Song of the Day – It’s the day of the second best show on earth – The Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in London. Our Song of the Day thus has to be British. As songs as “Rock Bottom”, “The Bad Old Days” or “Cry Baby” would not be too suitable to represent the Olympic spirit, we went for Flying the Flag- after all tonight over 200 flags will be flown in the London Olympic Stadium. Here’s hoping the Brits have tuned their game up a notch for tonight…
Here is Scooch with Flying the Flag:
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This is one thing I KNOW the BBC will do well
. Let’s hope all 4 countries of GB are represented ;-P.
ps: Awful song.
Nice idea but composition, lyrics and stage show are still repulsive …
I know ^^ Just chose it because of the title… Will you all be watching tonight?… I still hope Adele will come and sing something… not gonna happen though ;(
Apparently she’s headlining the closing ceremony. From what I’ve read in papers. I’m sure the world kind of expect her to show up at some point
.
Isn’t she like 8 months pregnant?
No, she’s not that far gone. Doesn’t mean she can’t sing
.
Of course I will watch the opening ceremony.
Btw, I have just realised that the Olympia Park is only 5 miles away from the small house in Ilford I had rented when I lived in London. Gosh! If I still lived there, I could make a fortune by renting rooms …
P.S. I’d still prefer Adele to represent the UK in ESC. Won’t happen either.
* letting rooms. Oh my, I always mix up to rent and to let and then realise that I made the mistake again when it is too late … LOL
Yeah, that’d be amazing. I’m sure if we ever did enter Adele they’d probably simultaneously start building the stage for the next year haha. It’s gonna be epic tonight. I don’t know about anywhere else but the UK is absolutely buzzing!
“It’s the day of the second best show on earth”
second best?
Loved that!
btw, I do hope that Steven Redgrave will be the one lighting the Olympic Cauldron tonight; he so much deserves it!
On topic: strangely enough, I don’t hate UK 2007
Re: tonight’s ceremony, I’m sure Danny Boyle will do a great job.
But when it comes to opening/closing ceremonies, nth can beat Moscow 1980 and Athens 2004.
My fav moments of those two events:
“I woke up with this marble head in my hands;
it exhausts my elbows and I don’t know where to put it down.
It was falling into the dream as I was coming out of the dream
so our life became one and it will be very difficult for it to separate again.”
My fav part starts at 01.54
btw, can you guys imagine Russia participating in the ESC with sth like this; personally I love the melody
I love Athens 2004 too, they managed to keep everyone silent and pay attention at my house.
The other opening ceremony I really love is Albertville 1992
I loved Athens 2004 opening ceremony’s simplicity; sort of: less is more, imho
My favorite is Sydney 2000.. Probably because they were the first (summer) Games I watched live… Cathy Freeman, the water and the flame and all that… loved it
Sydney 2000 is sort of too Hi Tech for my taste I’m afraid
I agree on Cathy Freeman though; she was stunning
Together with Montenegro, Poland, Croatia and Austria, the worst song of 2007 that belongs to the eighth circle of Hell.
Talking about the Olympic Games, I’m wishing for a Charles Dickens tribute, because of the 200th anniversary. Or something spectacular, like a reconstruction of the Great Fire of London 1666.
There is one thing I really don’t understand: There are so many talented serious musicians in the United Kingdom. So: why on earth did they send this?
I actually very much like the song, one of the best in 2007 but the visual element of the performance was a bit of a let-down.
I can’t help liking this Song…:D
Guilty pleasure alert.
It’s so kitsch!I never liked it.I sort of felt embarrassed for it.
Cheap innuendo. “nuts”? What is this? The fifties? Puke song. Pity Malta had to prove something, because this really deserved rock bottom. A disgrace this was performed in the final.
Wow Germany proves once more it’s horrible style (and lol to Czech Republic’s boots)… gosh Harry Potter instead of Dickens… no comments, I hated it…
as for Uk 2007, the worse British song to Eurovision, and one of the bottom 20 esc songs ever…
Yes, where was Dickens?
There was too much modern pop culture for my taste Me, who am a more traditionalist anglophile, wanted Chaucer, Purchell, Austen and such instead. At least we got some Shakespeare lines. J
And yay for Czech boots!
I love the UK but sorry … this was the worst opening ceremony I have ever watched. Visually it was as messy and random as Bulgaria 2009 and it was totally superficial and fake too. Fake sick children in hospital beds? Yuck, how sentimental and tasteless can you be. And all those children choirs suggesting an innocence our Western societies lost a long time a ago. A choir of inverstment brokers from the city stealing bread from children in poor countries would have been honest at least. Sorry again but I am really pissed. And has anyone told those in charge of the ceremony that a fascination with masses is a secure sign of cultural decadence? They even needed 50st Mary Poppins clones … Plus, the whole show was as ideological as the Beijing ceremony. I really like the Olympic fire though.
“Wow Germany proves once more it’s horrible style”
Is that irony or the French arrogance you sometimes fall prey to? I do not like the outfits of the German team either but generalisations are not what I expect from someone like you …
Wow, already 2 thumb downs. I guess that it is perfectly legitimate to criticise Azerbaijan … but not the UK of course …
The Mary Poppins Army are invading EurovisionTimes!
Everyone but Kenneth Branagh and the Queen came to the Olympic Stadium in army numbers … Btw, I am very sensitive when it comes to Mary Poppins because she is my childhood heroine.
Her Majesty the Queen had this “we are not amused” face during the most of the show, at least in my eyes.
My childhood was mostly made up of Hans Christian Andersen, which made me the gloomy young man I am today.
Good night.
I grew up with Hans Christian Andersen too because my mother loves his work.
Good night to you too.
I don’t know if it’s French arrogance but most of my German friends usually tell me they hate the clothing style in Germany and I thoguht it was funny that tonight, the worse outfit came from Germany (out of all the nations in the world, some of them were traditionally clichéd, or utterly sickly golden…)… I don’t care for people who accuse me to generalize, people who know me know better and know this was merely an inner joke. Obviously, the German guy here didnt find it funny… if I were tasteless, I say that once more it proves the lack of humor of german rigority, but I’m not that type…
It is always very reassuring to get ones prejudices confirmed, isn’t it?
I disagree but fair enough if that’s what you think
. There were some amazing parts though. However, there were some aspects that made me think WTF?
On the opening ceremony: I can’t say i loved it nor that i’m impressed but i really liked some parts,especially the way they lighted up the flame.
@togravus don’t be scared to tell us all how you really thought lol i personally loved it made me feel proud to be british
but the queen is one miserable women! does she ever smile????
Glad that you liked it. LOL But are you really proud of a show that exploited sick children for sentimental reasons and advertised the NHS? *speechless*
…)
If I were the queen, I wouldn’t have smiled either. The opening ceremony was totally embarrassing and an educated woman like the queen certainly realised that too. She probably thought: “What a degenerate society my beloved Britain has become.” (And don’t get me wrong, we are not any better here in Germany. Our society is as superficial and sensationalist as the British and many other Western societies these days.
Now I think you’re being a bit rude. Fair enough, it’s your opinion but we are not a degenerate society. Of course there is a multitude of problems and we’re far from perfect, but we’re not a completely dejected country.
It was NOT embarassing, it was a showcase of what Britain is proud of, our National Health Service, our music scene and our literature. It was an artistic portrayal, fair enough a 50ft Voldemort and 50 Mary Poppins were a bit ott but I think the segment with the children was amazing. GOSH is the biggest children’s charity in Britain and I, for one, am very proud that it got such a big mention and got that much exposure to the world.
The volunteers were obviously not sick children, they were playing part of a sick child. We’re not THAT sensationalist that we’d drag dying kids out of their hospital beds to put on an opening ceremony.
hear hear! sense of a bit of envy creeping in to some of these olympic comments…!
I don’ think that I was rude because I included my own home country in my degenerate verdict. Honestly, I wish Europe all the best because I love our free, democratic and open societies but unfortunately, atm my money is on all of us doing a late Roman Empire (aka being in the last phase of our existance) soon. All the symptoms of decadence and degeneration can be seen in all Western societies. Of course that is only my opinion but last night’s show from London once more confirmed my belief that things are going totally wrong in Europe atm.
Plus it just reinforces the fact the UK does not deserve to host eurovision again after that! Mainland europe please continue giving us the shawdy 1 to 3 points we dont deserve to win and I would like not to be embarsed yetr again if we hosted. I’m suppoerting my girl friends countries now in ESC Poland and Russia, not UK, unless scotland debuts.
It was a shambles in parts and you have to admit it, im embarsed to be British, the effort put in was the usual satisfactory English effort, should have gone to France or Spain who would be sure to showcase an opening cermonay which presents their CURRENT COUNTRY, if there is a country i’d like to see host the olympics I’d actauly like to see Azerbiajan, Germany or Russia host it because they would make a real big thing about it all andalocate the money more wisely, plus the effort put in would be greater as these countrys have shown with ESC and 2 of them a re collectivist cultures.
yes I didnt like the show but I admit I kept thinking “France wouldnt have done better” (coz you know Paris lost by 4 votes to London)… it would have been the same kind of shows, and on a technical level the British one was really fine, so I doubt France would have done better. but that still doesnt mean i liked it
i saw it more of a trubite to the NHS than just advertising i also dont think it was danny boyle’s intention to exploit sick children but if you want to think it was then i respect your opinion
as for the queen i don’t think i ever saw her smile in the jubilee celebrations she always looks miserable lol
The poor woman gets dragged along to everything haha! You could see her crying during the children singing the national anthem though. That was sweet.
I agree, I think a lot of people missed the whole point…maybe you had to be British to get it all but I for one am very proud of my country’s effort for being different from anything before and from all of the reviews most of the world agree…made a change from those mass production staged things à la North Korea…for sure lowpoints were grumpy Queen checking her nails and by far Sir Paul totally destroying “Hey Jude”…:-(..
The biggest problem with the opening show was not what they did focus on, but that they didn’t have much focus at all imo. It was just chaotic and messy without any clear red line. I mean, why did the founder of World Wide Web suddenly pop out from a house?
As for the Queen, I admire her. She represents the true, firm spirit of British royalty; this stiff upper lip. Just look the way she handled her jubilee, an 86 year old woman standing up for three hours and waving her hand towards the crowd. Forget about Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth II is the true Iron Lady of Great Britain.
Being British (and from London too!) I have to disagree with you on both your comments….focus of the night was very clear (Britain…yes because they have organized the games, and the focus was on the “Inspiring a generation” so the focus on the young, and kids too, GB didn’t rely on some big name to light the final torch, were 7 aspiring athletes for the future, that was a promise from 2005 when the games were given to London, and as for volunteers and kids and as I saw above Togravus? dissing the kids who participated in the ceremony, if you are from London like me, and have seen first hand what happens here, you would appreciate just how much the participation of kids was a key part in Danny Boyle’s concept, and how much those kids, for example from Great Ormond Street hospital a reference in the world in the treatment of children every day, nothing like Beijing where everything was controlled to highlight pure communist liberty and happiness, UK had black, white, asian (everything that makes up British and London society) and thankfully, didn’t fall into typical stereotypes (to be honest, how much Shakespeare can the world stand?), I’m happy
hoping to see the swimming or handball (also for any cynics we Londoners are having a ball already!!)
sorry disagree part: The Queen, ….could have done better despite her parachuting in…
and furthermore, compared to other opening ceremonies, I can be proud, that GB incorporated EVERYBODY, which was an objective of both the British Olympic Commitee/World Olympic Committee (women included in every team/why GB and especially London is a focus on incorporating every nation in the world…and I include everybody here who has ever lived here, before you criticise my country, remember you spent time here too…for good or for bad, but I guess you learned something? (and if you start with: yes hated it, well don’t believe you…)
Why do some people feel the need to make a country competition our of anything? My country, your country, we are better, you can learn sth from us etc. It is pretty disturbing.
No need to answer this question btw because it is a rhetorical question …
P.S. I love the UK for being one of the most integrative and tolerant societies in Europe but I guess that I am nevertheless allowed to detest the messy and tacky way in which this society was presented last night (perhaps even because I love it so much and the sentimental and fake show didn’t do it any justice …). You know … there is a very important difference between real life and representation …
actually, I guess you made that as a point yourself, , for sure GB made a point itself, itself as a nation, (Tacky? messy? for me as a British citizen it perfectly harmonized my British growing up through learning about countryside to industrial revolution, and the good and bad about such times, and better the emphasis on the fact re unions/suffregettes etc, that UK was no 1 in those areas), and then the fight against tyranny and horror in the world (include Germany in that but thankfully GB opening ceremony didn’t dwell on that…indeed an aspect of London 2012…bombed by German bombs, many killed….so, sorry your point was?
Ok, I rest my case. Again you come up with that my country is better than yours argumentation.
Btw, I was talking about REPRESENTATION. Either you do not want to get my point or you simply do not want to understand.
P.S. I have said that I wouldn’t expect an opening ceremony in Germany (and most other Western countries) to have any more substance than the show from London because we are all on the fast track into decline together. I would be very graeteful if you stopped twisting my argument. Thanks a lot!
I am very happy that you as an Englishmanenjoyed the show … but please allow people from abroad to disagree. Or does your British tolerance end at Dover? LOL
@Eurofan
I’m not sure if your latest comment was to me, but if that’s so, I can answer you.
I haven’t criticised your country in general (only that they care too less about ESC, but that’s another discussion
). And yes, I have spent many times in London and I love that city. I did even celebrate Easter Mass in Westminster Abbey, a great experience. What I especially enjoy about London is that it is like 1000 villages united into one big city. What I don’t like about London is those areas like the Docklands, that are almost only made up of buildings in cold, soulless concrete and steel, but that’s not something particular about London, but many monstrous mega metropolis cities in the world. Fortunately, I have a soulmate in Prince Charles when it comes to my love for aesthetic architecture, so maybe whe he’ll be king, we might see a change…
Enough talking about London. I do still think the opening ceremony was messy and filled with too many ideas that didn’t work together. But if you British people liked it, I’m glad for you.
Are you referring to the Canary Wharf / the Docklands area? Don’t you like postmodernism or postmodernist architecture in general? I really like that area because it is creative in contrast to all those icecold bank towers in Frankfurt f. e.
rest my case re above, why don’t you just interest youreselves in what happens in your own countries before criticising what happens here in London, when you aren’t even here?
I have just said that I like the Canary Wharf area, so what exactly is the point of your reply? Btw, why don’t you just interest youreselves in what happens in your own country before criticising what happens in Azerbaijan and everyone else … Knockknock … LOL
Well, togravus, I confess I have a dislike for most (post)modernist architecture in general, and that’s nothing I’m proud of. Each art school should be judged with seriousness, but I can’t force myself to enjoy modern skyscrapers or similiar things. I can be impressed by their heights, but not for the aesthetic. To me, it’s just restrained coldness, and since I’m more of a baroque guy, I want architecture bursting with richnesses of details (Spanish Retablo Mayors f.e.). That’s why I prefer visiting Old Prague anyday instead of Manhattan in New York City, for example.
That is nothing to be ashamed of. Be proud of what you like.
Btw, I generally prefer older buildings too, like the Alhambra, Amiens Cathedral, Manueline architecture and above all … Romanesque churches, which are the love of my life. Generally, I am not too fond of baroque although there are some exceptions like the Wieskirche, the baroque churches of Dubrovnik, the mudecar cum baroque churches of Priego de Córdoba and at least 100 others. 
After all, I was born and raised in one of Germany’s most important (Italian) baroque towns. 
hey.let’s be honest, it’s Britain, and was a showcase of britian , they could have easily slipped into WW1 and 2 Scenarios (rudolf Hess in the tower of london etc) but they didn’t, they went for the Britian of the future, so including al those kids,,,,sick or not, deaf or not, those kids form a part of what is the UK, those teens who lit the olymic flame were future stars of British sports, and personally, I’d rather see a blind athlete of 15 years old, and a girl of 16 years old in a wheelchair, being posted forever in an olympic games and adding something to an an olympic torch, than some random “Star”, or not even bothered about at all….proud to be British, best opening ceremony ever IMO—.-)
Let’s be honest; they could NOT have slipped into WWI or WWII scenarios in the ceremony. IOK would not have allowed them to do that.
1. I am always honest.
2. I could name some nasty instances in British history they didn’t show in the opening ceremony too but I won’t because I am not the kind of guy who enjoys putting down other countries.
I didn’t like the opening ceremony either. Now maybe you can mention the Anglo Dutch wars and how those could have been included in the ceremony.
You’ve been saying things all day, but all I’ve heard is nationalism.
The grass is always greener somewhere else, I guess. My favourite place on Earth is Central Europe, at the ex-Habsburg countries of Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and German Bavaria. But I do also have a special love for most German towns, especially since most of them seem to have an own richly decorated Rathaus. As I’ve said before, I do often visit the site http://www.deutsche-kaiserreich.de and admire how the German villages look (or looked) in their beauty.
I have checked that link when you posted it last time and I agree that many German cities were very beautiful and atmospheric in the past. Unfortunately, due to the many terrible mistakes Germans did in their history of the 20th century, many of those places were destroyed. But then even worse things happened because of my home country in the past 100 years.
Good night! Btw, I am off on a business trip tomorrow and won’t be around much during the next weeks.
Auf Wiedersehn, togravus!
Let us cross our fingers that our mutual favourites Slovenia 2005 and Monaco 2005 will end up in the top of the Best Semi-Final Non-Qualifier list.
have a good trip wherever you are travelling, hopefully will be a country free of prejudice, lies, brainwashing, and above all, killing citizens for no reason…truly I hope that,in a “supposed” free world….
Sounds like you’re talking about Care-A-Lot.
you never know, such a place could one day exist….?
Absolutely loved The Opening Ceremony. Well done Danny Boyle. London 2012 is shaping up to be a great Olympics.
Opening Cermony I felt was mixed, usual satisfactory effort was put forward in comparison to China, but then you ave to remember we aint a collectivist culture where we work together for the best of community we are too individualistic. Fireworks, lighting effects where epic, and the representation of our literature and social culture was sound. The problems came when at some times the cermonay was rather ecentric and lacked the word CURRENT AND CONTEMPORAY. There was too much English and not enough representation of both Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in the cermony, perfectly showing how the UK is a complete joke like the USSR and Yugoslavia, the UK is controlled by the English just like when there was USSR with Russia and Serbia with Yugoslavia. At the start it made us look a laughing stock depicting us as paupers made us look like eastern europeans. The cermonay should have capitalised on the current UK and what makes us proud to be British,we should have not looked back on the old UK,and included DATED singers or ones who arent even from this country, there should have being a ballance of both Scotish, Welsh and Northen Irish representation.
Music acts should have being: Katherine Jenkins, Susan Boyle, Adelle, Sing produced by Gary Barlow and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber for the Queens Jubilee, The Wanted, Coldplay, Emeli Sande Ed Sheeran and Tinnie Tempah.