The Official England Song For...

A phenomenon in England.

And probably the rest of the world.

Rendering it less a phenomenon. More of an occurrence.

In the domestic market. Uncommon. Even rare. Unless you count the Super Bowl Shuffle.

The death of the non-LP single in the United States. Making something like this happen. Almost impossible.

The tournament single. Walks a fine line between an interesting release. And a novelty.

My first experience. New Order. World in Motion.

I didn't know. That it was the official song. Of England's World Cup hopes. 1990. Italy.

I didn't know such things existed.

A few years later. After picking up the maxi-single. I realized what the song was for. Why it was written.

I did know there were footballers on the track. I never managed to make the connection.

Ten years later. A couple of cups. World. Euro. Other.

Princeton Record Exchange. Looking for Blur singles. Imports. I come across Fat Les. This doesn't mean anything to me.

The sticker helps. Members of Blur. A Pet Shop Boys remix. And the official song of the England squad. Euro. 2000.

Purchased. No questions.

The run up to World Cup. 2006.

The Streets. Versus Embrace. For a chance. At officialdom.

Embrace wins. Officially.

Kasabian. Unofficially.

These songs. Likely show more success. When compared to the England teams they represent.

Embrace - World at Your Feet. Tower Records. New. Going out of business sale.