When Andrew Flintoff was appointed England captain again last week, it was largely on the strength of the win he led them to at Mumbai in March. Flintoff did it with charisma, inspiration – and music. At lunchtime on the last day, the England dressing-room reverberated to a raucous singalong of Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. More than just a rousing tune, it was also a sly reference to the tummy trouble that many of the players had suffered at one time or another.
In Australia, they will need a different theme tune. But what should it be? Judging by the selection – sticking with the devils they know, picking all available Ashes winners, plus everyone who played in the Tests against Pakistan – the song should be Steady As She Goes by the Raconteurs. It’s stirring, it’s from this year, and it’s the kind of sentiment you can only sing when you’re winning. On second thoughts, perhaps that’s a bit risky.
Another contender, for a side carrying so many injuries, would be another Johnny Cash song: Hurt. Great song, apt lyrics, well quite apt – the references to drugs might be a bit tricky. Similar objections apply to David Bowie’s Ashes To Ashes, the greatest song ever written about space travel, narcotics and the 18-to-30-month gap between England-Australia Test series.
Maybe we’re looking for something more cheerful. Flintoff, who once worked on the record counter at Woolworths in Preston, has a weakness for Elton John, so I’m Still Standing fits the bill. “And did you think this fool could never win / Well look at me, I’m a-coming back again.” It could almost have been written for Ashley Giles.
But these thoughts are just to get the ball rolling. Over to you.
Posted by: Damien Yee at September 18, 2006 10:25 PM
Of the entire squad, one third is unfit, two thirds will be making their Down Under Ashes tour debuts, the captain is raw (and unfit, and making his Ashes tour debut), their form is patchy, only three fast bowlers of note and one spinner with potential but not experience while the other spinner has nothing but experience. And finally, the man responsible for the best Australian tour by a visiting batsman in a decade on the last Ashes tour has an octogenarian's knee.
All up I'd suggest, as Fred and the lads recline in the dressing room after the 4th Test having already lost the Ashes, the most appropriate tune to blare out of Hoggy's iPod would be Jimi Hendrix's Castles Made of Sand: Castles made of sand\melt into the sea\eventually.
Posted by: Gavin Davids at September 19, 2006 1:02 AM
Bush: Adrenaline
Adrenaline/
Keeps me in the game/
Adrenaline/
You don't even feel the pain/
Too much is not enough/
Nobody gave it/
I'm not the kind/
to lay down and die
Posted by: Trike at September 19, 2006 2:38 AM
Got nothing against partisan blogs per se, but doesn't having an Ashes blog that is obviously pro-England run against the grain of cricinfo, which is supposed to provide impartial news? Perhaps a pro-Australia Ashes blog, by the cricinfo Australian correspondent, might balance it out a bit.
Or hey, if he doesn't want to do it, I'll put my hand up!
Posted by: Sam at September 19, 2006 3:48 AM
What about "I made a hundred in the backyard at mums." That's about how easy it will be for the Poms if the likes of Stuart Clarke bowl like they did against the West Indies last night.
Posted by: kpsverma at September 19, 2006 4:40 AM
with half the side injured and rest new to sledging in the field and demeaning placards in the stands, the ashes heroes of england are bound to become zeroes come ashes tour.
being an indian i can see fletcher singing the hindi song line' yeh to hona hi tha' meaning it was bound to happen.
Posted by: Levi at September 19, 2006 6:49 AM
England in major trouble, 2 tests all and its the last day in Sydney. England have one wicket left and are 150 ahead. Monty is at the crease.
Second over of the day Brett Lee bangs one in short and Monty can only fend one off his splice to first slip, Ponting watches and Warnie's drumstick clips the ball and it goes to the fine leg boundry for 4. Aussies seething, Monty stays at the crease till the tea session, putting on 40 with Hoggard in 5 and a half hours. A dark cloud decends the umpires remove the bais to the sound of Britney Spears' OOps I did it again....
Posted by: marcus at September 19, 2006 9:18 AM
First, I would take "Knocking on Heaven's Door" it should please Bob Willis no end and suit the atmosphere for England perfectly after they lose.
Second I'd take "Ring of Fire" just in case.
Finally, given the state of the English squad and the age of Australia's, I think "Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler?" is as appropriate as anything else.
Posted by: Mike at September 19, 2006 9:38 AM
Reverting to my status of a pedant, can I just point out that 'Hurt', whilst fantastically covered by the Man in Black, was actually originally written and performed by the band Nine Inch Nails.
Posted by: Paul at September 19, 2006 10:47 AM
Summer Breeze ..makes me feel fine ...blowing through the canyons in my mind.......
Isley chaps
Posted by: jimbo27 at September 19, 2006 12:57 PM
how about cold chisel's Khe Sanh
Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Yeah the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And it's really got me worried
I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
And the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Posted by: Robert Wakefield at September 19, 2006 1:30 PM
Rather than "Ooops I did it again" being played out to England hanging on for a draw how about (rather more optimistically) Glenn McGrath humming it as he comes out to bat with Australia trailing 2-0 and 115-9 in their first innings at the WACA?
Posted by: Vishnu at September 19, 2006 1:48 PM
So simple, it can only be: "year of tha boomerang" by rage against the machine.
I agree with Trike. Why is this blog so obviously one-sided & completely partisan to the English cause & posted on the baggygreen? Mr. de Lisle then ponders "swaggering Aussies" "all over Australia...firing off wildly bullish emails to unsuspecting bloggers"! Go figure Tim??!!
Posted by: Will at September 19, 2006 3:30 PM
The Longpigs' All Hype
AC/DC's Back in Business (if Australia win)
Black and Blue (Counting Crows, various, can't remember)
Carry That Weight, Beatles, chanting to the more rotund players...
AC/DC's Dog Eat Dog, just because it rocks
London Calling, Clash, if England lose...
My iPod's run out of battery now...
Posted by: Matthew D at September 19, 2006 4:44 PM
surely "Dr.Feelgood" would be the most appropriate for England, as they'll need plenty of them...
But "I don't feel like dancing" by the scissor sisters would please KP, as he must get sick of that chicken dance...
Posted by: Philip Goose at September 19, 2006 7:39 PM
I want you to open your eyes- Snow Patrol
Particularly to be directed at Warnie, but also apt for anyone who makes fielding errors. And to the Aussies, telling them to wake up and smell the bacon.
Posted by: Spaceman! at September 19, 2006 10:29 PM
Can't go much wrong with Oasis' 'Live Forever'. or Bowie's 'Heroes'.
Posted by: Mikey at September 19, 2006 10:52 PM
Give it a bit of Tina Turner simply the best ......
Posted by: Gavin Davids at September 20, 2006 12:00 AM
Warnie's song when he comes onto bowl..
Drowning Pool: The Man Without Fear or Step Up..
think the song would totally go when warnies the only thing standing between the poms and the ashes...again...;)
Posted by: bazza at September 20, 2006 4:09 AM
Its lunch on the last day in Sydney - 1 all and two draws, KP at the crease. There can only be one appropriate musuical interlude... to prevent the peanut-bot from attempting to play the reverse sweep against Warnie...Temptation by New Order
Posted by: seenu at September 20, 2006 4:59 AM
Particularly to be directed at Warnie, but also apt for anyone who makes fielding errors. And to the Aussies, telling them to wake up and smell the bacon.
Posted by: Pete at September 20, 2006 6:53 AM
That's not the smell of bacon....its just those pale barmy army chaps burning in the Australian sun.
Posted by: KaushikG at September 20, 2006 9:55 AM
As Australia are 140-3 at Sydney (Australia 1st innings 252 and England 1st innings 311) Steve HArmison bowls a bouncer to Ponting who edges it to Flintoff in the slips and its Queens 'Another one bites the dust'.
Looks optimistic but its possible.
Posted by: Jason at September 20, 2006 10:57 AM
As England are going to get thrashed soundly, maybe Michael Jackson's "Gone too soon" would be fitting as they watch the Ashes disappear again...
That could be followed rather nicely with R.E.M's "Everybody Hurts" as KP sobs like a school girl in the change room...mumbling something about how he wished he'd stayed in South Africa...
and finally a tune for the team bus as they depart the scene of the massacre in Rodriguez's "I Wonder" as Freddie and the boys ponder about where the luck that won them the last ashes disappeared to...
Posted by: Stuart at September 20, 2006 3:40 PM
"What's that coming over the hill, is it a Montster, is it a Montster?"
This will definitely be used by Sky at some point.
Posted by: Raf at September 21, 2006 2:41 PM
How about this one by The Who:
"You think we look pretty good together
You think my shoes are made of leather
But I'm a substitute for another guy..."
Or even Gloria Gaynor:
"I'll be your substitute
Whenever you want me (ooh ooh)
Oh don't you know I'd be your substitute
Whenever you need me..."
Just to get on Ponting's nerves?
Posted by: adrian at September 25, 2006 2:47 PM
If you want to get on the Aussies nerves big-time, look no further than 'The Ashes Back' by The Pommies,a song already released in homage of England's ashes triumph.
It reached no. 6 in South Africa and is available here in the UK online...
Check it out at www.indiestore.com/thepommies
A good laugh.
Posted by: John at September 25, 2006 2:53 PM
What about this one...
http://www.indiestore.com/thepommies
Does it for me, my kids, my concert pianist accompanist (who described the lyrics as 'esoteric'), and for anyone else with a 'gsoh'.
Posted by: Grant McArthur at October 1, 2006 1:01 PM
Clearly England are dreaming if they think they are going to continue holding onto the Ashes for any longer - fortunately the Everly brothers have already written a song for just this occasion, so they can at least close their eyes and remember what it was like to have them for a while - All I Have To Do Is Dream...
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Posted by: B. Wright at October 8, 2006 12:06 PM
As holders of the rugby world cup & the Ashes there can be only one song to contemplate, "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS" sung by our other great Queen. "Freddie"
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Tim de Lisle is a former editor of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, Wisden.com and Wisden Cricket Monthly, where he won an Editor of the Year award in 1999. He is now a cricket columnist for The Times and Cricinfo. A former feature writer on The Daily Telegraph and arts editor of The Independent on Sunday, he writes about rock music for The Mail on Sunday and was shortlisted for Critic of the Year in the British Press Awards 2005. He plays cricket in the park with his children, bowling mediocre offbreaks.
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