“Y Sevilla, Sevilla, Sevilla, aquí estamos contigo, Sevilla, compartiendo la gloria en tu escudo, orgullo del fútbol de nuestra ciudad…”

Sevilla, Spain’s oldest club, have their identity writ large in the lyrics of their anthem. El Himno is no ordinary football song but a proclamation of identity, unconditional love, and pride. “[A]qui estamos contigo sevilla” (we are with you Sevilla), “compartiendo la gloria en tu escudo” (sharing the glory) and “orgullo” (the pride) of “nuestra ciudad” (our city). 

The essence of an anthem is a tie that binds those off the pitch with those on it. Anthems herald a city, a team, and a collective identity; a glorious sense of belonging. Some teams have them, some teams wish they had them. But what sets apart the anthem from the football song?

Tragedy

First things first: an anthem cannot only be about winning. Take Hala Madrid. Sung loud and proud at the Santiago Bernabéu, it encapsulates everything the football public dislike about Los Blancos. “Hala Madrid y nada mas” – supporting Real is about nothing more than Real and nothing more than winning. 

This brings me to my first principle. An anthem must be in some way self-deprecating. It has to acknowledge the peculiar vulnerability of unconditional support. Any other relationship that causes the extent of suffering would be labelled abusive. But, like the twisted masochists we are, we keep crawling back, hoping to be treated better while fearing the worst.

Hibernian’s tearjerking Sunshine on Leith illustrates this with an opening verse of: “My heart was broken, my heart was broken, sorrow, sorrow, sorrow, sorrow.” 

The song works on two levels. It was adopted as the Hibs anthem during the ’90s ‘Hands Off Hibs’ campaign when Wallace Mercer, then owner of fierce rivals Hearts, sought to take over the club. The Proclaimers participated in a rally at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall and one of their songs, Sunshine on Leith, gained particular traction among those gathered in green that day. It became inextricably woven into the collective efforts to defeat Mercer. David vs Goliath: a battle that Hibs fans ultimately won.

The song confronts inevitable heartbreak, both at the possibility of losing their team and of losing the match, yet the Hibs fans will continue to pour through the turnstiles of Easter Road and support. What message does that send to the players? Regardless of the result, come wind, rain, or shine, we will be with you.

An anthem can’t just be about winning, it must acknowledge failure; a good anthem requires tragedy.

Identity

Another key facet in the emotional DNA of the anthem is identity. It must communicate a sense of place, both literally and figuratively for players and fans. 

In 2022, when Wales beat Ukraine 1-0 courtesy of Gareth Bale, the Red Wall rapturously saluted its heroes. They had climbed the mountain and qualified for their first World Cup in 64 years. Moments later, fans and players joined in a rendition of Yma O Hyd. 

Written by Welsh language folksinger Dafydd Iwan, the lyrics are a journey through Welsh myth and legend stretching back to the epoch of Roman usurper-turned-Welsh-dreamer Magnus Maximus. 

With a tangible sense of place established, Iwan’s genius becomes apparent. After all that history, despite the bloodshed and toil, yma o hyd: we are still here. We are present and alive, and what a journey it has been.

History

After moving to the Emirates Stadium from Highbury in 2006, Arsenal searched for an anthem to consecrate their new home. The first one they tried – Elvis Presley’s The Wonder of You – was trotted out to a reception of general apathy. But why did it fail? 

“I guess I’ll never know the reason why/ You love me as you do/ That’s the wonder/ The wonder of you…”

On paper, these lyrics would appear to hit all the right marks, but it felt empty. The Gunners desperately needed something that could speak to their history and make the Emirates feel like home. The Wonder of You lacked authenticity. 50,000 North Londoners had little connection to Elvis or his words. If anything, it made Arsenal fans feel further from home. 

In 2022, they trialled something new. Singer-songwriter Louis Dunford released the first song from his second EP, The Angel: North London Forever. It is a plangent and nostalgic ode to the borough and its history, the verses taking the listener through the streets of Highbury: 

“North London forever/ Whatever the weather these streets are our own/ And my heart will leave you never/ My blood will forever run through the stone.”

It worked. After years of acrimony and infighting, the Arsenal fanbase finally united. Dunford delivered history to the Emirates, bringing together the fans and the team. Crucially, he has done so by rooting his lyrics squarely within the identity of North London. 

Beauty

In 2019, Spurs faced Liverpool in the Champions League final at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano. Old foes José Mourinho and Arsène Wenger sat side by side in the studio as pundits for BeIN Sports. There was the usual pre-match chatter, until suddenly a quiet gathered in the room.

Mourinho had gestured for silence as the red and white scarves are hoisted and the Liverpool fans begin their rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone. “This is more beautiful than we can say”, he said.

Wenger added “That’s unique.” Two men, who throughout their coaching days were the bitterest of rivals and who spent most of their careers trying to beat Liverpool, are united in admiration. This is the art of the anthem: to stop you in your tracks and honour the wider context of football as a simulacrum for what it means to belong.


This article was originally published in the Fitzdares Times.