The Tasmania Devils have a problem. They need a club song before joining the AFL in 2028, and they’ve invited supporters to come up with something suitable.
I wish them luck. Writing a football song that 40,000 people can sing in tune, or even vaguely in tune, is no easy task.
I don’t imagine they’ll go with something like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody – even though I have the fullest confidence that coach Ken Hinkley would deliver the solo lines Galileo, Galileo impeccably.
I grew up supporting Scottsdale in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association. We had a club song which began:
It’s a grand old flag, it’s a high-flying flag, it’s the emblem for which we must fight.
It continued with references to the team we loved, the black and white, and every heart beating right.
I was 15 or 16 before I heard Melbourne Football Club’s version from the much-bigger VFL.
My immediate reaction was that the buggers had stolen our song and tweaked the words.
I was 58 before I accepted, perhaps, it was the other way around.
But Melbourne does not get off scot(tsdale) free.
The stirring song owes its origins to American songwriter George M. Cohan, who wrote You’re a Grand Old Flag in 1906. Melbourne adapted it in 1912, apparently first singing it during a tour of Tasmania. Scottsdale’s version came later, although I’m still curious about exactly when.
Football songs are an international phenomenon, although they take different forms.
Liverpool supporters sing You’ll Never Walk Alone, West Ham fans have adopted I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles, while Crystal Palace supporters have been known to dispense with musical niceties altogether.
I attended a soccer match at Selhurst Park in 1980. On the terrace, supporters were chanting:
We’re the mighty red and blue, who the fucking hell are you?
It wasn’t exactly a musical masterpiece, but it got the message across.
Now the Tasmania Devils are looking for something original. The song must be singable, memorable and reflect the island’s identity. The deadline for submissions is November 25.
I’ve been giving it some thought. Perhaps West Ham’s famous bubbles might provide inspiration.
Imagine a Tasmanian version, with devils replacing bubbles, floating over the island’s mountains and valleys.
Unfortunately, I can’t submit my effort. It’s been penned by ChatGPT, and the club has specifically ruled out generative AI.
I’ll have to put my thinking cap on and come up with something myself.
There’s still time. November 25 is fast approaching, but I’m forever hopeful.
Leave a Reply