England‘s remarkable run through the FIFA World Cup has Three Lions fans the world over salivating not only at the tantalising prospect of long-awaited global football success, but also at the fact that after 22 cursed years…
It might.
Be.
Fucken.
Coming.
Home.
For those of you confused as to the shrill if not oddly melodic strains echoing from any pack of roaming English people greater in size than 2, allow us to explain.
In 1996, on the verge of hosting the UEFA Euro tournament, English band The Lightning Seeds, along with comedians Frank Skinner and David Baddiel, released an ode to British pessimism, Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home).
Rather than a tune of hope, the lyrics of the tune detailed the decades of bitter disappointment for English football fans on the global stage ever since the country’s one lone World Cup triumph in 1966.
Since then, the tune – and in particular its “it’s coming home/it’s coming/football’s coming home” refrain – has been adopted as a de facto anthem by English fans, sung mostly in jest as the team flailed through one various major tournament after another.
But thanks to England’s remarkable run through this year’s tournament, punters are firmly back on board.
Not only is the song being sung at every possible opportunity in public, but the single is being snapped up in staggering amounts. Enough, as it turns out, to rocket the 22-year-old song back to number one on the charts.
The single has officially peaked at the top of the UK’s Vodafone Big Top 40 singles charts, dethroning Clean Bandit‘s tune Solo which Demi Lovato features on in the process.
Three Lions is also currently out-charting singles from the likes of Maroon 5, Cardi B, Drake, Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Sia, and Nicki Minaj, among others.
We’re not kidding when we say it’s become a cultural phenomena as well. Social media is littered with footage of famous and ordinary English folk alike belting the tune out in public settings.
Guard change at Windsor Castle #ItsComingHome pic.twitter.com/hcXYJwEMEx
— Richard Bannan (@richardbannan) July 6, 2018
“…I hear the drinking song they’re singing.” #ItsComingHome#ENG #ThreeLions #WorldCup #HamiltonLDN Credit: @ChristineAllado. pic.twitter.com/q1yjWkFrHI
— Hamilton West End (@HamiltonWestEnd) July 7, 2018
It’s coming home. ALW pic.twitter.com/WQfRnajsLT
— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) July 7, 2018
Even on a wedding day….ITS COMING HOME!!! pic.twitter.com/Jb8kXuEVZO
— Chay Thompson (@ChayJThompson) July 7, 2018
Think it could be a long night!!! #itscominghome 🦁 🦁 🦁 @GaryLineker @rioferdy5 @J_Klinsmann @Baddiel @FrankOnTheRadio @Lightning_Seeds pic.twitter.com/ovgNLu3mV4
— Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) July 7, 2018
Remarkably, it’s the third time in the tune’s history that it’s managed to reach number one on the charts, all coinciding with major football tournaments: the UEFA Euro in 1996, the 1998 World Cup, and now again in 2018.
An interesting piece of trivia that English fans have no doubt been over a thousand times: the famed missed England penalty that sent them out of the tournament in the semi finals was kicked by one Gareth Southgate. The very same dapper bloke who is now managing the team through this tournament.
Could it be happening? Could it finally be happening?
Is football… coming home?
WE WILL SEE.
England’s World Cup semi-final against Croatia is scheduled for the ungodly time of 4:00am on Thursday morning (AEST).
