I never used to like our national anthem. There was always something so bland about it, even when the best singers tried to put a unique rendition together.
But when the Australian national anthem was belted out via Sydney’s Olympic stadium PA in November, 2005, 80,000 fans changed my opinion of Advance Australia Fair.
I’d never heard it sung so passionately at such a booming level.
For the first time, the anthem made the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. And that was just from watching the Australia-Uruguay World Cup qualifier on television.
It once again showcased the power of sport to change my opinion about a usually monotonous song and to implant a sense of nationalistic pride.
In saying that, I realise it’s not the best anthem. It doesn’t seem to make grown men cry, like the Italian anthem, and it doesn’t have the historical significance or cultural power of South Africa and New Zealand’s respective gems.
Outside national anthems, there are the specific sporting anthems and theme songs.
I love Rugby’s ‘World in Union’ piece made for the 1991 World Cup, and which has been used ever since. It’s an inspiring song and really gets you in the mood to watch the game they play in heaven.
Then there’s the Champions League theme in football, a classical piece that they play before every fixture.
The crescendo is spectacular.
And we can’t forget that April is fast approaching, which means only one thing to me – golf, specifically The Masters at the Augusta course in Georgia.
The Masters is the only golfing major played at the same course every year, which means there is history everywhere you turn.
As a tribute to the most famous golf course in the world, Dave Loggins wrote the song ‘Augusta’.
The lyrics are full of trivia, like “Sarazan’s double-eagle, at the 15th in 35”, and the American TV networks love to use it because of the delicate piano arrangement that goes perfectly in the background when the scoreboard is on screen.
But it’s not all about inspirational songs.
In the seventies you had the fun of “C’mon Aussie C’mon” for cricket, which captured the era perfectly.
It was an advertising jingle for World Series cricket using the names of all the key players at the time. It was a call to arms for fans to get out and support the heroes of Aussie cricket.
Unfortunately Shannon Noll tried his hand at a modern cover. It was terrible, but at least the money raised went to charity.
Moving on to specific club songs, and for mine you can’t go past Liverpool’s ‘You’ll never walk alone.’
Okay, it’s not strictly Liverpool’s song. It comes from the 1945 musical ‘Carousal’ by Rogers and Hammerstein, and has been covered by many artists since, including Elvis, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra and Gerry and the Pacemakers.
However, it’s Liverpool’s raw Kop version at every home game that I like best. It’s one of the many reasons why I want to go to Anfield.
Manchester United tried to claim they started singing it first. If this is true, why didn’t they keep singing it? What idiots for giving it up.
Of course, there are also those general sporting songs.
There are so many, but I’ll throw a few out there to get us started: We are the champions – Queen; We Will Rock You – Queen; Holy Grail – Hunters and Collectors; Ole Ole (mainly a soccer song but also used in other sports), and Eye of The Tiger – Survivor.
What songs get the rest of you Roarers in the sporting mood?
Simon C
Guest
@Harry You obviously didn`t see the Italian rugby team and 80000fans sing the Italian national anthem before playing the All Blacks at the San Siro Stadium in Milano last year. I was there and it was fantastic!
Jonathan
Guest
A song that would be brilliant for Australian soccer fans to sing would have to be one of the greatest Australian songs ever written - Wide Open Road by the Triffids. The sky was big and empty My chest filled to exploooooooooode!!!! I yelled my insides out at the sun At the wide open road it's a wide open road, it's a wide open road, Then it's a wide open road It's a wide open road And now you can go any place that you ever wanted to gooooooooooooooo!!!! Magic, and uniquely Aussie.
Footbal Person
Guest
Seven Nation Army ? :) In all serriousness Grande Roma :)
ren
Guest
screw penalties. go for the jugular and romp home 5-0 another whitewash over the poms!
roddster
Guest
Yeah Flower of Scotland is hard to top. Especially at Murrayfield with the bagpipes. Unreal.
dasilva
Roar Guru
The only thing that can top the Uruguay match is if the World Cup 2018 is held in Australia. Australia play England in the Final and it's a penalty shootout
Midfielder
Guest
Tifosi Have to agree about Wilko
Tifosi FC
Guest
Midfielder, thx for the vid link. great video, i think the failures of past attempts is what made this so special. Peter Wilkins saying "Yes Oh yes Ive never seen such unbridled emotion from an Australian crowd. Absolute Delirium!! For me this is pure gold as Wilkins has seen his fair share of sporting highlights and thinks this tops them all!!
Sam
Guest
Joe FC I've always liked Peter Wilkins as a radio commentator in any sport. For me ABC radio do it the best. Watching that clip, it is the kind of stuff that can make a grown man cry. I think it's about as good as it gets. Apparently Guus used highlights of the game to motivate his Russian side in the 2008 Euros. Guus seems like a man of steel, but I'm sure even that game and the emotion of it, would be etched in his memory for life.
Midfielder
Guest
I was in line with the corner flag in the north west end of the ground. The best youtube I know of the night is Reverse the Curse" aside from naming JW as captain of the 74 side he gets it about right. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUIP6STNxSA The Peter Wilkins I had heard on before but never with the goals... good stuff
Kazama
Roar Guru
I too was in attendance that night - in the stand, goal and penalties end, slightly off to the right. Best night of my life so far by a mile and I'd relieve it every day if I could. Atmosphere was incredible, especially during the shootout. I couldn't hear the Uruguayan anthem at all but everyone - myself included, and I never sing it - belted out our anthem like it was a war cry. I remember I was so nervous I couldn't stop shaking, and I just kept cheering and shouting and singing as much as I could to try to kill the nerves. My voice was pretty hoarse when we got to the penalties. Schwarzer saves and you started to believe it was going to be our night. Viduka missed and everyone's heads dropped as they thought 'not again.' Schwarzer saves again and you could feel that the curse was about to end. Aloisi scored and I went nuts like everyone else - sadly there were no 20 year old girls near me. My phone kept beeping until about an hour after the game as possibly every person I've ever met sent me an SMS. I will never, ever forget that night. Cheers Tifosi FC, that clip is awesome!
dasilva
Roar Guru
Fearless is great Never walk alone is great Together.... not so great. Didn't gel very well.
Tifosi FC
Guest
Midfielder , i was also at the game, behind the goals where the penalty shootout was being taken to the left slightly. truly a wonderful evening for australian sport. Recently i found a you tube clip of the radio commentary of the game by peter wilkins and andy harper. The commentary is put with the tv images. I think Peter Wilkins is fantastic in it and his last words best summed up that evening !!! Absolute delirium indeed!!!! Check it out at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPEJYRXJkGA&feature=PlayList&p=B415DE78B3A438B4&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=34
Midfielder
Guest
Jimbo Ya that too after the match was one great hug and kiss.... my wife was with me and this young lady behind me early 20's grabbed me gave me a hug hug and a huge kiss AHHHHHHH and the booing during the Uruguayan national Anthem ... Kool said it was the best home crowd he has ever played before in fact I think they all the players that night have said the same... I will put up a youtube latter of the night.. Also love PF and love fearless .... As an aside I was in a clients car the next afternoon still well over the limit I think and he had it on 2UE, and Steve Price who had recently arrived from Melbourne and a hater of football... he was at the match and gave one of the best intro's to his show and said he has never been to anything in sport or in anything else that came close to the atmospgeric that night .... He said he actually understood what football was about and althrough he was a Richmond Supporter nothing came close to a close international in a meaning match... just added to the feeling..
Redb
Guest
el_capitan, and in the Batmobile limo no less. :-) Redb
jimbo
Guest
Mid, I was there too up in the Western Grandstand about half way. The other things I remember were not being able to hear the Uruguayan national Anthem because of the Aussie cheering and perfect strangers running around hugging and kissing other perfect starngers when the penalty went in and the atmospheric mass sigh of releif that we finally qualified again. Ben, Love Pink Floyd, Love Fearless - the FFA should get someone to do something similar for the A-League ads.
el_capitan
Guest
Don't forget Angry Anderson's "Bound for Glory" for the AFL 91 GF. Classic occer music! On a serious note though, hearing the crowd get into the music, is what makes Wales special.
Midfielder
Guest
Ben AHhhhhhhh that night six mates went. How can I explain... Homebush is and all seat stadium no one sat down, everyone stood all match... we screamed we booed we bled together ... Kool was magic that night and I was so impressed with his touch, guil, .... but to the match as one the crowd every person independent of each other to cheer Australia home. Between me and me five mates we all in our early 50's having played together for yonks .... we knew as did the crows all the football chants all the hand movenment ........ very clever JON in offering the football players the first pick of the tickets because you got a real football crowd not a cricket crowd come along to watch clap and cheer good play. After the match the fire works, the songs no one would leave 45 mins latter they threaten to turn off the lights told us the trains would all go as would the buses still we stayed no one wanting to leave. We six when to the pub at about 1:00 where we drank and sung with the rest in the pub till about 7:00. Then went to work still in our Socceroos shirts and still pissed I guess as well .... everyone forgave us evern a client who came in at 9:00 to find me still singing ... Ben unles you where there and suffered the pain it is near impossible to describe that night..
Derryn
Guest
Flower of Scotland would be my favourite. You'll never walk alone is also very stirring. A favourite at Socceroos games recently has been I Am Australian - We are one etc.......I am, you are, we are Australian Goes down a treat
Benjamin Conkey
Editor
Midfielder, I was waiting for someone to say 'I was there.' Definitely something you can tell the grandkids. I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and buy a ticket. Were you one of those people who captured Aloisi's penalty on a mobile phone? There's a fair few on Youtube. On most of them you can't see anything..but the sound of the crowd says it all. Thanks for the link..I did enjoy it. Have you heard the song 'Fearless' by Pink Floyd..they cleverly moulded the Kop singing You'll Never Walk Alone in the background..then at the end of the song it's just the roar of LIVERPOOL. Brilliant!