A song to celebrate the end of the latest interminable international football break today. My goodness those things are annoying (international football breaks, I mean, rather than songs, which can often be quite agreeable). Just as the fitba season's getting going in the top two divisions, the whole thing's halted for a fortnight for the benefit of one, or possibly two, tiresome qualifiers (or even worse, friendlies) played by your national side.
Which is all very well if you support Germany or Spain, or any other countries whose teams play an aesthetically-pleasing brand of football; but when you're lumbered with England - who put fewer passes together than a reformed philanderer - it feels more like a jail sentence.
Oh, and don't suppose all this ends here; there's another international break coming up (of course there is) next month to disrupt the rhythm of the season once again. The egg chasers have got it right as far as I'm concerned, continuing with their domestic rugby seasons despite the fact that the rugby World Cup also happens to be going on simultaneously in New Zealand (or wherever; can't say I've been paying all that much attention).
Anyway, all that pointless yet strangely theraputic ranting was leading up to this, the superb Football, Football by the Edmundo Ros Orchestra, from (I'm guessing) the early 1950s. Heard this on the wireless a couple of weeks back and fell in love with it immediately. Truly, they don't make 'em like this any more (more's the pity).
The Edmundo Ros Orchestra - Football, Football (Calypso) mp3
Pirate Captain Jim
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“Pirate Captain Jim” is a glorious work avoidance poem by Shel Silverstein,
who kinda looked like a pirate himself. “Walk the plank,” says Pirate Jim.
“But...
3 hours ago
5 comments:
Kippers, at least your mob qualified. Yet another tournament without us finding a new way not to get past the group stages!
Whahay.
What a wonderful song (and piece of social history). Must be early 50s as you say.
Unlike the dominance of the filthy lucre today, the chance of taking a turn at the top was pretty egalitarian back then.
Nice to hear a mention for the then princes of Preston, Huddersfield and the like - against the unlikely backdrop of a mambo bottom-shaking beat..
Yeah Dicky, it is a lovely little musical time capsule. Cor, imagine that, eh, a time when it was possible for more than three teams to have any chance whatsoever chance of winning the league.
If we'd have been in your group with Spain, Drew, we'd've had no chance of qualifying (automatically) either!
Heard on the radio this morning that Edmundo Ros has just died at the age of 100. I'm so, so sorry.
That is sad. Let's hope him and Betty are dancing around the snug.
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