Michael Ward, of the HMHB Lyrics Points Facebook page, writes:
“I found myself at a loose end and spent far too many hours doing a football reference analysis of everyone’s favourite band. The project came about (as with all good ideas) listening to HMHB and a friend asking: “I wonder what percentage of Biscuit songs have football references in?
“There are lots of decisions that have been made that could potentially be called into question. For example, I have split the songs into “with reference to football” and “about football”, which is obviously down to interpretation.
“I have Gubba Lookalikes as a song about football because its primary theme is people who look like a commentator but I have Dukla Prague Away Kit as a song with reference to football, as the main theme isn’t really football itself. It’s also possible that I have missed some references completely, which would be great to have pointed out!”
Michael’s spreadsheet (XLSX) can be downloaded here. There’s a nice “charts” tab with some interactive, er, charts, and other tabs have the raw data. Enjoy!
Sample Data: songs with two or more references to football:
The Referee’s Alphabet • 31
Rock And Roll Is Full Of Bad Wools • 8
1966 And All That (CD only) • 7
Awkward Sean • 7
This One’s For Now • 6
All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit • 4
Oblong Of Dreams • 4
Carry On Cremating • 3
Friday Night And The Gates Are Low • 3
Mathematically Safe • 3
Swerving the Checkatrade • 3
Tour Jacket With Detachable Sleeves • 3
Bob Wilson – Anchorman • 2
Breaking News • 2
Fear My Wraith • 2
I Went To A Wedding… • 2
Letters Sent • 2
Midnight Mass Murder • 2
Paintball’s Coming Home • 2
Paradise Lost (You’re The Reason Why) • 2
Persian Rug Sale At The URC • 2
Slipping The Escort • 2
Terminus • 2
Uffington Wassail • 2
Upon Westminster Bridge • 2
Used To Be In Evil Gazebo • 2
Chris The Siteowner
Some discussion on Facebook here.
13 December 2022
Lorenzo (Roma)
This is a great work.
22 March 2023
EXXO
Hi Lorenzo! Looking forward to seeing you for a beer before the Cambridge gig, hopefully with other Biscuiteers!
Your trip to Hull in December means you are a proper Biscuit legend already.
(By the way folks, Lorenzo tells me he got ‘Mathematically Safe’ played to a radio audience of 100,000 in Italy!)
22 March 2023
EXXO
Hadn’t seen this ‘thread’ before though. Another example of how the obsession with ‘references’ can actually steer you away from real insight?
23 March 2023