Top Twenty Olympics Songs #5 – #1

I’m really going to miss the Olympics. On Monday we all go back to our normal lives. Nothing will ever be quite the same again.

Time, then, for the final instalment of the Olympics Top Twenty chart.

But first, a rundown of the Story So Far. If you like you can play this while you read the countdown

20. Bring On The Dancing Horses – Echo And The Bunnymen

19. Til The End – JaminRols

18. Swords Of A Thousand Men – Ten Pole Tudor

17. Poison Arrow – ABC

16. Lets Wrestle – Lets Wrestle

15. The Rowing Song – Patti Griffin

14. Sail On Sailor – The Beach Boys

13. Nightswimming – REM

12. Table Tennis Table – Gilberto Gil

11. Weightlifting Lulu – The Residents

10. Ambling Alp – Yeasayer

9. Dal Ni Lawr – Genod Droog

8. All I Want For Xmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit – Half Man Half Biscuit

7. Trampoline – Julian Cope

6. The Umpire Strikes Back – The Brat

5. The Canoe Song – Karl Denver Trio

The Canoe Song by the Karl Denver Trio. Best known for their fantastic version of “Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)” this take on the old Paul Robeson classic is in the same vein.

4. Bike – The Pink Floyd

Closing track on “Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” and one of Syd Barrett’s finest lyrics :

“I’ve got a mouse and he doesn’t have a house – I don’t know why, I call him Gerald.

He’s getting rather old, but he’s a good mouse”

3. Shot By Both Sides – Magazine

Plenty to choose from here, but I got a bit fed up with Bob Marley’s courtroom statement a while back. Joan Armatrading’s “Shoot The Pilot” nearly got in but nothing beats Magazine, for me.

2. You Can Do Athletics BTW – We Are The Physics

This song should be so much better known, as should the band. One of the best live bands I’ve ever seen.

And the Number One is …… (roll on the drums) …

1. The Gymnast High Above The Ground – The Decembrists

I’d forgotten how much I love this band – this is from the 2003 elpee “Her Majesty” and is just beautiful.