Football
How ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ became a Scotland football anthem
Friday evening (14 June) sees the the official opening of Euro 2024.
Scotland play hosts Germany in Munich, with around 150,000 Scottish football fans reportedly visiting for the event.
The match marks the first time Scotland have played in a major tournament outside their own country since France 1998.
Scotland’s tartan army has descended on the city’s Marienplatz, wearing kilts, drinking beer and dancing to the unmistakable sound of bagpipes.
Speaking at Bayern Munich’s stadium at a press conference on Thursday, Scotland manager Steve Clarke confirmed that all 26 members of his squad are fighting fit.
“Everyone is fully fit, flying and desperate to be selected,” he said. “They’re ready to go.”
Germany are the firm favourites for tonight’s game, but Clarke took an optimistic approach to this evening’s game.
“Germany are a good team,” he said. “I think a lot of people have been trying to talk them down a little bit lately. When Julian first went in, he probably found it similar to how I found it when I became Scotland head coach.
“But one of the mantras I’ve always had is: ‘Respect everyone and fear no-one!’ So, while we have a lot of respect for the host nation, hopefully on the night we can cause them problems. We’ve settled in well, trained well and we’re looking forward to the match.”
He also referenced the vast numbers of Scottish fans who had travelled to Germany to support their team.
“We know the supporters are here in their numbers to support us,” he said. “We know they are going to be right behind us in every minute of every game. That’s really important for us.”
Historic footage on social media has captured ebullient Scottish fans singing “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie”, the 70s disco hit by the Spanish duo Baccara, en masse, with football fans elsewhere struggling to understand the resonance of the song for the Scottish people.
And the explanation behind this is certainly an unusual one.
Why do Scotland fans sing ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie?’
The origin of this tradition stems back to Andy Considine, a long-serving Aberdeen centre-back who made just three appearances for Scotland.
In 2015, Considine and his friends and family travelled to London for his stag do, where things got somewhat out of hand.
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast in 2021, Considine admitted that he was “blootered” when his best man announced they were going to shoot a music video, complete with professional production, to the tune of “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie”.
“We went to this huge studio with a full makeup bit in the back,” he revealed.
“I got fully dolled up. My dad was dolled up and my uncles were dolled up, then she was like ‘we’re going to sing this whole song, this boogie song. Do you know the words?’
“We literally done (sic) the whole music video and as the hours went by it got more and more ridiculous, people’s clothes were coming off. Honest truth, it probably took five hours.”
Considine revealed that the video was played at his wedding but that footage of him wearing women’s clothing and make-up “didn’t go down well” with guests.
Once a clip of the footage was leaked online, however, Aberdeen fans took it to their hearts.
And in 2020, Scotland’s historic win over Serbia saw the team clinch a place at the European Championships.
A video tweeted by the Scotland National Team after the match showed Considine and his team mates dancing to the song in the changing rooms.
Since then, Scottish fans have adopted the song as their national side’s unofficial anthem.
Maria Mendiola, who formed Baccara with co-singer Mayte Mateos, said that she was delighted the song had found a new audience more than 40 years after it was first released.
Speaking to BBC Scotland in 2021, she said: “With this pandemic, I have been sitting at home and this has uplifted me in a way you cannot imagine.
“I will always thank the Scottish team and especially Andy Considine for making me so happy after 43 years.
“I saw all the articles and everyone was calling me. I was delighted. I thanked the Scotland team and spoke with Andy over Instagram. He had such nice words.“
‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ lyrics
Here are the lyrics to the song in full, to help you prepare for tonight’s match.
[Verse 1]
Mister
Your eyes are full of hesitation
Sure makes me wonder
If you know what you’re looking for
Mm, baby
I wanna keep my reputation
I’m a sensation
You try me once, you’ll beg for more
[Chorus]
Oh, yes, sir, I can boogie
But I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-woogie
All night long
Yes, sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can’t go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-woogie
All night long
[Verse 2]
No, sir
I don’t feel very much like talking
No, neither walking
You wanna know if I can dance
Yes, sir
Already told you in the first verse
And in the chorus
But I will give you one more chance
[Chorus]
Ah, yes, sir, I can boogie
But I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-woogie
All night long
Yes, sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can’t go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-woogie
All night long
Yes, sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can’t go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-woogie
All night long
[Instrumental Break]
[Chorus]
Yes, sir, I can boogie
But I need a certain song
I can boogie, boogie-woogie
All night long
Yes, sir, I can boogie (I can boogie)
If you stay, you can’t go wrong (Ah-ah)
I can boogie (I can boogie), boogie-woogie (Boogie-woogie)
All night long
Yes, sir, I can boogie (I can boogie)
If you stay, you can’t go wrong (Ah-ah)
I can boogie (I can boogie), boogie-woogie (Oh)
All night long (All night long)
Yes, sir, I can boogie
If you stay, you can’t go wrong
I can boogie, boogie-woogie
All night long
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