World Cup - Group A songs

Germany: They’re the hosts so I won’t make a David Hasselfhoff jokes at their expense.

Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand by The Beatles: The US Team is based in Hamburg, where the Beatles got their start. They used amphetamines so they could play the long hours in the red light district bars. George Harrison had to lie about his age because he was too young to even get inside. Every year Hamburg hosts a big Beatles festival where I am sure they bust this one out – also known as I Want To Hold Your Hand. The Beatles actually recorded this one in German.

Fine Line by Paul McCartney: Keeping up the Beatles theme this one is perfect. First, its off of Paul McCartney’s album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. Will there be chaos caused by a German loss or beauty caused by a win? With the tourney being hosted there their emotions will even be more magnified. And its such a fine line between winning and losing (see the handball that wasn’t call vs. Germany when they played the USA in 2002) you never know what will happen. I read an article today with this line “The line of the trip so far came from a cab driver explaining the German philosophy on the national team. "If they win, it will be a big party. If they lose, it will be hell on earth."

Costa Rica:

Do You Know the Way to San Jose? By Mr. Burt Bacharach: I hope they know the way back to their capital city, San Jose, because its going to be three and out for the mighty Ticos.

La Costa Blanca by Josh Rouse: A beautiful song and as close to La Costa Rica as I could find

Ecuador:

I Burn Today by Frank Black: Ecuador is of course on the Equator. I imagine that I would need suntan lotion if I went there considering I get sunburned in October in DC.

Cruel Summer by Bananarama: I obviously ran out of ideas with Ecuador but I remember reading they grow bananas, thus Bananarama. Will it be a cruel summer for Ecuador in only their second World Cup? We’ll see. They have a shot to get out of a weak group.

Poland:

Idiot Wind by Bob Dylan: Let’s get the dumb Polish joke quota out of the way.

Atmosphere by Joy Division: The original name of Joy Division was Warsaw, also the capital of Poland. And you haven’t witnessed atmosphere until you’ve seen a World Cup game. Though the Europeans will have a long way to go to match the Koreans in 2002. That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.

That’s it for Group A. My predictions: German wins the group with Poland coming in second.