Three Lions
Encyclopedia
"Three Lions" is a song released in 1996, the official anthem of the England football team
for that year's European Championships, held in England
. The music was written by Ian Broudie
, with comedians David Baddiel
and Frank Skinner
providing the lyrics.
The title comes from the emblem of the England football team, which is in turn derived from the Coat of Arms of England
.
This song was the only single to ever go to top the British charts twice with different lyrics.
s. However, the repeated failures have not dampened the feeling that England could again reach those heights ("Three Lions on a shirt, Jules Rimet still gleaming. Thirty years of hurt, never stopped me dreaming").
The song's intro included samples of pessimism from football commentators:
Despite the failures of the past, each tournament is greeted with fresh hopes that this might be the year they do it again: "I know that was then, but it could be again", and the song's chorus proclaimed that "It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming, football's coming home" which refers, like the tournament's slogan, "Football comes home", to the invention of the modern game in England.
The song makes reference to English footballing heroes and famous moments of the past, specifically:
According to Frank Skinner's autobiography, the original lyrics submitted to the FA
included the line "Butcher ready for war" instead of "Bobby belting the ball". The former was a reference to a notorious World Cup qualifier against Sweden
in 1989, where defender Terry Butcher
gave a typically committed performance, despite his head bleeding profusely for much of the match. The FA requested this line was changed, so as to avoid suggestions of hooliganism
imagery. The "ready for war" motif was later used in the 1998 version of the song (see below), attributed to Paul Ince.
The commentary of the end of the song contrasts that of the song's opening with positive lines which suggest that England could win a major football championship:
The crowd noise in the intro of the track is in fact Brøndby
fans recorded by Ian Broudie at Anfield
during a UEFA Cup
tie in October 1995.
On the CD of The Beautiful Game - Official Album of Euro 96, there are two tracks which are seemingly recordings of Baddiel, Skinner and Broudie trying to formulate what the song's lyrics should be when in the process of originally writing it. Track one is called "Three Lions Version One", where there are such lyrics as "Three Lions on a shirt / Just near where it says Umbro / The white one shows the dirt / The grey one not as much so...". And "Three Lions Version Two", where they discuss writing the song in parody of Bruce Forsyth
after when Baddiel suggests writing about the Beautiful Game, to which Skinner suggests is Play Your Cards Right
. Lyrics include (chorus) "Nothing for a pair / Dollies do your dealing..." in reference to Forsyth's usual catchphrases.
phenomenon was at its peak in 1996, and the Lightning Seeds
were one of its leading lights, so their involvement gave the song very wide appeal. It reached number one in the singles chart, and as England progressed to the semi-finals, stadia around the country echoed to the sound of fans singing the song after English victories over Scotland
, the Netherlands
and Spain
. It was so popular, in fact, that even other teams liked it. England faced Germany
in the semi-finals, and Jürgen Klinsmann
said later that the Germans were singing the song themselves on the way to the stadium, and the German team and the crowd sang the song as they paraded the trophy on the Römer
balcony in Frankfurt. The single as a result even made #16 in the German singles chart. The song is still heard frequently on German radio stations.
The original version of the song still receives regular airplay in England around the time of a major football tournament. It has been adopted as a terrace chant
and is occasionally sung by fans at England international matches today. When it was sung by England fans at the 2006 World Cup after England took the lead against Paraguay
, commentator John Motson remarked, "As football songs go, Three Lions is certainly the best".
Three Lions re-entered the charts at number 10 (as of 13 June) during the World Cup in 2010. A total of five different versions were present in the top 100 at the time.
against Germany in 1996, and so the song's lyrics rang true once again. It was subsequently re-recorded with different lyrics (under the title "Three Lions '98") as an unofficial anthem for England's World Cup campaign in 1998 and landed the number one spot in the singles chart for a second time, beating the official England song "(How Does It Feel to Be) On Top of the World?
" by England United to the top spot by eight places.
Where the 1996 "Three Lions" song drew on various memorable moments from the previous 30 years, the 1998 version reflected on the Euro 96 tournament and its entry alongside previous disappointments, as well as the team's performance in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup. The verse mentioning specific players focused this time on the then-current England squad:
However, and amid much controversy, neither Gascoigne or Pearce were selected for England's 1998 World Cup squad, which wasn't announced until some time after the song had been recorded.
As well as a karaoke version of the new song, the single featured a song called "Tout est Possible" (French for "Anything is Possible") as a B-side. The song was largely composed of a recurring chorus, samples from commentators and pundits, and the occasional short verse. It also started with a French
speech sample referring to "La Coupe du Monde" (The World Cup).
, who had played an instrumental part in Germany's semi-final victory over England at Wembley in 1996. Baddiel and Skinner mocked him on their Fantasy Football television programme, making use of the name as a sexual innuendo
; the segment was often cut by broadcasters. The video also featured cameo
appearances from Geoff Hurst
, John Regis
, Robbie Williams
and Chris Evans.
The scene from the video when Frank Skinner dips a ball into custard and pretends it's a World Cup trophy was shown on German TV station Das Erste
a few days before the final was to be played.
and comedian/actor Russell Brand
under the name "The Squad" for a new version of the song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, produced by Trevor Horn
. The song features added vocals from the ACM Gospel Choir
, a soprano (Olivia Safe) and commentator John Motson
. It entered the UK singles chart at #21. The song can be found on England The Album 2010 as its lead single.
Digital Download
Asda CD Single
in Germany. It charted at #9 in the UK Singles Chart
in 2006. The 2006 re-release was a DualDisc
version with both the original version of Three Lions and Three Lions '98 on the CD side and the music video
s for the two songs on the DVD side.
opposition leader Tony Blair
addressed his party's conference with the quote "Seventeen years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming, Labour's coming home", a play on words from the song's chorus and in reference to his confidence that Labour would return to power at the forthcoming general election
having been in the opposition since the Conservatives
ousted them from government in 1979
. When the election was held on 1 May 1997, Labour won by a landslide.
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
for that year's European Championships, held in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The music was written by Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie is a British singer-songwriter, musician and record producer from Liverpool, England. After emerging from the post punk scene in Liverpool in the late 1970s as a member of Big in Japan, Broudie went on to form the short-lived groups Original Mirrors and Care in the early 1980s as well...
, with comedians David Baddiel
David Baddiel
David Lionel Baddiel is an English comedian, novelist and television presenter.-Early life:Baddiel was born in New York, and moved to England when he was four months old. His father, Colin Brian Baddiel, was a Welsh research chemist with Unilever before being made redundant in the 1980s, after...
and Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
providing the lyrics.
The title comes from the emblem of the England football team, which is in turn derived from the Coat of Arms of England
Coat of arms of England
In heraldry, the Royal Arms of England is a coat of arms symbolising England and its monarchs. Its blazon is Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure, meaning three identical gold lions with blue tongues and claws, walking and facing the observer, arranged in a column...
.
This song was the only single to ever go to top the British charts twice with different lyrics.
Themes
The lyrics, unlike most football songs, spoke not of unbounded optimism for victory, but instead told of how, ever since 1966 and the one unequivocal success of the English football team, every tournament has ended in dashed hopeHope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
s. However, the repeated failures have not dampened the feeling that England could again reach those heights ("Three Lions on a shirt, Jules Rimet still gleaming. Thirty years of hurt, never stopped me dreaming").
The song's intro included samples of pessimism from football commentators:
- "I think it's bad news for the English game." (Alan HansenAlan HansenAlan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
) - "We're not creative enough; we're not positive enough." (Trevor BrookingTrevor BrookingSir Trevor David Brooking CBE is a football player turned manager, on-air analyst, and administrator.Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and left Ilford County High School with 11 O-levels and 2 A-levels....
) - "We'll go on getting bad results." (Jimmy HillJimmy HillJames William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
)
Despite the failures of the past, each tournament is greeted with fresh hopes that this might be the year they do it again: "I know that was then, but it could be again", and the song's chorus proclaimed that "It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming, football's coming home" which refers, like the tournament's slogan, "Football comes home", to the invention of the modern game in England.
The song makes reference to English footballing heroes and famous moments of the past, specifically:
- Bobby MooreBobby MooreRobert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
- "That tackle by Moore" - his cool tackling of BrazilianBrazil national football teamThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
striker JairzinhoJairzinhoJair Ventura Filho, better known as Jairzinho , is a former association footballer. A quick, powerful forward or winger, he was a member of the legendary Brazilian national team that won the 1970 FIFA World Cup, during which he scored in every game Brazil played...
in the 1970 World Cup1970 FIFA World CupThe 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by... - Gary LinekerGary LinekerGary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
- "When Lineker scored" - his equalising goal against West Germany in the 1990 World Cup semi-final - Bobby CharltonBobby CharltonSir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE is an English former professional football player, a member of the England team who won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year in 1966...
- "Bobby belting the ball" - his long-range goal against MexicoMexico national football teamThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
in the 1966 World Cup - Nobby StilesNobby StilesNorbert "Nobby" Peter Stiles MBE is a retired English footballer. He was born in Collyhurst, Manchester.Stiles played for England for five years, winning 28 caps and scoring 1 goal. He played every minute of England's victorious 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign...
- "And Nobby dancing" - his victory jig with the trophy in hand after the 1966 World Cup final
According to Frank Skinner's autobiography, the original lyrics submitted to the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
included the line "Butcher ready for war" instead of "Bobby belting the ball". The former was a reference to a notorious World Cup qualifier against Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1989, where defender Terry Butcher
Terry Butcher
Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career...
gave a typically committed performance, despite his head bleeding profusely for much of the match. The FA requested this line was changed, so as to avoid suggestions of hooliganism
Hooliganism
Hooliganism refers to unruly, destructive, aggressive and bullying behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans. The term can also apply to general rowdy behaviour and vandalism, often under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs....
imagery. The "ready for war" motif was later used in the 1998 version of the song (see below), attributed to Paul Ince.
The commentary of the end of the song contrasts that of the song's opening with positive lines which suggest that England could win a major football championship:
- "England have done it in the last minute of extra time!" (John MotsonJohn MotsonJohn Walker Motson OBE ,AKA Motty, is an English football commentator on both television and radio as well a well known moter. He made his name as 'Moty' after he moted out the entire Huddersfield huddersfield cheerleaders team. writer.-Biography:The son of a Methodist minister, Motson was educated...
) - "What a save! Gordon Banks!" (David ColemanDavid ColemanDavid Coleman, OBE is an English former sports commentator and TV presenter who worked for the BBC for almost fifty years. In 2000, he was awarded the Olympic Order, the highest honour of the Olympic movement....
) - "Good old England, England that couldn't play football."
- "England have got it in the bag."
The crowd noise in the intro of the track is in fact Brøndby
Brøndby IF
Brøndby IF is a Danish professional football club based in Brøndbyvester, Brøndby, on the western outskirts of Copenhagen and is the biggest football club in Denmark with almost 2000 members. The club is also known as Brøndbyernes Idrætsforening, or Brøndby and BIF for short...
fans recorded by Ian Broudie at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
during a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
tie in October 1995.
On the CD of The Beautiful Game - Official Album of Euro 96, there are two tracks which are seemingly recordings of Baddiel, Skinner and Broudie trying to formulate what the song's lyrics should be when in the process of originally writing it. Track one is called "Three Lions Version One", where there are such lyrics as "Three Lions on a shirt / Just near where it says Umbro / The white one shows the dirt / The grey one not as much so...". And "Three Lions Version Two", where they discuss writing the song in parody of Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
after when Baddiel suggests writing about the Beautiful Game, to which Skinner suggests is Play Your Cards Right
Play Your Cards Right
Play Your Cards Right is a British television game show based on the American show known as Card Sharks. The gameplay was basically the same as in the American version.-Broadcast History:...
. Lyrics include (chorus) "Nothing for a pair / Dollies do your dealing..." in reference to Forsyth's usual catchphrases.
Success
The BritpopBritpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
phenomenon was at its peak in 1996, and the Lightning Seeds
Lightning Seeds
The Lightning Seeds are an English alternative rock and pop band from Liverpool, England formed in 1989 by Ian Broudie , formerly of the Big in Japan band....
were one of its leading lights, so their involvement gave the song very wide appeal. It reached number one in the singles chart, and as England progressed to the semi-finals, stadia around the country echoed to the sound of fans singing the song after English victories over Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
. It was so popular, in fact, that even other teams liked it. England faced Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in the semi-finals, and Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
said later that the Germans were singing the song themselves on the way to the stadium, and the German team and the crowd sang the song as they paraded the trophy on the Römer
Romer
A Reference Card or "Romer" is a device for increasing the accuracy when reading a grid reference from a map. Made from transparent plastic, paper or other materials, they are also found on most baseplate compasses. Essentially, it is a specially marked-out ruler which matches the scale of the map...
balcony in Frankfurt. The single as a result even made #16 in the German singles chart. The song is still heard frequently on German radio stations.
The original version of the song still receives regular airplay in England around the time of a major football tournament. It has been adopted as a terrace chant
Football chant
A football chant or terrace chant, is a song or chant sung at association football matches. They can be historic, dating back to the formation of the club, adaptations of popular songs, or spontaneous reactions to events on the pitch. They are one of the last remaining sources of an oral folk song...
and is occasionally sung by fans at England international matches today. When it was sung by England fans at the 2006 World Cup after England took the lead against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
, commentator John Motson remarked, "As football songs go, Three Lions is certainly the best".
Three Lions re-entered the charts at number 10 (as of 13 June) during the World Cup in 2010. A total of five different versions were present in the top 100 at the time.
Original single track listing
- "Three Lions" (3:44)
- "Three Lions (Jules Rimet Extend Mix)" (6:14)
- "Three Lions (Karaoke Version)" (3:45)
Three Lions '98
England lost in a penalty shootoutPenalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
against Germany in 1996, and so the song's lyrics rang true once again. It was subsequently re-recorded with different lyrics (under the title "Three Lions '98") as an unofficial anthem for England's World Cup campaign in 1998 and landed the number one spot in the singles chart for a second time, beating the official England song "(How Does It Feel to Be) On Top of the World?
(How Does it Feel to Be) on Top of the World?
" on Top of the World?" was the "official song of the England national football team" for the 1998 World Cup. It was credited to "England United" a supergroup consisting of Echo and the Bunnymen, Space, Spice Girls and Ocean Colour Scene - though the only member of the last group to feature was...
" by England United to the top spot by eight places.
Where the 1996 "Three Lions" song drew on various memorable moments from the previous 30 years, the 1998 version reflected on the Euro 96 tournament and its entry alongside previous disappointments, as well as the team's performance in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup. The verse mentioning specific players focused this time on the then-current England squad:
- Paul IncePaul IncePaul Emerson Carlyle Ince is an English football manager and a former professional player. He has managed Blackburn Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Macclesfield Town...
- "Ince ready for war" - his Butcher-esque performance against ItalyItaly national football teamThe Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in a crucial qualifier for that year's World Cup - Paul GascoignePaul GascoignePaul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
- "Gazza good as before" - the long-awaited return of his 1990 World Cup form in Euro 96, particularly his famous trick goal against ScotlandScotland national football teamThe Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872... - Alan ShearerAlan ShearerAlan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
- "Shearer certain to score" - with five goals, he had been the top scorer of Euro 96, despite a poor run of form in internationals before the tournament - Stuart PearceStuart PearceStuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
- "And Psycho screaming" - his primal celebration after scoring a penalty in the Euro 96 quarter-final shoot-out against SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, which lifted the burden he had felt after failing to score in the semi-final shootout at the 1990 World Cup
However, and amid much controversy, neither Gascoigne or Pearce were selected for England's 1998 World Cup squad, which wasn't announced until some time after the song had been recorded.
As well as a karaoke version of the new song, the single featured a song called "Tout est Possible" (French for "Anything is Possible") as a B-side. The song was largely composed of a recurring chorus, samples from commentators and pundits, and the occasional short verse. It also started with a French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
speech sample referring to "La Coupe du Monde" (The World Cup).
1998 video
The video to the 1998 version of the song portrays a match between a group of English fans (including Baddiel, Skinner and Lightning Seeds' singer Ian Broudie) and their German equivalents, most of whom have the name "KUNTZ" printed on the back of their football shirts (except for one, who instead has "KLINSMANN"). This was a reference to German player Stefan KuntzStefan Kuntz
Stefan Kuntz is a former German professional footballer and since April 2008 chairman of the German football team 1. FC Kaiserslautern....
, who had played an instrumental part in Germany's semi-final victory over England at Wembley in 1996. Baddiel and Skinner mocked him on their Fantasy Football television programme, making use of the name as a sexual innuendo
Innuendo
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion...
; the segment was often cut by broadcasters. The video also featured cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
appearances from Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
, John Regis
John Regis (athlete)
John Paul Lyndon Regis, MBE is a retired English sprinter. During his career, he won gold medals in the 200 metres at the 1989 World Indoor Championships and the 1990 European Championships, and a silver medal in the distance at the 1993 World Championships.He was a member of the British teams...
, Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
and Chris Evans.
The scene from the video when Frank Skinner dips a ball into custard and pretends it's a World Cup trophy was shown on German TV station Das Erste
Das Erste
Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen , marketed as Das Erste , is the principal publicly owned television channel in Germany...
a few days before the final was to be played.
Three Lions 2010 by The Squad
Although Frank Skinner had dismissed the possibility in early 2010, Skinner, Baddiel and Broudie were joined by Robbie WilliamsRobbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
and comedian/actor Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
under the name "The Squad" for a new version of the song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, produced by Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
. The song features added vocals from the ACM Gospel Choir
ACM Gospel Choir
The ACM Gospel Choir is a gospel choir made up of students of the Academy of Contemporary Music. The group first came to public attention in the summer of 2008 when they gained 4th place in BBC One's Saturday night show Last Choir Standing...
, a soprano (Olivia Safe) and commentator John Motson
John Motson
John Walker Motson OBE ,AKA Motty, is an English football commentator on both television and radio as well a well known moter. He made his name as 'Moty' after he moted out the entire Huddersfield huddersfield cheerleaders team. writer.-Biography:The son of a Methodist minister, Motson was educated...
. It entered the UK singles chart at #21. The song can be found on England The Album 2010 as its lead single.
Tracklisting
CD Single- "Three Lions" (2010 Version) - 4:17
- "Three Lions" (Original Version) - 3:36
Digital Download
- "Three Lions" (2010 Version) - 4:17
- "Three Lions" (2010 Edit) - 3:37
Asda CD Single
- "Three Lions" (2010 Version) - 4:17
- "Three Lions" (2010 Asda Choir Version) - 4:16
Chart performance
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 | "Three Lions" (#1 for 2 weeks on charts of 26 May and 30 June 1996) |
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|
| UK Singles Chart | 1 | "Three Lions '98" (#1 for 3 weeks on charts of 14, 21 and 28 June 1998) |
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|
| UK Singles Chart | 16 | |
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|
| UK Singles Chart | 9 | |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|
| UK Singles Chart | 21 | "Three Lions 2010" (by THE SQUAD) |
| UK Singles Chart | 10 |
Track listings
Original 1996 CD Single- "Three Lions" - 3:44
- "Three Lions (Jules Rimet Extend Mix)" - 6:14
- "Three Lions (Karaoke Version)" - 3:45
Other versions
Three Lions '98 was re-released for the World Cup in 2002, and again on 5 June 2006 for the World Cup 20062006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany. It charted at #9 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in 2006. The 2006 re-release was a DualDisc
DualDisc
DualDisc was a type of double-sided optical disc product developed by a group of record companies including EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Sony/BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and 5.1 Entertainment Group and later under the aegis of the Recording Industry Association of America...
version with both the original version of Three Lions and Three Lions '98 on the CD side and the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for the two songs on the DVD side.
Other uses
In autumn of 1996, LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
opposition leader Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
addressed his party's conference with the quote "Seventeen years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming, Labour's coming home", a play on words from the song's chorus and in reference to his confidence that Labour would return to power at the forthcoming general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
having been in the opposition since the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
ousted them from government in 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
. When the election was held on 1 May 1997, Labour won by a landslide.
See also
- England national football teamEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
- Coat of Arms of EnglandCoat of arms of EnglandIn heraldry, the Royal Arms of England is a coat of arms symbolising England and its monarchs. Its blazon is Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or armed and langued Azure, meaning three identical gold lions with blue tongues and claws, walking and facing the observer, arranged in a column...
- Origins of the Three Lions emblemArmorial of PlantagenetThis is a list of the coats of arms known or believed to be borne by Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, and his descendants in the male line.- Family chief :- Heirs :- cadets :- House of Lancaster :- House of York :...