They’ve butchered one of the greatest pop songs ever to create their Budweiser Anthem of the FIFA World Cup 2022. I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive Roalnd and Curt*
*I will cos they’re brilliant
Musings on the byways of popular culture
They’ve butchered one of the greatest pop songs ever to create their Budweiser Anthem of the FIFA World Cup 2022. I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive Roalnd and Curt*
*I will cos they’re brilliant
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salwarpe says
At least it accurately portrays what it took to get Qatar ready
Dave Ross says
I know. I couldn’t quite believe that.
Baron Harkonnen says
That is terrible.
The event itself? Up to a thousand killed building the stadia and infrastructure being paid peanuts. THIS IS THE TOURNAMENT OF SHAME! I’m going to have to leave it at that. I will not be watching any of it.
deramdaze says
You don’t sound very angry.
Dodgers’ll do anything for a buck. The more indie-esque, the more greed.
What a lump of shite.
MC Escher says
Reading carefully between the lines of the OP I think I can discern a subtext of dislike for the song’s treatment too.
H.P. Saucecraft says
Yes. There’s a hint in “butchered”, I think. Although Dave saying he will forgive them* rather blunts the impact.
*”cos they’re brilliant”
Black Celebration says
I wanted to like it (cos TFF) but it’s not good.
H.P. Saucecraft says
Cos they’re brilliant.
salwarpe says
I’m a ‘Romaine’r, myself.
Moose the Mooche says
Lettuce draw a veil over that.
Black Celebration says
Trouble is, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Vincent says
I’m not a huge sportsball fan anyway, but the World Cup in Quatar is a most revolting display of totalitarianism cuddling up with corporate entertainment capitalism, and this is before the serious green and social-justice-washing gets pumped out of it’s oliagenous PRbots. TFF should know better. So should whoever the rapper is. Maybe neither the rapper or TFF realise slavery is still a real thing there? Deplorable all round.
Bingo Little says
Fuck the World Cup, and along with it all the sponsor companies/participant nations lining up to tell you about how they’re making subtle adjustments to reflect that this isn’t actually what their brand stands for, while also fully participating financially 🗑
Oh, and the song isn’t very good either. For shame, Lil Baby, for shame,
Jeff says
Rap.
Politically/sociologically, it had something really powerful to say, back in the day, and it said it fantastically, compellingly, innovatively well. For me, it was nowhere near as knock-the-Earth-off-its-axis jaw-dropping as Jazz, but it had soul and heart and credibility, and was valuable for that.
And then it (too quickly) degenerated (literally) into petulant, supposedly-angry teenagers cynically spitting out tuneless, talentless, infantile rhymes about… absolutely nothing…utterly inconsequential immature shite.
For as long as I can remember now, pretty much, Rap has been, musically/melodically, wholly parasitical. As far as I can tell, it’s added very very little to the canon. I know it’s flogging a long-buried horse to say that X-ty percent of popular / commercially-successful Rap is X-ty percent reliant upon the hooks/tunes/structures of other already-successful, long-established genres…
…but this dog’s breakfast of an offering seems to largely dispense with even this hugely generation-defining tune i(and I say that as someone who’s TFF-indifferent).
We *were* warned, weren’t we? ‘If you tolerate this, then your children will be next’.
Must we fling this talentless, tuneless pop-filth at our (grand)-kids?
johnw says
This seems like a nearly perfect combination. Awful 80’s song obliterated by bog standard 2020’s rap to advertise a bog standard lager and a FIFA event in a very dubious country. My main concern now is that, as a football fan, I’ll hear it again and I’d be more than happy to not encounter any of the elements ever again.
ernietothecentreoftheearth says
I understand that Budweiser will be the only beer on sale in Qatar, adding to the misery of the people who actually decide to go there for the competition.
As an aside, the people I know who who usually travel all over the world to watch England ( and, for example,went to Russia) have opted out of this tournament.
fentonsteve says
Having a 17-y-o Offspring in the house means I am familiar with the works of Mr Baby. It isn’t the first time he’s rapped over an 80s banger.
In defence of TFF, they’re not really on this track. Mr Baby has simply sampled a couple of their records, added an 808 drum beat, and talked gibberish over the top. I don’t know why TFF get such a high profile on this, when I’ll Be Missing You wasn’t credited to Puff Daddy and The Police.
I hope Roland & Curt got enough money to retire on, ‘cos they’re going to get an awful lot of stick for this.
Moose the Mooche says
Ladbaby is involved? It’s worse than I thought.
I shouldn’t imagine they go a bundle on sausage rolls out in Qatar.
Dave Ross says
@deramdaze was right. I wasn’t angry enough. The Qatar World Cup is a fucking disgrace. Everything about it. I’m sure Harry Maguire is only playing so badly to ensure the decision whether to attend or not is taken out of his hands. I’d like just one footballer to say no. I can’t do this. Otherwise all the knee taking, rainbow wearing, minute silence taking, equality spouting is rendered absolutely pointless. I hate FIFA for destroying what was my go to sporting event. England or not the football nearly always delivered. So yes, I’m fucking angry about it all. Even more so on hearing this morning that Baddiel, Skinner and Broudie have gone there and redone 3 Lions. Really?
Bingo Little says
Every word of this. Well said, Dave.
Years of social justice branding and now we get to see who actually walks the walk. And it’s basically none of them. Shameful.
Vincent says
Is anyone surprised at the insincerity of the football industry? The only decency in the game is shown by the fans. The rest fucking stinks. And is led by that madly over-wealthy tattooed moron, David Beckham.
Bingo Little says
Not surprised, but I think this is a new low.
A corrupt tournament, in a country with no football heritage that’s patently incapable of hosting, played off-season in slave-built stadiums to help prop up an odious regime that hates women and homosexuals, overseen by a bent organisation and supported by a bunch of national football associations who have their snouts too far in the trough to properly resist.
A line has to be drawn somewhere, and personally I think it should be here, because – let’s face it – if we accept this, we’ll accept anything.
Jaygee says
@Dave_Amitri
We were having a kick about in the park over the road and B, S and B pitched up and asked if we needed a tournament song doing
Moose the Mooche says
Aw diddums. Poor Gianni! With only his brown envelopes to keep him warm!
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/19/fifa-gianni-infantino-world-cup-qatar
He feels like an immigrant worker. In imminent danger of death and isn’t getting paid, is he? And what happened to not bringing politics into football?
Fuck you, you bent bald bastard.
Jeff says
By his own admission, he’s a former ginge; you should be supporting him shuddenyer?
And this on International Men’s Day an’ all… SMH my head.
Junglejim says
I considered a thread entitled ‘Qatar Sh*tshow’ but Dave beat me to it.
Mine was more eye rolling & head shaking about the fact the ‘hosts’ have now decided NO booze in or around the stadiums (despite obviously having agreed this upfront with the sponsors) & they are also now reneging on coughing up for those fans they bribed to go there.
The deal was they paid for various fans of respective countries to repost gushing propaganda about how this abattoir in a sand pit is actually paradise & they would be rewarded with free games, meals & travel etc. Apparently not, now. Obviously, you deal with people like that, caveat emptor etc. but what absolute c*nts.
Then there’s the mysterious Indian tifosi who have clearly been paid to don shirts , scarves & banners of the participants & parade outside their hotels. Presumably, they will shortly over do it on the fake beer & then have fake rucks with the fake Dutch & German hools, who will also look suspiciously Indian.
Even Beckham, the most overrated English player of all time – including Michael Owen- ( but well liked) may have tainted his brand – from declaring he was chuffed to be a gay icon a short while back to accepting 450 Billion quid ( after no tax) to endorsing the medieval values of the barbarians with endless cash supplies.
It starts tomorrow, & as D Baker Esq has said elsewhere, there’s NO excitement ANYWHERE, I have even seen a single trail. What a f*cking disgrace.
Dave Ross says
Nicely put Jim. My thread has been rekindled from a couple of months ago. My anger aimed mainly at the butchering of a Tears For Fears song.
I did express my overall anger later in the thread. You far more eloquently describe my overall feelings towards the whole shit show. England play Iran on Monday. I won’t be watching.
Junglejim says
Well, I’ve booked 2 hours out of work to watch the match, but it’s beginning resemble muscle memory & just what one does (haven’t missed a tournament since 1970) – but I’m not sure I will actually do so.
There is no way I can justify it ethically or intellectually, but old habits die hard. I can’t help getting the vibe it’s like a dog returning to its own vomit, rather than any expectation of anything positive.
It’s supposed to be the ‘beautiful game’ FFS!
Dave Ross says
My favourite World Cup was Argentina 1978. I was 13. Games were late at night. The noise. The ticker tape. KEMPES!! ONE – NIL. It just felt extraordinary. I’m sure it was @Bingo-Little who drew my attention to this incredible story. Wouldn’t it be great if the groundsmen in Qatar were able to do something similar.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/in-bed-with-maradona/2017/jul/05/1978-world-cup-argentina-political-protest-goalposts
My first was 1974 and like you I’ve watched them all since. I just have no interest in what happens in this one.
Moose the Mooche says
There is a slight element of “Never mind people dying building these stadiums, we have to watch football without getting pissed. THAT is a human rights abuse”
Junglejim says
I hear you, Moose & you are spot on, of course.
Seen (correctly) through that lens, it’s crass in the extreme to make such an equivalence.
I guess I was driving at the notion that the booze U- turn is just the Hundreds & Thousands sprinkled on top of the monstrous turd cake that is Qatar 2022.
Moose the Mooche says
I was being facetious.
I think people in other countries are a bit bemused that in the UK football is yet another excuse to get pissed. Will Qatar be quite so tolerant of grotesquely fat white blokes going around with their shirts off? If not I am prepared to invoke the idea of the stopped clock….
Junglejim says
The connection between footy & booze is indeed weird in some respects.
It’s understandable that (generally) chaps are thirsty & footy is an entertainment, so have come to be linked.
Getting roaring hours before the game seems ridiculous, if the game is central to your day. You’ve likely paid a fortune to get there & for your tickets & you may not be able to focus on the game – not to mention the endless loo runs if you’ve had a skinful of beer, increasing the chance of missing the magic moment ( a Cruyff turn perhaps) or the winner.
I saw the Barca v Sampdoria European Cup final at the old Wembley (92 I think) boring game, but a real occasion. Both the Italians & Catalans were aghast at the English neutrals getting sloshed beforehand & the vast majority had no more than 1 drink if any. I definitely had the impression that they couldn’t bear the thought of missing a moment.
Black Celebration says
I’m wondering if we are going to have at least one imprisoned knuckle-headed English tourist (not saying “football fan”) that will get media attention. These people go everywhere England go and seem to have unlimited funds. Honestly, I will have mixed* feelings if one of them gets 20: lashes.
*90% /10% amusement / concern for his welfare.
Moose the Mooche says
…. especially if they’re the wrong colour for his skin-tone, heartface.,
Jaygee says
Please let it be the leader of that idiotic “band” whose lumpen attempt at The Great Escape will be yet another reason for missing this WC
Moose the Mooche says
Blur’s worst album IMHO