"The" Song!

Quote: leyther1 "Jeez. Roots? Really??? Songs at every football and rugby club are "adapted" from everywhere - pop songs, traditional songs, hymns, or songs that come from all over the place. If you think everybody who sings the footy/rugby versions of songs also believes fundamentally in their "roots" then I don't know what to say. Should we not have sung "Hill will tear you apart" without all being avid fans of Joy Division? "you're not singing any more" or "you're supposed to be at home" (Bread of Heaven) for fear of offending the Welsh? Swing low sweet chariot has its "roots" in slavery but the yawnion lot weren't so precious about adopting it for England.

In fact, the flute songs "roots" are probably in the music, with lyrics added later by whoever has ised it over the years - so a South African song from the 50's covered by a British ska-punk band in the 70's. Nothing offensive there.

I joined in with "the" song on Friday, and I'm a Catholic. I also not only don't know how to play a flute, in fact I don't even own one (however 20p does seem reasonable so I would probably be prepared to purchase one at that price). FWIW I don't think its relevant but I do hate the IRA, not for their cause, but for the things they've done to innocent people over the years, and I do hate W***n and its rugby team. You can argue the two are not even remotely comparable, but we could equally have a song comparing W***n to Nazi Germany or any other source of evil or perpetrator of unpleasantness - you can try and read as much significance as you like into it but at the end of the day its just that - a song. It's designed to have a dig at an opposition team, which it does.

I can see the point about the use of a swearword in the song. Personally I swear and am not offended by hearing swearing. However, if there are young kids around me I try and tone down my language. As far as I know my mates tend to do the same. What I do notice, though, is that every few months we have one of these threads - people get upset about some song or other (usually this one) and it isn't sung for a while. But you always see other songs crop up in their place with the same words in them. Generally if people are going to swear they're going to swear whether we like it or not. You'll never completely remove swearing from football & rugby terraces - in language or song, or even what you hear snippets of from the pitch or the dugouts. But to be honest the language on rugby terraces is nothing compared to what kids use or hear in their playgrounds or when they get together away from adult ears.

For the purposes of this debate people have changed the word to "stuff" and the song still continues to cause far too much debate. It's a song - get over it. It's not designed to be a pleasantry, you're trying to have a go at the opposition. But to start going on about "roots" - for Gods sake....'"

Well said.
a few years ago i got dragged to knowlsley rd for a saints vs wigan playoff game that saints won.
Whilst we were in the pub having a drink before the game a group of wigan fan came in and started singing the flute song 'loud and proud, but they changed wigan for Leigh,i couldn't help but laugh.