"Unico grande amore": AS Roma Supporters' Football Songs

This paper considers songs devoted to (and sung for) the football team AS Roma by its supporters. Some of these songs were written by the very famous Roman singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti, others by less famous authors and singers, and often simply by supporters, who created new lyrics to be su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Italian culture 2016-03, Vol.34 (1), p.34-48
Main Author: Ricatti, Francesco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AS Roma
Celebrations
Cultural groups
Cultural Politics
Culture
Emotions
Fans (Aficionados)
Football
Identity
Lyrics
Melodies
Musical performances
Political attitudes
Politics
Singers
Singing
Soccer
Songs
Soundscapes
Supporters
Teams
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Summary:This paper considers songs devoted to (and sung for) the football team AS Roma by its supporters. Some of these songs were written by the very famous Roman singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti, others by less famous authors and singers, and often simply by supporters, who created new lyrics to be sung at the stadium to the melodies of famous songs. Many of these songs can be described as love songs, suggesting that for many Romans there is no greater passion than that experienced and expressed for their football team. The article argues that Roma fans' absurd passion for their football team has profound political implications. The act of assigning certain specific emotions to individuals and groups through football events and related cultural productions, such as songs, is dependent upon relations of power. Particular emotions are central to the identity of specific groups and communities, and therefore become, in a broad sense, political. This is especially true when they are performed in mass gatherings such as football matches and celebrations. Football emotions, and therefore emotional songs about football, therefore give body to political beliefs, identities and values.
ISSN:0161-4622
1559-0909
DOI:10.1080/01614622.2016.1138059