Adopt "Abide With Me" as WC anthem

[miguel de cervantes]

i've said it before, i'll say it again. one sure fire and dead simple way to inject some tradition and prestige into the world cup.

 

[expansionist]

beautiful idea, love it!

 

[Evil Homer]

Abide With Me is already the anthem for the Challenge Cup final and the FA Cup in soccer.

The RLWC anthem should be Les Chant Des Partisans to honor the fact that French RL was desecrated by the Nazis during WW2, to acknowledge that the French were the ones who created the RLWC and to reflect the sport's tradition of rebellion. [youtube]QRhg-Ioik8c[/youtube]

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Doesn't quite have the needed feel.

I don't think it matters if the FA Cup and Challenge Cup use it.

 

[Evil Homer]

It does matter. Abide With Me has no relevance to the RLWC whatsoever and the only reason you've suggested it is because you saw it before the Challenge Cup final, where it is already an established tradition and has been for decades.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Exactly, it has a steeped rugby league relevance being played before the CC final. Why not "extend" that to the World Cup?

In the same vain as "The World in Union", more correctly known as the theme from Jupiter from Holtz's "The Planets" or more recently "I vow to thee my country", these have nothing to do with union. It's just a nice, noble sounding traditional hymn. Le Chant des Partisans is not this, neither is any "Heroes" song or whatever rubbish they came up with last time.

At the moment, pretty much nothing has any relevance or tradition associated with the world cup apart from the trophy. This is a big problem. Better to borrow some from the CC final than attach something new I reckon.

to honor the fact that French RL was desecrated by the Nazis during WW2, to acknowledge that the French were the ones who created the RLWC and to reflect the sport's tradition of rebellion.

No offense, but these are horrible arguments for picking a world cup anthem, which is essentially a tool of marketing, not a political statement.

 

[isaiah]

Who sang it then and is she a widow of a player?

 

[biggestbroncosfan]

Who sang it then and is she a widow of a player?

Danny Jones' wife Lizzie. He suffered a cardiac arrest earlier this year playing for the Keighley Cougars vs London Skolars in League One. Another suggestion perhaps as teams enter the field to life in a northern town - dream academy.

 

[The Changing Man]

i've said it before, i'll say it again. one sure fire and dead simple way to inject some tradition and prestige into the world cup.

Exactly how would this inject "tradition" into the RLWC? Are you American? You can't buy heritage the same way you can't inject tradition...it's something that builds over time. Trying to artificially "inject it" smacks of desperation.

Also, how do you suppose a Hymn would inject Prestige into the RLWC? Again, prestige isn't something that happens overnight, but something that builds gradually.

I get that you thought the stirring performance by Lizzie at Wembley was great, but it's hardly worth "bolting it onto" the RLWC in the hope it will make it a "better" tournament!

What a very odd suggestion?

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

^^^

Its still worth adding an anthem to be played at EVERY world cup. (though i agree that we'd gain little by stealing that Abide song).

I just hate when they change it every year then wonder why no one knows the new one.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

Agree, at least chose an anthem to be played at every WC. For starters.

I didn't see the Lizzie thingo at Wembley. As for bolting on etc., the premise is that the piece is associated with rugby league and the challenge cup. Can't we simply generalise that to rugby leauge which would then allow it to be played at the world cup?

I agree it is not so much a real tradition which takes time, but it does have prestige, which CAN be generated somewhat instantaneously - creating prestige is like taking someone in jeans and a t-shirt and putting them in a stunning dress, make-up hair etc. Boom, prestige.

If we agree that a recurring anthem is a necessity, even if just for marketing purposes, I can't see why Abide can't be that anthem. Surely it already posses some value and tradition in rugby league circles that can grow when used at the world cup and surely this is better than starting from scratch.

Finally, there are advantages in choosing something old, tried and tested rather than writing something from scratch which would no doubt age horribly.

 

[Evil Homer]

If only someone had suggested one earlier in the thread.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

I just don't think a song about killing, sabotage, dynamiting, blood, hate, hunger and misery is the right one to go with. The melody is far from exceptional as well.

 

[Evil Homer]

I just don't think a song about killing, sabotage, dynamiting, blood, hate, hunger and misery is the right one to go with. The melody is far from exceptional as well.

As opposed to a 19th century hymn about someone who is laid dying from tuberculosis?

The lyrics are not really miserable at all, they are defiant and uplifting in the face of adversity, and many of them are extremely fitting for RL. Hell, the French national anthem has far more gruesome and explicit lyrics. You wanted a song that reflects that tradition and history of the sport and the origins of the World Cup, I can think of no better.

Or maybe we should just use "Simply The Best" :roll:

 

[miguel de cervantes]

If it makes any difference the Abide By Me music was composed by a Mr Monk well beforehand, so technically the RLIF could rewrite lyrics for it much the same way the IRB did for Jupiter. Of course, there is no actual reference to tuberculosis in Abide, it's about confiding in God in your darkest hours. It would surely be best to avoid religion in any anthem. "League With Me Abide"? I think there is something that could be done with the Abide lyrics to modernise them and include "league", incorporating themes of brotherhood, camaraderie, solidarity in hard times, which let's face it, is deeply ingrained in league history also, and not just during WW2. I believe these are better themes to go for rather than rebellion. No one new to league and plenty involved now are not going to care about rebellion and getting one back at union.

The lyrics of Partisans, (and yes La Marseillaise), are very graphic, it would probably a good idea to rewrite them as well.

I'll guess we will have to agree to disagree. Except for Simply the Best, definitely not that, although that should absolutely be reused b the NRL sooner rather than later.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

As opposed to a 19th century hymn about someone who is laid dying from tuberculosis?

The lyrics are not really miserable at all, they are defiant and uplifting in the face of adversity, and many of them are extremely fitting for RL. Hell, the French national anthem has far more gruesome and explicit lyrics. You wanted a song that reflects that tradition and history of the sport and the origins of the World Cup, I can think of no better.

Or maybe we should just use "Simply The Best" :roll:

Thats not actually a bad idea...

I mean, obviously, Simply The Best is over used and shouldnt be tacked onto ANOTHER rl event, but the idea of using NRL theme songs on other contexts could be good. (bare with me...)

NRL/SL theme songs usually last 1 season and then are forgotten forever. How about, at the end of each campaign, they decide if the song was popular or a bomb and (if it was the former) they attach it perminantly to a smaller event.

I think it would be great if, every year, there was a campaign advertising the 9s tournament featuring "Thats My Team" or the WCC with that Jessica Mauboy song. These once a year events playing off nostalgia rather than trying to reinvent themselves constantly.