David Baddiel and Frank Skinner’s football song Three Lions has been rewritten as a feminist anthem to cheer on England’s women team in next month’s World Cup.
Members of the team say they hope the reworked tune, Three Lionesses, will inspire the public to get behind the team at the tournament which takes place in France from 7 June to 7 July.
The original song, better known as Football’s Coming Home, has been chanted at England games since it was released for the men’s team campaign in 1996 European championship hosted in England.
It nostalgically celebrates England 1966 World cup win and rues near misses and underachievements in major tournaments since, enjoying a new lease of life during last summer’s World Cup in Russia when Gareth Southgate’s team reached the semi-finals.
The theme of the reworked tune swaps low expectations about the England men’s team with sexist attitudes about women’s football in general. The lines “That England’s going to throw it away, gonna blow it away” are replaced with “That we don’t have the skill in their eyes. Well we’re tired of the lies”.
And “All those ‘well done girls’” replaces “oh-so-nears” as the source of wearing down England supporters.
The new tune and accompanying video references past successes of the England team in the same way as the original song.
But the names, and footage involved, have been switched. Substitutions include Jade Moore for Bobby Moore; Nikita Parris for Gary Lineker; Steph Houghton for Bobby Charlton, and Jordan Nobbs for Nobby Stiles.
Nobbs, who has been ruled out of the tournament with a damaged knee, said: “I know the players love the Three Lionesses track and I hope it inspires the team to World Cup glory. This is an incredible time for women’s football as awareness and popularity continues to grow.” The song was commissioned by Lucozade Sport as part of its marketing activity around the tournament.
