IRVINE Welsh and Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie are racing to release a song they hope will become the Tartan Army’s World Cup anthem.
The Trainspotting author has written Choose Life, which will be sung by Gillespie, for the up-coming stage musical version of his hit 1993 novel.
View 5 ImagesThe cast of Trainspotting(Image: No Name)
Irvine, 67, said: “If we can get it out in time we are hoping it will get adopted by the mob for the World Cup final. It’s got the ‘here we f****** go!’ type chorus.
“It’s not the Choose Life song Ewan McGregor, did. That was nonsense. Terrible. Ours is a stormer. Ten times better.”
View 5 ImagesScots author Irvine Welsh(Image: Daily Record)
After a 28-year wait Scotland head to the World Cup finals next month, kicking off on June 14 against Haiti.
Scotland has a proud history of World Cup anthems – some considered classics, others… not so much.
During the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, Easy Easy by the Scotland World Cup Squad reached No20.
Penned by Phil Coulter and Bill Martin, the duo behind Bay City Rollers smashes, it captured the glam rock era’s energy with its chant: “Yabba dabba doo, we support the boys in blue, and it’s easy, easy.”
The confident tone matched Scotland’s unbeaten run – draws with Brazil and Yugoslavia plus a win over Zaire – but they exited on goal difference, making its bravado bittersweet in hindsight.
View 5 ImagesBobby Gillespie of Primal Scream (Image: Redferns)
For the 1978 World Cup in Argentina hype peaked under manager Ally MacLeod, spawning multiple tracks. The standout was Ally’s Tartan Army, by Andy Cameron, promising to “really shake them up when we win the World Cup”.
The 1982 World Cup in Spain brought We Have a Dream by BA Robertson, which was sung by the players.
Del Amitri’s Don’t Come Home Too Soon was the choice for France 1998.
But, as expected, we did come home far too soon.
And this time around Welsh is battling for the Tartan Army’s minds and voices alongside the likes of Banff-born star Sandi Thom, 44, who has recorded I’m Proud to be from Scotland to coincide with the tournament.
Nathan Evans – who shot to fame singing sea shanties on TikTok – and musical duo Saint PHNX have reworked their song Home as a World Cup anthem and Belle and Sebastian’s It Only Takes One Lion is competing to become a Tartan Army favourite.
JJ Bull’s The Very Unofficial Scotland World Cup Song, along with Runrig drummer Iain Bayne’s The Tartan Army Roar also hope to catch on.
Irvine and Primal Scream teamed up for the 1996 Euros campaign to record The Big Man and The Scream Team Meet the Barmy Army Uptown.
Primal Scream also wrote the title track for the film version of Trainspotting.
It has emerged the musician who gave the Tartan Army its most recent anthem – No Scotland, No Party – is to perform at a special bash ahead of Scotland’s first World Cup match.
Nick Morgan will sing at a boat party in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 13 – the day before Scotland’s campaign kicks off.
View 5 ImagesScots star Robbie Scott will play Mark Renton in the musical
Irvine, who splits his time between London and Miami, will be back in Edinburgh in October for the Scottish opening night of the Trainspotting musical after a run in London from July.
It will visit Aberdeen, Dunfermline and Glasgow in 2027. Scots actor Robbie Scott will play Renton.
Welsh admitted he doesn’t think of himself as “a musicals man” but did go and see Oliver! eight times when he was a kid.
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While he’s enjoyed adapting his book and writing new songs for the musical he isn’t thinking of turning any of his other books like Filth or The Acid House into musicals.
He laughed: “I don’t know if I want to hear people jumping on stage and bursting into song for a while after this one.”