Twenty-two years after its debut, Baddiel and Skinner's 'Three Lions' has become ubiquitous once more, echoing through stadiums in Russia, pubs, and fan zones as England's World Cup campaign captures the nation's imagination. The song, originally released for Euro 96, blends nostalgia with the fresh energy surrounding Gareth Southgate's squad.
Owen Blackhurst, features editor of Mundial magazine, attributes the revival partly to fond memories of the 1990s. 'Growing up in England in the 90s was fun,' he says. 'There was good music, great festivals and the sun was shining. Nowadays things are very different and people want every little piece of that time they can get.' He also notes the tactical freshness of Terry Venables' 1996 team, which played with wing-backs—a system now employed by Southgate.
The current England side, with its youthful, diverse squad and progressive style, has evoked comparisons to that era. Blackhurst adds: 'From the style of football to Jesse Lingard and Raheem Sterling mucking around on social media, the whole thing just feels more progressive.' This shift has given fans licence to enjoy themselves, a sentiment echoed by co-writer David Baddiel.
'The England team has been in the wilderness and the song always runs in parallel with the team,' Baddiel explains. 'You can't sing about it coming home when it's lost. The difference between Three Lions and all other songs before it is it was the first song properly to be about football and actually to describe the experience of being an England fan.'
