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White Stripes Rule at Euro 2008

June 21st, 2008 | By: Daryl | 13 Comments »

Not sure if Jack and/or Meg White have any interest in the beautiful game. All respect, but they’re not the most athletic pair I’ve ever seen. Still, their “Seven Nation Army” song (above) has become the unofficial anthem of Euro 2008. If you’ve been paying any attention at all to the tournament you’ll have heard it at one of the games.

It’s been ringing out at the eight Swissaustria stadiums and FanZones, mostly because you can still sing along no matter how many Swiss or Austrian beverages you’ve consumed.

Here’s a quick collection of clips:

Germany vs Croatia in Klagenfurt:

Inebriated Sweden fan at the Vienna HeldenPlatzen FanZone. He probably couldn’t tell you his own name, but he can still sing ” OH oh-oh-oh-Ooooh Oh”.

Austria vs Germany in Vienna:

Swedish fans in a Salzburg bar:

The trend seems to have started in Italy in 2006. Here are scenes in Rome the night Italy won the 2006 World Cup:

Bonus trivia: Apparently it’s become known as the “Po po po po po po” song in Italy.

Here’s what Jack White had to say about football fans drunkenly chanting along to his ditty.

“Nothing is more beautiful in music than when people embrace a melody and allow it to enter the pantheon of folk music. As a songwriter it is something impossible to plan. Especially in modern times. I love that most people who are chanting it have no idea where it came from. That’s folk music.”

Very deep Jack. But the main reason for the adoption of “Seven Nation Army” agt Euro 2008 is probably a bit more straightforward. It’s the absolute cackness of the official Euro 2008 anthem by Enrique Iglesias.

— Spotted any other vids featuring Euro 2008 fans chanting “Seven Nation Army”? Drop a link in the comments and we’ll add it to the collection —

Tags: Enrique Iglesias, Euro 2008, Euro 2008 News, Po po po po po po, Seven Nation Army, White Stripes

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Comments

By Rob | June 21st, 2008 at 5:50 pm

I think Italian fans adopted it in 2006 because you had to beat 7 teams to win the world cup. It doesn’t make as much sense for the Euros, but its an awesome tune anyway.

Posted from United Kingdom

By Daryl | June 21st, 2008 at 5:52 pm

Good knowledge Rob, cheers.

Posted from United Kingdom

By Laurie | June 21st, 2008 at 5:54 pm

“enter the pantheon of folk music”

uh…yeah. That’s what I was thinking too.

Posted from United States

By FAN | June 21st, 2008 at 6:25 pm

I think it is a bad idea to play songs when teams walk onto the pitch because the only thing your need to hear is the yells of the fan and also playing songs after a team scores ruins it you can’t hear the yells by the fans

Posted from United States

By Ken | June 21st, 2008 at 6:40 pm

I have to agree. It’s an awesome song.

Posted from United States

By MarcoMTL | June 21st, 2008 at 7:18 pm

Actually Roma fans started the chant when the team went on a great winning streak in 2005-2006. Italy adopted it from Roma.

Posted from Canada

By Chris | June 21st, 2008 at 7:40 pm

And Roma got it from Club Brugge in the UEFA Cup beforehand. By the time the World Cup came ’round, it was old news. Lasting well, though.

By gianfranco | June 21st, 2008 at 7:56 pm

Chris Cornell/Audioslave actually covered the song in a concert I saw in Bologna, and a lot of my friends and family in the boot had no idea it was the white stripes at all. So its pretty intersting to see how many different ways a song like this can infilitrate Europe…

Posted from United States

By drunvalo | June 21st, 2008 at 9:49 pm

great chant…great song. It will always signify italys 2006 campaign to me.
were gonna fight em off…a seven nation army couldnt me back,,wow didnt realize the seven nation thing or the po po po po po po po fits perfect.

Posted from Canada

By Magnusson | June 22nd, 2008 at 5:53 am

Wow, this is insane to me. HOw a song can be adopted by all the soccer fans in Europe at different times and for different reasons!
This is the unofficial marseille fans song du jour. So much so that there’s been an article about this and a compilation will soon fiollow.

Posted from France