This is a copy of a post I made in another thread which was dead, so here it is again. Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I have been thinking about this for a few weeks. My first recollection about why I became a soccer "freak" (as my wife calls me) was the chanting/singing done by the crowds in Europe. I think to truly evolve as a soccer nation and hopefully to recruit more people into the arena we need to develop some new songs. I love the old faithfuls, USA, America the Beautiful, et al, but there are a lot of us around, and hopefully we have a few IQ points between us. We should put them to work. I heard an old Civil War tune the other day that I think we should amend with some soccer specific language: called The Bonnie Blue Flag. The lyrics are here: http://my.homewithgod.com/heavenlymidis/USA/bonnie.html. The chorus was what caught my ear the most: Hurrah! Hurrah! (my own words: For the United States!) Hurrah! I can just hear Crew stadium in the middle of a frostbitten night against Mexico in qualifying singing this chorus in unison, would be glorious. To that end, we need to come up some new lyrics for the song. I'll try to find the actual song on the web so that you can hear the melody if you don't recognize the tune. Just found the link to the tune: http://www.texas-brigade.com/bonnie.mid
Sorry, but as a direct descendant of a Civil War veteran, I will not be singing any Confederate songs.
Yeah, adopting the song of a people that didn't want anything to do with the United States of America is not what we're looking for.
Eight of my ancestors fought for the Confederacy, six were either killed or died. I don't have a problem with singing certain confederate songs with different words. The Bonnie Blue Flag basically sings about keeping slavery and I don't think we want to mess with that. People just need to relax on this stuff. I take this same line when people get all huffy about writing on flags. Well you know what? Our own troops have been writing on old glory for a long time.
Anything is better than Ole ole ole usa usa. That makes me cringe every time I hear it. Just pathetic.
Of course I don't mean we use the same words, I thought that the tune itself was something we could borrow and fill in our own words.
Just my two cents. This tune "The Bonnie Blue Flag" was also known by many Irish Union soldiers/regiments as "The Irish Volunteers", with competely different lyrics and motivations. This is common about many historic songs, especially during the Civil War. A certain tune was popular and easily known by many soldiers on both sides. So each side, and sometimes even different regiments, ethnicities, etc, within each side, would create their own specific lyrics. "The Bonnie Blue Flag" is certainly one of the best known sets of lyrics today, but this shouldn't classify this song as strictly a "Confederate" song. As long as we're on the idea of Civil War songs, has anyone heard "Rally 'Round the Flag"? The most popular lyrics are the Union version. (Although similarily there is a CSA version too.) These are the most common lyrics to the chorus The Union Forever! Hoorah, Boys, Hoorah! Down with the traitors, and up with the stars. Well we'll rally 'round the flag, Boys we'll rally once again; Shoutin' the Battle Cry of Freedom Here's a webpage with more info, more lyrics, and it plays the tune. http://www.lilesnet.com/patriotic/music/rally_round_the_flag.htm Obviously the whole thing is way too long for a soccer crowd, but maybe the chorus, or the first verse and chorus. Maybe substituting another word for "traitors" would be more appropriate too. Anyway, just thought I'd throw out another idea.
Yeah, the words are pretty Confederate, but I agree with you that the tune is nice. However, just because of what the words to that song were, I don't think people will accept it, even if the words are changed. It's a shame because I love the idea of using historical songs for chants. On the same note, I think we probably could do a better job with soccer-related lyrics to "When Johnny comes marching home". The version on the Sams Army website just uses the original words and there's plenty of other teams' supporters that use the tune.
It's easy just to change the words and pretty accepted usually. Look at the University of Georgia's fight song. Glory Glory to Old Georgia sung to the tune of Glory Glory Hallelujah.
Or you could just steeal an indian chant (FSU, Atlanta Braves). The indian chant will scare the hell out of the Europeans whwill think were just nuts.
"The Bonnie Blue Flag" would also get a strange reaction from European nations, particularly England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (although I can't imagine a reason for a game against Northern Ireland). That's because it contains the word "Bonnie." That's a Scottish word that I've seen used for "beautiful"/"pretty." Supposedly some Scot abroad made some famous statement 100 years ago or more about some place in Scotland having some "bonnie, bonnie sights." Oh, just found this: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bonnie I remember the song from Gods and Generals. That's the scene where Ted Turner put himself in his own movie.
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is a purely American song. It's words could be changed easily, but I am no lyricist. It is great for chanting, singing, and has parts for drums as well. It would evoke of our history and still not be Europosing.
I have a couple of friends that write their own music. I'm an English major myself, but I'll admit I'm not the most creative when it comes to setting lyrics to a melody. I'll see what I can come up with, with my bros.
I had a buddy who went to an Atletico Madrid match many years ago. He said the fans were doing the tomahawk chop at the match.
My fricken school (Holy Cross) stole the tune for O Tannenbaum and made it into O holy Cross, how ridiculous is that!?!!??!
Yes this is when I started thinking about using that song. Hearing the entire audience sing the chorus Hurrahs and thinking about how that would sound at a US qualifier if we could all do it in unison. Inspiring to the guys on the pitch I bet!
I've always maintained that this would be the best song to sing but for some reason it doesn't catch on and we end up chanting things like Stand up Richie and other gems.