EURO karaoke: how to sing along with the fans
Monday, June 20, 2016
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A EURO is a fantastic melting pot of cultures and languages, but understanding what fans of every nation are singing is not easy; our correspondents provide the translations and explanations.
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Albania
Shqipëri ti më jep nder
më jep emrin Shqipëtar
nuk ka fe as ka kufi
që përçan këtë Shqiptari
Translation: Albania, you give me pride, you give me the name Albanian, there is no religion nor boundary that splits apart this Albania.
Duam fitore
Translation: We want to win.
Kuq e zi
Translation: Red and black.
Austria
Immer wieder, immer wieder, immer wieder Österreich
Translation: Every time, every time, every time Austria
Belgium
Tous ensemble, tous ensemble, hey hey hey
Translation: All together, all together, hey hey hey. French is the preferred language for Belgian songs. Club specialities also play a part – the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army is a Club Brugge favourite, while Anderlecht fans bring Bob Marley's Three Little Birds ("Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing's gonna be alright").
Croatia
Večeras je naša fešta, večeras se vino pije,
Nek se igra, nek se piva, jer ko ne piva Dalmatinac nije
An old folk song from the Dalmatia region; for national-team purposes, the last word is often changed. Translation: Tonight is our party, tonight wine is drunk, let there be playing, let there be singing, because anyone who does not sing is not Dalmatian (or in some variants, Croatian).
Oj, hrvatska mati, nemoj tugovati, zovi, samo zovi,
Svi će sokolovi, za te život dati
Famous patriotic song. Translation: Oh Croatia our mother, do not grieve; call, just call, all the falcons will give their life for you.
Czech Republic
Kdo neskáče, není Čech
Translation: Whoever's not jumping, is not Czech.
Vysoký jalovec, vysoký jako já, přeskoč ho má milá, rovnýma nohama
Já ho nepřeskočím, já se ráda točím, na tebe šohajku zapomenout musím
Translation: High juniper, high as I am, jump over it my love with your legs stretched, I am not going to jump over it, I like dancing, and I have to forget about you my dear boy.
England
Don't take me home, please don't take me home
I just don't wanna go to work
I wanna stay here, drink all your beer, please don't take me home
A tongue-in-cheek plea from the travelling hordes keen to remain 'on tour' for as long as possible.
It's coming home
It's coming home, it's coming
Football's coming home
Originally released by comedians Frank Skinner and David Baddiel, along with Indie band The Lightning Seeds, for EURO '96 in England. Now a classic which references England's struggles ever since winning the 1966 FIFA World Cup. The hope, the expectation, the "oh-so nears" and the "30 years of hurt". They now span half a century.
France
Allez Les Bleus!
Translation: Come on you Blues!
Qui ne saute pas n'est pas français!
Translation: If you're not bouncing, you're not French!
Germany
Die Nummer eins der Welt sind wir
Translation: The number one in the world are we. A statement of fact from the world champions.
Hungary
Ria Ria, Hungaria
Magyarország-Ay
The two most popular ditties are different chanted versions of the name of the country, though you might also hear "mindent bele!" (go for it) when the team needs an extra push.
Iceland
Sól slær silfri á voga, Sjáið jökulinn loga.
Allt er bjart fyrir okkur tveim, því ég er kominn heim.
Supporters' favoured pre-match song is Ferdalok (Ég er kominn heim) – End of the journey (I'm home). The lyrics translate as: Sun shimmers in the water, see the glacier glow, all is bright for the two of us, because I am back home.
Italy
A wordless chant of the riff from the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army is very much Italy's song for Europe.
Northern Ireland
Will Grigg's on fire
Your defence is terrified
Will Grigg's on Fire
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na
Started by one fan at Grigg's club, Wigan Athletic, this song has become a phenomenon – and not only in Northern Ireland – even though Grigg is yet to feature at the tournament. Sung to the tune of Gala's Freed from Desire.
We're not Brazil we're Northern Ireland
But it's all the same to me
Penned in the middle of a terrible scoreless run for Northern Ireland, this is an ironic tribute to the team. Still popular despite the fact they're now a much better side!
Poland
Biało-czerwone to barwy niezwyciężone!
Translation: White and red, these colours are undefeated!
Polska, biało-czerwoni, Polska, biało-czerwoni!
Translation: Poland, white and red, Poland, white and red!
Portugal
As saudades que eu já tinha
Da minha alegre casinha
Tão modesta quanto eu
A minha casinha by local band Xutos e Pontapés is a revamped version of a traditional Portuguese song that evokes the protagonist's modest, small house that is nothing special, but it is theirs, they love it and they miss it. Translation: The longing that I had, my cheerful house, as modest as I am.
Portugal allez!
Translation: Come on Portugal. The team's motto for their time in France, this has been a long-standing song. Allez is a French word, not Portuguese; how or why they adopted it is not known, but France has a substantial Portuguese community.
Republic of Ireland
Come on you Boys in Green
To the tune of Those Were The Days, itself stolen from a Russian song, Dorogoi dlinnoyu (By The Long Road).
Low lie the fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.
The Fields of Athenry, Ireland's song of choice since 1990, is a ballad based on the Irish famine of the mid-19th century.
Óró sé do bheatha 'bhaile
Translation: Welcome home. The most notable terrace song rendered in the Irish language; perhaps less common than local variants on "Shane Long's On Fire" (see Northern Ireland).
Romania
Deșteaptă-te, române, din somnul cel de moarte, în care te-adânciră barbarii de tirani
Acum ori niciodată, croiește-ți altă soartă, la care să se-nchine și cruzii tăi dușmani!
Translation: Wake up, Romania, from the sleep of death into which you have been sunk by the barbaric tyrants; now or never, make a new fate for yourself, to which even your cruel enemies will bow.
Russia
Rastsvetali yabloni i grushi,
Poplyli tumany nad rekoy;
Vykhodila na bereg Katyusha,
Na vysokiy bereg, na krutoy
A wartime song about Katyusha (diminutive form of Ekaterina) who longs for her love to return from the battlefield. Hugely popular and very emotive; Sergei Ignashevich thanked fans for their rendition during the England game, saying: "It was so lovely, it almost made me cry." Translation of this – the first of five verses: Apples and pears were blossoming, mist on the river floating, on the bank Katyusha stepped out, on the high steep bank.
Slovakia
Macejkóoo, Macejkóoo; Zahraj mi na cenko ko ko ko ko
Na tu cenku strunu nu nu nu nu.
A folk song from the Zahorie region. Translation: Matthew, Matthew, play for me thinly, on that thin string. Who was Matthew? Nobody knows.
Spain
Yo soy español, español, español ... español
Translation: I'm Spanish, Spanish, Spanish ... Spanish.
A por ellos, a por ellos oé, oé ... oé
Translation: Get into them.
Sweden
Stå upp, vi är gul och blå
Translation: Stand up, we are yellow and blue.
Sverige, vi ger aldrig upp
Translation: Sweden – we never give up.
Zla-tan, Ibrahimović
No translation required. All three to the tune of the Village People's Go West.
John, John – John, John, John, John – John, John, John, John – John, John – JOHN GUIDETTI
To the theme of 2 Unlimited's No Limits.
In med bollen i mål
Translation: Put the ball in the goal. Sweden's official song for UEFA EURO 2004, by Markoolio, is still a hit on the terraces.
Switzerland
In der Nati,
der schwiizer Nati,
da ist der Breel daheim!
Oh, oh Embolo
An ode to highly-rated forward Breel Embolo to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight, originally recorded by Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds in 1939 and a hit for The Tokens and Tight Fit. Translation: In the national team, the Swiss national team, there Breel is at home.
Turkey
Yürüyelim arkadaşlar!
Sesimizi yer gök su dinlesin
Sert adımlarla her yer inlesin.
Gençlik Marşı (youth anthem) is best known by its first line, "dağ başını duman almış" (there was smoke on the mountain top) and for its dramatic crescendo – translation: Let's walk, friends, let earth, sky and the water listen to our voice, let everywhere shake with our hard steps. A Swedish song which was adapted into Turkish in the early 20th century, its standard football use is to celebrate goals and victories or motivate the team when the game is on the line – but only in international matches or continental club football.
Ukraine
Shche ne vmerla Ukrajiny, i slava, i volja,
Shche nam, brattja molodii, usmichnetsja dolja.
The Ukrainian national anthem remains the most popular terrace chant; clips of versions sung at stadiums in Lviv and Kyiv are massive on social media. Translation: Ukraine's glory has not yet died, nor her freedom; upon us, compatriots, fate shall smile once more.
Wales
Hal, Robson. Hal Robson-Kanu!
To the tune of Salt-n-Pepa's Push It (Push it real good), the Zombie Nation dance track has become a cult favourite after it was played at half-time in an away game against the Netherlands a couple of years ago. There's also Give me hope, Joe Allen to the tune of Eddy Grant's Gimme Hope Jo'anna. Also, Ain't nobody, like Joe Ledley, ain't nobody, makes me feel this way to the theme of Chaka Khan's Ain't Nobody.