Our next selection this Rocktober has become known around the world as a sports anthem. Even if you don't know the name of the song or the band that sings it -- which, dammit, you should -- you probably know the song itself. Glaswegian trio The Fratellis burst onto the scene in 2006 with their debut album Costello Music, which is one of my favorite albums from the '00s. I've described many times as having more hooks than a tackle box, and I'm sticking with that description. The songs are, for the most part, perfectly crafted pop punk/garage rock/post-punk gems, and there isn't a bad song on the album.
But the song that stands out among a lot of good ones is "Chelsea Dagger." Named after lead singer Jon Fratelli's wife's burlesque show stage name -- a take on Britney Spears -- it was a big hit in the UK, the band's native Scotland, and The Netherlands, reaching the Top 5 on the pop charts in all three countries. But it became a truly iconic song thanks to its adoption by various prominent sports teams in Europe and the U.S. My fellow Chicago Blackhawks fans know it as the song played after the Hawks score a goal at home, so it always reminds me of the Hawks' run to three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015. It's also prominently played at Celtic FC home games (of which The Fratellis are fans), Chelsea home games (obviously), and various other international soccer stadiums, hockey arenas, and other sporting venues.
Everyone knows the refrain ("do do-do do do-do do do-do-dah-do"), but my favorite part it when it kicks into the chorus. The song builds perfectly, and the band makes great use of anticipation, so when that guitar slides down the fret board, the listener is ready for the payoff, an aural climax when lead singer Jon Fratelli sings that "Chelsea Chelsea / I believe / That when you're dancing slowly / Suckin' your sleeve / The boys get lonely after you leave / It's one for the Dagger / And another for the one you believe."
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