Still Game and TV stars Sanjeev Kohli and Tom Urie have a dream: to get the Scotland squad to sing on their new World Cup single. The comedy duo have written and recorded what they hope will become the anthem for Steve Clarke's men at Scotland's first World Cup since 1998.
Back In The Game
Sanj, known for his role in Still Game, penned the lyrics immediately after Scotland qualified for the summer finals. He paired up with comedy pal Tom, who wrote the music for the Still Game live shows, to record the song. They aim for it to join the ranks of iconic Scotland anthems like Andy Cameron's We're On The March With Ally's Army, BA Robertson and John Gordon Sinclair's We Have a Dream, and Del Amitri's Don't Come Home Too Soon.
A Call to the Squad
Sanj said: "We'd love the Scotland squad to add vocals to it and it's not too late. We know they're busy just now but they will have downtime at that training camp, and we could definitely get their voices on it." He hopes the song will motivate both the team and fans when they face Haiti, Brazil, and Morocco.
He added: "I made a deal with myself and Scotland that if they got to the World Cup I would write a song. When that Kenny McLean goal went in I started writing the song right away. I want Steve Clarke to play it to the boys before they go on to the pitch, and I want the fans singing it. It really has that catchy element."
Inspiration and Ambition
Sanj drew inspiration from unlikely sources: Echo and the Bunnymen and the unofficial 1998 England World Cup anthem by Fat Les. He said: "In terms of football songs, the template I was using was Vindaloo, but I was also inspired by Born Slippy by Underworld and I think the bagpipes are a nice counterpoint to all that. I didn't mean it to sound so menacing, but it's a good counterpoint to the bagpipes. My favourite line in the song is 'fuelled by high cholesterol and low self-esteem'. I just really hope we go out there and kick our height."
Co-writer Tom is in unexpected territory. He said: "I've never been a football fan but my pal, comedian Susie McCabe, has taken me to some games. So I have bought some stuff to decorate the house with and will be watching. I watched the game when David Marshall saved the penalty a few years ago and it was maybe a bit of a Road to Damascus moment for me. But don't ask me to explain what's going on on the pitch."
Competition and Reunions
Glaswegian indie band Belle & Sebastian have also released a World Cup tune, It Only Takes One Lion, a cheeky dig at Frank Skinner and David Baddiel's 1998 England anthem Three Lions. Sanj and Tom's ambitions go beyond getting the team involved; they're looking to reunite the singers of their three favourite Scotland World Cup anthems. Sanj said: "I'd like Andy Cameron, John Gordon Sinclair and Justin Currie to get involved visually in some way. They really scored three worldies with their songs. Ally's Army was overreaching, Don't Come Home Too Soon was under-reaching and We Have a Dream was perfectly pitched. It would be nice to be considered among them."
