It’s an odd one this. Most of the club songs seem to fit the mood of a band of football warriors turning up to battle, or an old-time celebration of a well-earned victory in a good-natured sporting clash.
For Carlton though, they appeared to be aiming encapsulate the atmosphere of a different part of a traditional Saturday afternoon of a Melbourne winter – about three hours after the match when all the lads had gone back to the club rooms and are all hammered.
It’s got swagger, I’ll give it that much – but it’s all swagger.
It plods along at about half the pace of almost every other song, so much so that it has the lazy, almost comatose feeling of a footy fan’s last drunken slur before they pass out half on the couch, half on the floor.
But for all that, it’s so much fun. I mean, that’s primarily why it’s fun.
The story goes that sometime around 1930, players boarding the bus after a win were noting the absence of the club songs that Collingwood, Melbourne and North Melbourne already had to celebrate their victories.
On board the bus happened to be the daughters of Dan Minogue, the coach at the time, and they started work on lyrics with input of all the players onboard.
Maybe this origin story can directly explain post-match, on-the-ride-home mood of the song. We’ll never know for sure, but it’s best suited to this mindset.
I imagine it’s more likely to make you nod off if you were listening to it to psych yourself up before a game.
And they did a good job. It’s short, it’s to the point, and the lyrics contain a nice reference to the suburb that spawned the club, which not all the other songs do.
Sure, ‘dark navy blue’ isn’t a real colour, but they’ve done really good work at capturing the frame of mind of a specific moment of VFL culture.
It’s based on the 1898 tune, ‘Lily of Laguna’, an unfortunately accurate example of blackface comedy popular in Britain at the time; in fact, the sheet music for the tune proudly announces it as “The World’s Greatest Coon Song”.
It focuses around an African-American falling in love with a Native American, and it is in the mockery of African-American vocal phrasing of the time that causes its cringe-worthiness in its original form today.
Thankfully, by the time the Carlton players decided to tame it into a victory anthem, ‘Lily of Laguna’ had shed the racist bent of the lyrics, and it had morphed into a popular love song.
“We are the Navy Blues” stands tall now as easily the most recognisable (in this country, at least) version of the tune, and as one of the most enjoyable of the AFL club anthems.
joe sznicer
Guest
This is actually one if my alltime favourite tunes, and treatments, period. I don't like the team, but I love everything about this recording - especially the singing - the sound of their voices, the chosen harmonies, the strength of the melody, the lyrics - everything. I also love the drumbeat, the meter and everything about the arrangement. To me this will go down as one of the great musical masterpieces and without doubt, the quintessential afl theme song.
johno
Guest
Always thought that the Navy Blues was some sort of seafarers malady .....
JR Salazar
Guest
The background music while eating your umpteenth Mars Bar innocently.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
It has a bit of the Moscow sound to it. Not the upbeat Moscow Olympics theme song, But something that Stalin may have approved of back in the forties. I can imagine the Red Army choir closing their recital with this sombre tune. As if winning wasn't enough, we will now punish you further, by making you listen to this dirge. Inhumane at best.
Ray W
Guest
I re-wrote the words a few years back We are the Juddy Blues We are the good old Juddy Blues We paid 3 mill Just to get him in And when he breaks down we'll throw him in the bin He'll send the club broke Get to the finals we'll choke You can be sure We are the goood old Juddy Blues Without him we don't reckon we'll win But after this year maybe they should change it to the Willy Wonka Golden Ticket song : Mickey Malthouse: I never thought my life could be Anything but catastrophe But suddenly I begin to see A bit of good luck for me 'Cause I've got a golden ticket I've got a golden twinkle in my eye I never had a chance to shine Never a happy song to sing But suddenly half the world is mine What an amazing thing 'Cause I've got a golden ticket [Spoken] It's ours, Juddy !!!!! [Sung] I've got a golden sun up in the sky I never thought I'd see the day When I would face the world and say Good morning, look at the sun I never thought that I would be In the finals from ninth you see 'Cause I'd have said: Mickey Malthouse: It couldn't be done Juddy: But it can be done I never dreamed that we would play Weren't good enough I'm here to say But nevertheless, it's there that I'm Shortly about to be Mickey Malthouse and Juddy: 'Cause we've got a golden ticket I've got a golden chance to make my way And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day 'Cause I've got a golden ticket
ciudadmarron
Guest
Woops! Would it not be the only recognisable version of the tune though? As for Melbourne, must be from lack of hearing it... I think I must have meant the dogs.
Footyfact
Guest
Sounds like a funeral dirge to me. Very depressing
Andrew A
Guest
A dreary song. One of the worst songs to celebrate a victory with.
Edan Nissen
Roar Rookie
You didn't read the end of the sentence. "version of the tune". This means it is the most recognisable version of the "Lily of Laguna" tune. Not of the tunes of the AFL. Also, the Dees song is sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, one of the most recognisable tunes due to the fact that it is sung almost every year. (Auld Lang Syne is the "theme" of New Years Eve/Day - which makes it sung about as frequently as the Melbourne theme song is after a win)
Stavros
Guest
For me it's the worst song to hear at the ground when your team has lost. Can't stand it.
ciudadmarron
Guest
It sounds to me like the backing music that goes with the bumbling offsider of the evil villain in a pantomime. Makes sense it came from a blackface revue... Most recognisable? Really? Would have thought most of the songs that were borrowed from more popular airs were infinitely more recognisable... This one is the last to pop into my head out of all of them with the possible exceptions of the dees and suns.
Edan Nissen
Roar Rookie
"they pass out half on the couch, half on the floor." I don't know what you are talking about, it's simply the most comfortable way of sleeping.