Three Lions lyrics – when did The Lightning Seeds, Baddiel and Skinner release iconic England anthem?

ENGLAND are going for glory once again at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – and Iran is first on the schedule.

The country is going football mad and once again terrace anthem Three Lions is blasting out of fan’s windows across the country. Here’s the lyrics if you need reminding...

What are the Three Lions song lyrics?

[Spoken]
I think it’s bad news for the English game”;
We’re not creative enough, and we’re not positive enough”;

It’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming
Football’s coming home

[Spoken]
“We’ll go on getting bad results, getting bad results, getting bad results, getting bad results”;

It’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming
Football’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming
Football’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming
Football’s coming home

Everyone seems to know the score
They’ve seen it all before,

They just know
They’re so sure
That England’s gonna throw it away,

Gonna blow it away
But I know they can play
‘Cos I remember...

Three Lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming

So many jokes, so many sneers
But all those oh-so-nears
Wear you down
Through the years,

But I still see that
Tackle by Moore
And when Lineker scored
Bobby belting the ball
And Nobby dancing!

Three Lions on a shirt
Jules Rimet still gleaming
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming.

Commentary –
England have done it, in the last minute of extra time.

What a save, Gordon Banks
Good old England, England who couldn’t play football
England have got it in the bag.

I know that was then
But it could be again

It’s coming home
It’s coming
Football’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming
Football’s coming home

Commentary –
England have done it

It’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming
Football’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming home
It’s coming
Football’s coming home

(It’s coming home)
Three lions on a shirt (It’s coming home)
(It’s coming)
Jules Rimet still gleaming (Football’s coming home)
(It’s coming home)
Thirty years of hurt (It’s coming home)
(It’s coming)
Never stopped me dreaming (Football’s coming home)
(It’s coming home)
Three lions on a shirt (It’s coming home)
(It’s coming)
Jules Rimet still gleaming (Football’s coming home)
(It’s coming home)
Thirty years of hurt (It’s coming home)
(It’s coming)
Never stopped me dreaming (Football’s coming home)
(It’s coming home)
Three lions on a shirt (It’s coming home)
(It’s coming)
Jules Rimet still gleaming (Football’s coming home)
(It’s coming home)
Thirty years of hurt (It’s coming home)
(It’s coming)
Never stopped me dreaming (Football’s coming home)

Why do England fans sing Three Lions?

Three Lions was a song released in 1996 by English band The Lightning Seeds to mark England’s participation in that year’s European Championships, held in England.

The music was written by the Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie, along with comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner – presenters of the hit football-themed comedy show Fantasy Football League.

This song is one of only three songs to top the British charts twice with different lyrics, the others being “Mambo No. 5”; (in versions by Lou Bega and Bob the Builder) and “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”; (by Band Aid and Band Aid 30).

It was rereleased in 1998 with updated words.

It regularly reappears in the UK singles chart around major football tournaments involving the England team.

Why are there three lions on England’s shirts?

England wear three lions on their shirts – as they have done ever since the first international against Scotland in 1872 – because it is the logo of the FA.

However where that logo comes from is a much longer and interesting story.

The lions have a history going back to the 12th century, when a standard with three gold lions on a red field was carried into battle to inspire the troops.

The first one came from Henry I – known as the lion of England – who had a lion on his standard on taking power in 1100.

Shortly afterwards he married Adeliza, whose father also had a lion on his shield, and to commemorate the event he added a second lion to his standard.

In 1154, two lions became three when Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine, who also had a lion on her family crest.

Richard the Lionheart later used three golden lions on a scarlet background as a symbol of the English throne and, after that, it appeared on the Royal Arms of every succeeding monarch.

So when the FA was formed in 1863, it seemed natural enough to base their logo on this stirring royal shield.

Since then, the design has only been changed once, in 1949 – when the crown that was on top of the lions was removed to differentiate the badge from that of the English cricket team.