Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Zoe Forsey

You've probably been singing 'Three Lions' wrong all your life

World Cup fever has well and truly taken over, and England fans are getting ready to cheer on Gareth Southgate's squad as they go head-to-head with Wales.

Pubs up and down the country will be filled with passionate renditions of Sweet Caroline before the game even kicks off, but of course nothing beats the big classic - Three Lions.

David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and The Lightning Seeds' 1996 hit comes out every time England start an international campaign, and there is even a new Christmas version for the 2022 World Cup.

The words It's Coming Home will (hopefully) be everywhere in the coming weeks - because after the Women showed the men up with their Euros victory this summer, surely it's time for the men to lift some silverware?

But it turns out many of us have been getting the words very, VERY wrong.

It's definitely coming home this time, right? (Mirrorpix)

Yes, we hate to break it to you, but there's every chance you too have been singing incorrect lyrics.

Turns out, most people have been singing these words to the catchy banger...

Cause I remember three lions on a shirt!
Jewels remain still gleaming,
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming.

But actually, the lyrics are...

Cause I remember three lions on a shirt!
Jules Rimet still gleaming,
Thirty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming.

Hang on, who the hell is Jules Rimet?

Jules Rimet was the third ever President of FIFA and served between the years 1921-54.

As for why he's gleaming, this is a reference to the first ever World Cup trophy which in 1966 was stolen from a display cabinet in Westminster Town hall and was named after him.

While the solid gold trophy (worth £30,000) was eventually found in a bush in Norwood, it was stolen again in 1983 in Brazil and has never been recovered.

So, somewhere, somehow, Jules may very well still be gleaming.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.