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18 footy theme songs in 18 days: #1 'There's a big big sound'

Roar Pro
27th September, 2013
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The Giants Academy has produced premiership players. (Slattery Media)
Roar Pro
27th September, 2013
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1039 Reads

Here it is. I’m surprised, too, so let’s look at how the Giants made it all the way to the top spot to claim the glory of ‘Best Club Anthem in the AFL’.

The fact that this goes to the newest of the clubs makes a nice bookend to these articles, because all those atrocious duds from the beginnings of the AFL era, now peppering the bottom of this countdown, may have been in part responsible for the masterpiece that is the GWS club song.

Surely, upon commissioning a new club, a serious analysis would have been undertaken to reflect on the blunders and brilliance of the existing songs.

I’d like to think the painful lessons learnt by hearing the Power, Eagles and Crows songs were blatant enough that those routes were avoided, and helped lead us instead to ‘There’s a big big sound’.

Harry Angus of Cat Empire fame is the man responsible.

The fact that he’s a popular entertainer, song-writer and has equal chops in the fields of both vocals and trumpet (the instrument of choice for club song composers and MCG buskers alike) made him a perfect choice, and whoever called him up in the first place deserves a pat on the back.

Harry himself summed it up best when he was defending the newly-unveiled song to the players of the club it was going to represent, asking them whether they wanted a song that’s modern now but outdated in 10 years, or whether they wanted something timeless.

We’ve heard (and I’ve whinged about) so many tunes that fell the wrong way when facing that same question.

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It’s not just the best song in the league, but it’s easily the best sounding song. The masterstroke was to keep it old-fashioned in it’s arrangement, but mix it so that it’ll come out of the stadium speakers louder and clearer than any other.

Its production has also avoided many pitfalls that mar some of the others: there are no synths forced in there in a misguided attempt to stand clear of the VFL classics, no revolting digital reverb to lock it forever into a time period.

In fact, in years to come it will be hard to tell when the song was written or recorded because it sounds so good.

It’s in the highest echelon of catchiness and surely takes the top spot of any song for foot-stomping, tankard-swinging raucous camaraderie.

It’s also the fastest paced of the club anthems – perhaps in response to the fact that AFL fans and players are all notoriously terrible at keeping time when singing along in victory. When the subconscious preference is to rush headlong into one verse before the other has finished, why not try and beat them at their own game and crank up the temp?

They can get away with the bravado and boastful lyrics because they’ve only ever won three games, but soon will come a day when other teams may well be quaking in their boots before the Giants.

There’s nothing at all I dislike about this one. It’s amazing.

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Now, as I mentioned in yesterday’s article, it was the closest race possible between the Swans and Giants.

All you Swans fans, don’t feel bad – your song is extraordinary, as is this one. Everyone should get along to the Battle of the Bridge next season and get a spot near the loudspeakers to get an earful of these gems.

Lastly, thanks to all who have stuck with me through these articles. Particular thanks to those who have chimed in with their comments along the way.

Slightly-less-but-still-particular-thanks to those who have given me an earful in those heated moments when it’s come time for their club’s song to get a work-over.

There’s no greater form of artistic expression than music, and no greater demonstration of physical magnificence than the perfect AFL game.

So get fired up for the grand final, crank the speakers up and let the best song win!

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