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CNN Live Today
World's Most Popular Sporting Event Gets Under Way in Seoul
Aired May 31, 2002 - 14:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The world's most popular sporting event got under way today in Seoul, South Korea. And if you're a typical American, this is probably the first you've heard of it. But as we hear now from CNN's Richard Quest, Americans might pay more attention to World Cup Soccer if only we had a descent team theme song.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It doesn't take much to get them going at the Sports Cafe. A few drinks, a good game and soon they're singing national songs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing in native tongue).
QUEST: There year there will be a bumper crop of songs to sing. IT's the World Cup. And countries are battling not only on the field, but also for the best, or worst, football song.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): We're on the ball. We're on the ball.
QUEST: This year's English offering comes from Ant and Dec, "We're on the ball." Hardly the height of musical melody, but sure to be heard when England is playing in Japan. After all, it will be breakfast time back home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think of the song, buddy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (singing): Here comes the good times.
QUEST: Ireland, too, has a song. "Here come the good times." It's designed to rally the faithful and maybe help push the team further to the final.
From France to Brazil, football songs have always been used to build support. An unofficial national anthem, believes the psychologist Kati St. Clair.
KATI ST. CLAIR, PSYCHOLOGIST: You know what happens if the national anthem of any country is being played. People get either very moved or very quiet, but their behavior is uniform. It's of the same nationality. Well, when it's a football song, it's much the same, only they're not so much moved, they're moved to action. Some more active. But it means, I belong here, this is my country. QUEST: Former (UNINTELLIGIBLE) star Chad Smash (ph) has written his own unofficial song for the English side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What makes a good song is a couple of tight rolls mixed up with a good beat. OK, then a good chorus. Oh, yes we're coming, we're coming over, England are coming for the cup.
QUEST: Meanwhile, at the Sports Cafe, the real singing goes on. And it's not long before others join in. Most of us don't sing much in public, leaving vocal cords to the privacy of the bath.
(on camera): There's still some time to go for the true fans to learn their World Cup national song. And no doubt it'll take a great deal of practice before they finally get it right.
Richard Quest, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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