Shit, That Song’s Good: All Together Now
‘Shit, That Song’s Good’ is an occasional series of articles based around some of my favourite tracks; how they came about, why they’re special and what they mean to me.
The Farm — All Together Now
With EURO 2020 imminent I, like many others, have been blaring all of the classic England football songs ahead of the tournament coming home this summer.
The conventional wisdom goes that either Baddiel and Skinner’s Three Lions or New Order’s World In Motion are the best England songs. It’s hard to disagree with both songs elating feelings of patriotism and excitement that not many can match.
There is one other football song that, for me at least, is on a par with those two classics. That song is The Farm’s All Together Now.
Okay, some housekeeping before we get stuck into the song. Is this actually a football song?
That’s a key question and in truth it didn’t start as one. It was released in 1990 and originally intended as an anti-war song. Its origins come even earlier than that though, with The Farm’s Peter Hooton writing the song in his early twenties and the band actually originally calling it No Man’s Land during a John Peel session of 1983.
The lyrics of the song detail the famous Christmas truce of 1914 where British and German soldiers had an unofficial ceasefire and put down their weapons for Christmas day, got out of the trenches and played football against one another. It’s still astounding to think that in the middle of a truly horrific conflict that people on both soldiers could park that to one side and focus on their shared humanity.
Peter Hooton has been on record as saying that “It’s about the working classes being sent to war. People across a divide who probably had more in common with each other than the people who had sent them to war in the first place.”
Back to the song itself, it was produced by Suggs, of Madness fame and famous Chelsea fan. The Farm has been a more traditional indie band but with the Madchester sound growing and the fusion of indie and dance being pioneered by the likes of Primal Scream, the wanted to do something like that.
When they were rehearsing what was then No Man’s Land it’s said that Suggs told them to make “all together now” the chorus and for the songs riff to become the All Together Now’s famous hook. The addition of the strings sample from Sid Vicious’ My Way and the a capella refrain of “all together now” really helped elevate the song.
In a fantastic interview with The Guardian Suggs detailed how they developed the sound of the song.
“The pills were just starting to flow about in Britain then, so instead of thinking: “What will this sound like live?” we thought “What will it sound like in a club? With people’s arms in the air, off their heads.” Terry Farley fell in the studio having been up all night and had the band playing guitars over club beats. It’s a cliche now, but in 1990 the mix of rock and dance music was really exciting.”
And the rest as they say, is history.
Famously the chord progression mimics that of Pachelbel’s Canon, believed to be from between 1680 and 1706. You’ll know doubt recognise that chord progression which has been used many times.
So back to the question of whether it’s a football song, the simple answer is yes. Everton originally used the song, with their squad recording a version of it for their appearance in the 1985 FA Cup Final. Then the song went into the footballing wilderness, only to reappear at EURO 2004 in Portugal.
A DJ Spoony edit of the song, with a sweeping chorus from the St Francis Xavier Boys Choir of Liverpool, soundtracked that tournament as England came so close, before another famous tournament exit. The memories of that tournament with a young Wayne Rooney breaking out to a global audience still resonates.
The song again was popular at the World Cup in 2006 and has continued to be heard around England campaign’s since. Like many songs which become popular on the terraces, the ability to shout England during the chorus has only aided its adoption.
So yes, it’s a football song.
If there was any era of music that I’d love to have been an adult for, it’s the late 80s, early 90s, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that this song appeals to me, as does New Order’s World In Motion, but there’s more to it that that.
What I love about the song and continue to find so endearing about it, is the positivity and the hope that it offers. Before a major tournament there is nothing like believing that it’s finally our time and that it’s finally coming home, and this song makes you believe that there’s a chance.
Its anthemic chorus was made to be sung and it’s hard not to get swept up in its words. There’s a reason that Labour used this song at rallies before the 2017 election, it’s a unifying song and one which offers hope for a better future.
The beauty of music is that different songs can heighten different emotions and with The Farm’s All Together Now, there isn’t a song like it, one that can offer so much and leaving you ready for a more positive future.
A quick trawl through the YouTube comments for the song, often a cesspit of bad opinions, is strangely beautiful, with people sharing how the song makes them feel, their memories of loved ones lost and pining for a world with more unity. This song is many things, to many people, but through every comment there is one trend, belonging and unity.
The message of the track is as poignant today as it was when it was released and that will continue to be its endearing legacy, that unity gives us hope.
I’m looking forward to singing it yet again this summer as England finally bring it come. Come on England!
