The next round of songs involving teams at Euro 2016.

Group C: Germany, Ukraine, Poland and Northern Ireland.

GERMANY

The current World Cup holders, the form team. Probably the winners.

Sorry. Can’t think of anything else to write about them. It’s a bit obvious to say, but if any other team can beat Germany, they will be the winners. But right now I can envision anybody else bettering Die Deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft.

Well then… where do you start with this lot? Their fans are just as fanatical when it comes to singing about the team. They too have taken to You Tube to upload their terrible warblings. Two years ago I was inundated.
» I present in evidence m’lud songs about the German team for the 2014 World Cup.

I am going back to another World Cup outing for some songs sung by the team.
That’s right I said some songs and by the players themselves. With a little help I might add.

The World Cup I am referring to is USA ’94, which in football and musical terms was a peak year because the German National team recorded and released an album.

I’m going to post a pic of the album cover now. Try to contain yourselves.

Far Away In America - album

Some smelling salts over here, we’ve got a couple of people who have fainted.

Because the World Cup in America and because Germany either don’t know or don’t care about tackiness, they enlisted the help of some American acts who were still popular in Germany at the time.

“Nevermindallthatgettothebloodymusic!”

Let’s begin with the headline act and the album’s title. If you have time watch the video below:

» Die Deutsche Fussballnationalmansschaft – Far Away In America

But it doesn’t end there !

More visual delights for you with 4 Reeves and the German team singing ‘Everybody’s Goin’ To the USA’ :

That’s right your eyes do not deceive. A couple of the player joining in there. Rapping. In German.
A couple of years back Lothar Matthäus was interviewed about the band’s attempts to teach him how to rap.

I could spend hours on this but we have to move on because there are three other teams we have to look at in this post.

Ah go one then, one more from the album:


UKRAINE

They barely scraped into these finals, qualified via a playoff. This is their 2nd European championship. In 2012 (their first appearance – when they were co-hosts with Poland) they didn’t make it out of the group stages. Sadly I think the same is going to happen again. I know there’s a chance that the best 3rd placed team could go through, but with the other teams around them and in other groups it will be difficult. The current Ukraine team is made up of like, 80% of players from Shakhtar Donetsk and a couple from Dynamo Kyiv.

Also for Euro 2012 there was this wonderful party record which looks like it is celebrating the tournament as well as the Ukrainian team. The clip says that this is from ‘Ukrainian Stars’ and nothing else apart from that. Good song though.


POLAND

They’ve been to the championships twice before – in 2008 and in 2012 (when they were co-hosts). In their debut at Euro 2008 they had a dismal time. They drew 1 and lost 2, finishing bottom of their group. Then when they were co-hosting… drew 2 and lost one. Finished once again bottom of the group. As for the current team they have a choice of Premier League goalkeepers in Artur Boruc or Fabiański. Up fron they have a player that any team would like playing for them: Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski. He might grab a couple but apart from those there’s not much talent in other positions.

As for the music we are going back to the 1974 World Cup and this outstanding effort taken from a 4 track EP.
Of all the songs I’ve posted so far, this for me is the best one. Take a moment to have a listen. The musical accompaniment is fantastic. The song is entitled: ‘A ty się bracie nie denerwuj’ (And you brother, do not panic)

Poland_single

» Andrzej Dabrowski – A ty się bracie nie denerwuj


NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland like Slovkia, Iceland and Albania are making their debut in these finals. Found themselves in a tough group, but winnable. Both Poland and Ukraine have a bad record at the Euros so they could do well here. They are a bit like Wales in that they are punching far above their weight. Although unlike Wales they don’t have a talisman marquee elite player in their midst. If they were a Premier League team they would be Norwich ? I’m doing them a disservice though. They did win their group in the qualifiers to get here, they are a hard team to beat.

Northern Ireland have the distinction of having Dana singing for them for when they were at the World Cup finals in 1982. But I’ve decided to highlight a couple of other tunes. Additional note: Since the following are available to buy on an EP, it is just a YouTube embed here.

The first one features a former BBC Northern Ireland commentator (like many of them it seems recently, the BBC are sacking many of their talent) Jackie Fullerton. Sung here to the tune of the The Battle Hymn of the Republic, here he is with George Jones and Clubsound:

Bonus song: Sammy Mackie, who may or may not have been drunk when he sang this:

Group C done. Next up, Group D. No really.

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