Okay, so BallinEurope finally got the chance to sit down with the official anthem (no, really) for Eurobasket 2011. Entitled “Celebrate Basketball,” the seriously poppy three-minute ditty features music by Marijus Mikutavicius and Andrius Borisevicius; lyrics were written by Mikutavicius and Aidas Puklevicius. Everything in the song is copyright Promostar.
The official video is full of national pride, players in the grander drama and spectacle from the cheerleaders to the requisite drumbeating dude in the stands … and also some guy brushing his teeth.
In case you didn’t catch the lyrics, these are they.
I feel it coming
From my head to my feet
I see the people going crazy on the streets
Tonight
Let me take you for a holiday, that you won’t forget
(For a holiday you will not forget)
And if you’re ready
For a foreign affair
The drums are beating
And the flags are rising up into the air
(Aidi aidi)
You don’t miss it boy, if you hate regrets
So gimme a high five
For now is the time to celebrate
Time for a game
Time for a fame
Time for a marching parade
We’re kicking a party
And I know it’s just gonna be great
Time for a game
Time for a fame
Time for a marching parade
Joy parade
I don’t care what your name is
I don’t give a damn what your team is
Let’s make some noise, start shaking the hall
Celebrate celebrate basketball
Who’s gonna weep about losing
Raise your glass it’s time for a bruising
Let’s raise some hell start breaking the walls
Celebrate celebrate all night long
Hey, can you see
Fireworks in the sky
Hey, do you feel
We beat the drums, the flags are flying high
I wanna scream from the top of my lungs
That i’ll be there
Yes we’ll be there
From the decidedly unbasketball-centric Europopped (it’s billed as “A Europop blog by an American appreciator of all things Eurozone”) comes this enthusiastic review: “All I know is ‘Celebrate Basketball’ is the greatest new music video I’ve seen all week. Loving these sports-themed Europop clips. So random and so surprising.”
The BallinEurope opinion? Heavy on the cheese, “Celebrate Basketball” certainly no “Waving Flag,” but it does beat the living hell out of this.
And here’s the Lithuanian-language version. (When the dubstep remix is uploaded onto YouTube, please inform BallinEurope.)
