Arose Arose Arose: The significance of football chants

Published on: 10 December 2014
Arose Arose Arose: The significance of football chants
Hearts

By Emmanuel Mensah

“Arose, arose, arose, be quiet and don’t be silly, we are the famous Hearts of Oak, we never say die.” Phooooooobia! Never say die until the bones are rotten.

The chanting of this song at the Accra Sports Stadium by the fans of Accra-based Hearts of Oak not only slights their opponents but also acts as adrenaline to boost the morale of the players.

Without any doubt, this is the most famous football chant in Ghana. You may not like me for what I am about to say, and a big apology to the Kotoko fraternity, but I can’t help joining in and dancing to the Phobians’ tune.

Asante Kotoko “wo kum apem a apem beba” is the arch rival of Accra Hearts of Oak, but I openly admit to my rivals in the rainbow colours, your song of praise is simply mesmerizing.

While the Accra Hearts of Oak’s anthem has the traditional and entertaining “Ga jama” rhythm, the anthem of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, a club built on the rich traditional settings of the Asante, is based on a war cry chanted to the beat of fontonfrom drums.

These football chants are meant to support clubs, but they have become de facto war chants for men who years back would have gone to war. As there are no more wars, football club chants are probably one of the safety valves for releasing that inclination.

Kumasi Asante Kotoko’s is a typical war chant. “Asante Kotoko Oseeeeey yieeee, yieeeeeee, yieeeeeee, Asante Kotoko ooooo, Yieeeeee, Asante Kotoko ooooo, Yieeeee, Ayeeeeee!”  It tells the players to prepare for battle.

Beyond the borders of Ghana, football chants are also very much a part of the modern game. These songs vary from club to club.

In England, you are sure to be greeted at the home grounds of Tottenham Hotspur with the chant from the American Civil War marching song “Glory Glory Hallelujah.” This same hymn has been adopted by Leeds United and Manchester United. These clubs have, however, added their own twist to the lyrics -- “Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur,” recorded in the 1960s; “Glory Glory Leeds United,” released in 1968 by Ronnie Hilton; and “Glory Glory Man United,” released in 1983 by Manchester United FC.

These songs not only praise the club, they also encourage the players when things get tough on the pitch.

Now one of the most iconic football songs in the world, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” though sung by Celtic, Borussia Dortmund and FC Tokyo, is popularly associated with the English club Liverpool FC.

The song was first sung by fans on Liverpool's famous Kop on 30th November 1963, and has been the anthem of Liverpool Football Club ever since. It is motivating and inspiring. Sung by a chorus of supporters when the team was three nil down in the first half of the 2005 Champions League finals, Captain Steven Gerrard said the song provided the needed inspiration for one of the most famous comebacks in the history of the Champions League.

The chants can also be codes to identify comrades. In places where football rivalries are at their peak, you will never hear an opponent singing or chanting the anthem of another club. For example, an Everton fan will never sing Liverpool’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

So, to identify another fan of the same club, simply raise the song and supporters of your club will join in. In Ghana, when you shout Phobia! other Hearts of Oak supporters will respond Masters! That is how you identify your comrades.

In Africa, drums accompany these chants. The vuvuzela, introduced by the South Africans during the 2010 World Cup, is the latest addition to musical instruments in football, the others being the whistle and the drum. Its deafening and irritating sound not only sends fear to their opponents but also provides the necessary motivation to the national team, the Bafana Bafana.

The most important thing about a football chant is that it doesn’t matter where you stand or sit in the stadium, it doesn’t matter whether you have an angelic voice or are tone deaf, you can join in and be a part of a mass choir to chant your team on.

Players will come and go, coaches will come and go, but anthems will forever be part of the club.

 

 

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