Ten years ago, Three Lions ‘98 by Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds began its third and final week atop the British singles charts. Its predecessor, Three Lions, had been the official anthem for the England soccer team in the Euro 96 tournament. When the time came to name the official theme song for the 1998 World Cup, there were three contenders for the title; and receiving the honor of “official” theme ended up meaning absolutely nothing.

Comedian Keith Allen, Blur bassist Alex James and artist Damien Hirst formed Fat Les, who pitched their Vindaloo for official contention. The third was (How Does It Feel to Be) On Top of the World by England United — a supergroup of sorts consisting of members of Echo & the Bunnymen, Ocean Colour Scene and the Spice Girls. The England United song ended up getting the official honor.

Three Lions ‘98

It didn’t matter that Three Lions ‘98 had been passed up; it ended up winning the battle between the three songs, going to #1 and keeping its closest rival, Vindaloo, at #2. Vindaloo was catchy and funny, but its humor kept it from resonating as well as Three Lions. The lyrics to both versions of Three Lions weren’t entirely optimistic or sunny. Gareth Southgate’s saved penalty kick in the Euro 96 is forever immortalized by the opening seconds of Three Lions ‘98; one would maybe expect a positive play-by-play clip to be used in a rallying anthem. It was also a little embarrassing, as two of the four names it mentioned in the lyrics weren’t chosen for the World Cup lineup — including Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne, who was described as being “good as before.”
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