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Put 'Em Under Pressure

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"Put 'Em Under Pressure" was the official song to the Republic of Ireland national football team's 1990 FIFA World Cup campaign in Italy. It is regarded as an all-time classic football song.

Produced by U2's Larry Mullen, it featured an intro by Moya Brennan.

It is often assumed that the guitar intro was a straight sampling of Dearg Doom by the Horslips, however this is not the case.

Anthony "Anto" Drennan is credited with playing lead guitar on the single.

The Horslips song "Dearg Doom", was itself based on the traditional Irish tune, O' Neill's March, (which appeared as Marcshlua Uí Néill on Sean O Riada's 1969 album "O'Riada sa Gaiety",) and which refers to Hugh O'Neill and his part in The Nine Year War.

The title was a catchphrase of then manager Jack Charlton, whose soundbites were sampled for the verse; the chorus was a combination of the familiar football chant "Olé Olé Olé" and a reworking of "Ally's Tartan Army" (which was itself set to the tune of "God Save Ireland"), the unofficial theme tune for Scotland in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, and for 13 weeks the song was at number one in the Irish Singles Chart.

The song is regularly played in celebration at Irish homes matches. It was used as the opening theme for the compilation episode of BBC Switch series Chartjackers. In 2011, RTÉ One aired a quiz show titled Put 'Em Under Pressure, presented by Gráinne Seoige.

The phrase Put 'Em Under Pressure is to this day used in relation to the Ireland national football team.

References

Put 'Em Under Pressure Wikipedia