcomed our national gaming home – but it does not. explain why it is still so popular today?
The argument that the song is about England finally securing another international tournament is weak at best (you only need to listen to the lyrics to know so much). The real reason for the song is that England will finally win another tournament – not worth one.
And yet it is used as a way to almost laugh at ourselves. Rarely will you catch an England fan saying “football is coming home” without a radiant smile on your face and usually a pint in your hand.
The truth is that we know that football will not come home and we know that we will eventually be disappointed, but why not kid ourselves and have some fun in the meantime?
Dear non-English football fans. Football’s homecoming is a fun song that highlights the lack of success for our football team for decades. Nobody really thought we would win it. I fully understand why you might think it was arrogance, but it’s more our self-defeating humor. ??
– Gary Lineker? (@GaryLineker) July 14, 2018
Singing “Three Lions” before and during international tournaments has become a way for England national team fans to laugh at ourselves, while deep down we have the slightest hope that it can actually come true – we can not tell anyone that we believe that otherwise it will not happen, but they also think about it.
It seems almost ridiculous to suggest that a song can express a personality trait in an entire fan base, but that’s exactly what ‘Three Lions’ does, and that’s why it’s become so famous and so loved in England.
And it was not just the English fans who took “Three Lions” to heart at Euro 96. Alan Shearer has since revealed that Paul Gascoigne – one of the stars of the tournament – would wake up the entire England team every morning by blowing the track through his hotel window. before playing it on rehearsal as the team coach approached Wembley. What a man.
You do not even have to have lived to know how England’s Euro 96 campaign ended.
Of course, it all ended in tears / Stu Forster / Getty Images
Apparently it all ended in tears when Terry Venable’s side were dumped in the semi-final stage by Germany on penalties in a scenario that was not too different from what was referred to as “Three Lions” in the 1990 World Cup.
As if we thought we actually had a chance.
But strangely enough, the day England wins a major international tournament will spell the end of the “Three Lions” and it will be a terrible thing to admit. Imagine Germany fans singing the lyrics after winning a World Cup in 2014 – it just would not work.
It’s hurt, it’s the pain, it’s the optimism, it brings together absolutely all the England fans and as much as being rubbish, at least we can laugh at ourselves and have a decent singalong while we do it.
