Monday, February 6, 2017

Music Monday - They Are the Champions

Our Super Bowl last night may have been one of the most exciting ever, with a come behind victory by a team famed for its come behind victories.  It literally had to go into overtime, the first time ever.

Now that we have survived the Super Bowl, how about some sports oriented music?

I'm thinking here of songs I used to hear at our minor league baseball games in Binghamton, New York. We would be entertained during the game, especially during the "7th inning stretch" where fans would get up between innings, stretch, move around and even dance.

So the music was dance music.

Cotton Eye Joe:  for years, this song, as sung by the Scandinavian group Rednex used to entertain us at the Binghamton Mets (Double A baseball) games.  Alas, the Binghamton Mets are no more; they were renamed at the end of last season.  They are now called the Rumble Ponies (don't ask).  At least they weren't renamed the Stud Muffins.



Then there was Lazy Mary, by Lou Monte. This song is a remake of the Italian tarantella  "Luna Mezzo Mare", and has quite an interesting history.

For some years, before the game began, the B-Mets management would play Renegades of Funk, as covered by Rage Against the Machine.  This song has an interesting history, which actually involves a neighborhood near where I grew up in the Bronx.

But the song perhaps most associated with sports may well be this gem from Queen.  The 1977 "We Are the Champions."  This morning, this is again the theme song of the team that won the Superbowl

So congrats to the New England Patriots.

What songs do you associate with sports?

16 comments:

  1. Oh it has to be 'We are The champions'every time! Such a powerful song. And also Bryan Adams 'We're gonna Win' - I don't play sport or watch it but whenever I am facing a challenge, I play that full blast just before I have to do whatever it is I am nervous about. The Superbowl seems like a very sociable event that brings people together - and I bet you don't get the opposing fans clashing like marauding cavemen outside the stadium like us Brits do! :-(

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    1. No, we don't have quite the same type of devotion to our teams as the Brits - although we can get passionate. Also, the Super Bowl is not played at the home stadium of either team, unless that city's team happens to win a spot. And this year, that wasn't the case. I had forgotten about the Bryan Adams song.

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  2. I've spent time at Shea and at Citi Field, and never knew the story behind Lazy Mary. They play it at Long Island Ducks games, too -- but then, Bud Harrelson is an owner of the Ducks.

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  3. I love today that so many teams play the Queen song and wonder What would Freddy say?

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  4. I guess the song I think of is "Rock and Roll, Part 2" by Gary Glitter. Basketball games.

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  5. ok, I have to say - rUMBLE pONIES sounds like such an awesome name...I'm imagining ponies on Harley Davidsons with the jackets and all :D

    http://www.godyears.net/2017/02/alternative-facts-Hollywood-villains.html

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  6. Rumble ponies, lol! Mama mia!!
    Oh, We Are the Champions!
    A great memory from my youth!
    I love minor league baseball, by the way. Our local AAA team is the Buffalo Bisons, and going to a game is a Big Event. Even when they don't win, the games are fun and, because they are minor league, they are affordable. I'm looking forward to going to more baseball games!

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  7. Love it!!! I love "You'll Never Walk Alone" - Liverpools song --- beautiful:-)

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  8. As a Bostonian I am still in awe of that Super Bowl. And, also as a Bostonian, I'm used to hearing "Sweet Caroline" as the 7th inning stretch song.

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  9. I love your post and I watched your great Super Bowl last night in Switzerland until 5 a.m.
    After that I stayed sleepy but happy the whole day...
    Beautiful and exciting!

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  10. Aha! I was trying to figure out what Cotton Eye Joe had to do with sports....
    Now, I know what you mean... That's like "High Hopes" that's been appropriated by my beloved Phillies.

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  11. I'm a Boston Red Sox fan, try explaining "Sweet Caroline" to people.

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  12. Baseball is not a common sport back in India Alana! I remember playing at school, but that was because it was an international school and students were actually prepared to go out of India. I love music, sounds really - beautiful!

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  13. I must confess I'm not into watching or playing sports. The only times I really watch are the Wimbeldon finals and the Olympic figure skating championships....

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