Yesterday night I found out that the predilection for Guantanamera’s melody for football-related chants is not an exclusive oddity of Polish supporters. The Germans use it too. And possibly other nations as well, I just haven’t yet had an occasion to observe it, or maybe I have but it didn’t catch my attention at the time. As Wikipedia explains (you’ve got to love Wikipedia), Guantanamera is actually a Cuban patriotic song. What Wikipedia fails to explain however, is how did it become so popular among football fans – my guess is that the melody is catchy and easily accommodates football related phrases in any language.
So it would seem that Guantanamera is a common element in all national football cultures. The difference I have noticed is that as far as the Poles had several different versions of their Guantanamera-based chants and enthusiastically sang them all through the game as a way of encouraging their team, the Germans sang it only after the game to express their exhilaration with the game’s outcome and their belief in the ultimate victory.
Other than that – God, my drunken German is good. I only wish my sober version of it was better!
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Friday, 20 June 2008
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
POLSKA GOLA!
If you would have told me a few years back that I would be getting all emotional and serious about football of all things, I wouldn’t have believed you.
I know that I watched the world cup a couple years ago, but it seems to be getting worse with age. And I have to say that watching the game with expatriated Poles was something else. My guess is that homesickness probably does play a role in all this. I mean, we ALL got up to sing the anthem, and we all cheered and encouraged as if they were going to actually hear us. And it was moving (I know, I’m a sad cow). And there was Polish beer for 2 quid per bottle, which also helped. Some more than others, if you know what I mean.
One disturbing thing however was that somehow all of the supporter chants intoned were curiously based on the melody for ‘Guantanamera’. God knows why.
Also, watching football has an additional side effect of making me very cool indeed. According to my kids that is. And even if the outcome of the Sunday game was disappointing, it was not a failure to lose to the Germans, cause ‘they’re the best team ever Miss!’. Especially while ‘you played really well Miss!’. And besides ‘we didn’t even qualify, Miss!’.
They’re all going to cheer for Poland on Thursday. And I didn’t even have to bribe them with chocolate.
I know that I watched the world cup a couple years ago, but it seems to be getting worse with age. And I have to say that watching the game with expatriated Poles was something else. My guess is that homesickness probably does play a role in all this. I mean, we ALL got up to sing the anthem, and we all cheered and encouraged as if they were going to actually hear us. And it was moving (I know, I’m a sad cow). And there was Polish beer for 2 quid per bottle, which also helped. Some more than others, if you know what I mean.
One disturbing thing however was that somehow all of the supporter chants intoned were curiously based on the melody for ‘Guantanamera’. God knows why.
Also, watching football has an additional side effect of making me very cool indeed. According to my kids that is. And even if the outcome of the Sunday game was disappointing, it was not a failure to lose to the Germans, cause ‘they’re the best team ever Miss!’. Especially while ‘you played really well Miss!’. And besides ‘we didn’t even qualify, Miss!’.
They’re all going to cheer for Poland on Thursday. And I didn’t even have to bribe them with chocolate.
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