The 'Sweet Caroline' Auditions
(Note: Cheddar Ben dissects the state of the Phillies following this piece from A.F.O.M.G.)
The fact that the Mets play "Sweet Caroline" before the bottom of the 8th sucks, I think fans are unanimous in that thought.
1. "Centerfield" by John Fogerty.
Pros: Song is actually about baseball; video clips of baseball could be easily interspersed; from the start of the song to the end of the chorus is exactly 1 minute and 15 seconds, it's possible Fogerty wrote this gem for precisely this purpose.
Cons: Machismo members of the fanbase may be uncomfortable singing about the "brown-eyed handsome man" rounding third and heading for home; song is a little on the fast side, would take some learning.
A.F.O.M.G. says: This is the most obvious option out there, and my personal frontrunner.
2. "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen.
Pros: The "Glory days!" chorus is about as anthemic as they come; the Boss's Jersey roots = instant credibility; Bruce sings about baseball at the beginning, and tell me you can't already hear the Shea faithful belting out "glory days" at the top of their lungs.
Cons: Song is, when you really listen to it, horribly depressing; lyrics are kind of sexually suggestive at parts
A.F.O.M.G. says: I like "Glory Days" as an option, but I'd like it a lot more if I'd thought of it. Truth is A.F.O.Mrs.G. gets the credit here. Damn her.
3. "Wild Boys" by Duran Duran.
Pros: Appeared on the hallowed '86 Mets Tape, and I'm a lot more comfortable stealing songs from there than I am from Fenway; lyrics are about staying feral and untamed, which works well with an athletic, base-stealing team such as the Mets; we know it can work with a sports montage; "wild boys" chorus makes for great singalong-ness.
Cons: Lyrics about "murder by the roadside" may not play so well; I'm not sure anybody who hasn't seen the '86 tape will recognize this song.
A.F.O.M.G. says: This one's a long shot, but I could see the crowd really getting in to it.
4. "You Belong to the City" by Glenn Frey.
Pros: A song about life in the city being featured at a city team's stadium, works for me; very singalong-able
Cons: Not really about baseball in any way, shape or form.
A.F.O.M.G. says: I still have this pegged as the song the Mets play after a win, and I don't want to blow it on the 8th inning. Besides, I don't think it really works.
* * * * *
So that's my list. It leaves a lot to be desired I have to concede, but I really think "Centerfield" could work well. It's genuinely difficult to find a song that works as well as "Sweet Caroline", but I'm sure there are people with different musical tastes could come up with.
Do you guys have any songs in mind? Are there any criteria I haven't thought of? As always, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
- A.F.O.M.G.
(Images courtesy of a1.vox.com, pbase.com, 991.com and vinylzart.com)
The fact that the Mets play "Sweet Caroline" before the bottom of the 8th sucks, I think fans are unanimous in that thought.
What's important is to understand why it sucks. It doesn't suck because people dislike the song (I mean, really, who can possibly resist Neil Diamond's rich tenor?), though some surely do. Nor does it suck because people dislike singalongs at ballgames. Hell, entire stadiums (stadia?) belt it out for "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at ballparks across the country. So it's not the singing we object to.
Playing "Sweet Caroline" sucks for one reason: We stole it from the Red Sox. Blatantly. Flagrantly. Shamelessly. We stole it from Fenway Park and moved it down I-84.
Truly pathetic stuff. I mean, doesn't anybody at Shea Stadium have an ounce of creativity? I mean, how hard could it be to find an easy singalong-song for the fans to enjoy?
This was the question I turned over in my head as the Mets were destroying the Marlins once again last night. I like music. Surely I could find a replacement.
But not just any song will do. There are, as I see it, five criteria that any possible replacement song must satisfy. These I list here in no particular order:
- Keep it clean -- Shea's a family joint, and you know what that means. The song can contain no cussing and nothing sexually suggestive. This criterion eliminates basically eliminates every rap song you've ever heard (except, of course, those by that lovely Will Smith).
- Keep it slow -- The song has to be singalong-able. One reason "Sweet Caroline" works so well is that it's slow enough that beginners can watch the jumbotron for the lyrics and then sing along with ease. This criterion eliminates basically any punk or fast-paced rock song.
- Keep it anthemic -- The song's gotta have a memorable hook, the kind of part that an audience singing along can really sink its teeth in to (think "Sweeeeeet Car-o-line! Oh! Oh! Oh!" and "So good! So good! So good!"). And another thing: The song has the stage for approximately 1 minutes and 15 seconds -- it's gotta get to the good part fast.
- Keep it generally well known -- You know that band that you and all your friends love but no one else has never heard of, but that's the best part because that way when you're hanging out on the Lower East Side or in Williamsburg you can look cool too? Yeah, that band's songs aren't gonna work. There's a certain amount of cultural currency that the song's gotta possess, so no matter how many times iTunes tells you you've listened to that song by The Knife, it's just not gonna work at Shea. Sorry.
- Keep it lyrically applicable -- Possibly the trickiest part. Remember that this is going to be played at a baseball game. "Sweet Caroline" isn't about baseball, but it's about "hands.... touching hands", "good times" and how "they've never seemed so good". The point is that these lyrics can be paired with shots of players high-fiving, fans celebrating, etc.
1. "Centerfield" by John Fogerty.
Pros: Song is actually about baseball; video clips of baseball could be easily interspersed; from the start of the song to the end of the chorus is exactly 1 minute and 15 seconds, it's possible Fogerty wrote this gem for precisely this purpose.
Cons: Machismo members of the fanbase may be uncomfortable singing about the "brown-eyed handsome man" rounding third and heading for home; song is a little on the fast side, would take some learning.A.F.O.M.G. says: This is the most obvious option out there, and my personal frontrunner.
2. "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen.
Pros: The "Glory days!" chorus is about as anthemic as they come; the Boss's Jersey roots = instant credibility; Bruce sings about baseball at the beginning, and tell me you can't already hear the Shea faithful belting out "glory days" at the top of their lungs.
Cons: Song is, when you really listen to it, horribly depressing; lyrics are kind of sexually suggestive at partsA.F.O.M.G. says: I like "Glory Days" as an option, but I'd like it a lot more if I'd thought of it. Truth is A.F.O.Mrs.G. gets the credit here. Damn her.
3. "Wild Boys" by Duran Duran.
Pros: Appeared on the hallowed '86 Mets Tape, and I'm a lot more comfortable stealing songs from there than I am from Fenway; lyrics are about staying feral and untamed, which works well with an athletic, base-stealing team such as the Mets; we know it can work with a sports montage; "wild boys" chorus makes for great singalong-ness.
Cons: Lyrics about "murder by the roadside" may not play so well; I'm not sure anybody who hasn't seen the '86 tape will recognize this song.
A.F.O.M.G. says: This one's a long shot, but I could see the crowd really getting in to it.
4. "You Belong to the City" by Glenn Frey.
Pros: A song about life in the city being featured at a city team's stadium, works for me; very singalong-able
Cons: Not really about baseball in any way, shape or form.
A.F.O.M.G. says: I still have this pegged as the song the Mets play after a win, and I don't want to blow it on the 8th inning. Besides, I don't think it really works.
* * * * *
So that's my list. It leaves a lot to be desired I have to concede, but I really think "Centerfield" could work well. It's genuinely difficult to find a song that works as well as "Sweet Caroline", but I'm sure there are people with different musical tastes could come up with.
Do you guys have any songs in mind? Are there any criteria I haven't thought of? As always, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
- A.F.O.M.G.
(Images courtesy of a1.vox.com, pbase.com, 991.com and vinylzart.com)
posted by A Friend of Mr. Glass' at 11:37 AM
14 Comments:
I like a couple of different ones:
"Dancing in the Street," by Martha and the Vandellas. One of Motown's best, and catchy as hell. This is extremely singable, it has summer and New York City in the lyrics, and people can really belt out, "It doesn't matter what you wear / just as long as you are there." Come on now.
"Coming to America," by Neil Diamond. We see your Neil Diamond, and raise you some patriotic shit. Went to Brooklyn's own Lincoln High, my mom's alma mater. Lee Mazilli's, too. She would be baby-sitting the kids of Neil's brother, Harvey, when the dude would walk in to screams of "Uncle Neil, Uncle Neil." Stupid kids. Anyway, you'd have to cut out the second verse of the song and jam in the big chorus after the first "comin' to America," but this would go like gangbusters.
how could this list not include
"we are the champions"?
What about "You are my fire" by the backstreet boys.
or Big Poppa like in the smash hit, Hardball, starring our good pal, Keanu reeves.
As for "we are the champions," unfortunately, we are not.
Id vote for "you belong to the city." Brings back fond memories of the '86 mets tape and is slow enough to meet your criteria not to mention, people from new york say they are from "the city" while those not, say they are from "new york."
Thats me at least.
Sip
"We Are the Champions" is too presumptive for me, anonymous. What are we the champions of exactly? Besides, I think that kind of showboating is just bad karma.
As for your suggestions, Cheddar, I know neither of those songs but I'll look in to them and report back.
Of your choices, I'd have to go with "Glory Days." It's the Boss, which gives it vital local appeal, and, as you pointed out, the mention of baseball in the first verse is huge. (Even though it's always annoyed me that he says "He could throw that speedball by you..." A "speedball"? I hope he meant "fastball" and not the coke/heroin mashup drug, though growing up in Asbury Park I'm sure the Boss is quite familiar.)
"Centerfield" is a quintessential baseball song, and Fogerty's timing of the verse and chorus is uncanny, but it's used by ballparks everywhere--and appropriately so--which lessens the specific meaning for Shea. "Glory Days," on the other hand, is both universal and specific--for the Mets, so I think it should get the call.
And for some outside-the-box suggestions, how about:
1. "Whiskey in the Jar"--a classic bar singalong would transfer well to a stadium singalong. Yes, it's all about alcohol, but it'd be a great way to bring the Irish fan base in Queens over. Plus, it's just fun to sing!
2. "Big Pimpin'"--just to recall the entrance music of that always-loved ex-Met, Jay Payton.
3. "Survival of the Fittest"--hey, Mobb Deep is from Queens, right? And that beat would get any in-the-doldrums crowd pumped up again. Plus, it would be a direct insult to those on the downside of the New York-baseball evolutionary curve up in the bronx.
Great topic for discussion, AFOMG. Is there anything else that true Mets fans can do to eliminate the "Sweet Caroline" thing in addition to this?
what about "The Boys of Summer"? It kinda relates to baseball, the players as the boys of summer. catchy, its a little fast in the beginning, but the chorus is great. the timing is also perfect. come to think of it, i think wiggy used to play it when he came up to bat. anyway, theres my two cents
It's gotta be Meet the Mets - the 1962 version. but not the first verse like they do in the second inning sing-a-long. It's gotta include the second verse like "Oh the butcher and the baker and the people on the streets, where do they go? To meet the mets!"
I'd almost rather listen to Livin on a prayer than Sweet Caroline. And I love Neil Diamond and hate Bon Blow-me.
Cheddar - I saw Neil in concert about 2 years ago and when he did Coming to America - it gave you chills. But I also like beautiful noise, if we're going to do Neil Diamond. It was a song in the "An Amazin Era" video in 1986.
glory days would have my vote except... bruce springsteen is a big time yankees fan. we can't have any of that.
You know who loves Centerfield? The Atlanta F'n Braves, that's who. Play it when they take the field every day. So it's out.
I vote Glory Days, or, in an obvious nod to Sip, "I Want It That Way".
I would pair "Do You Believe in Magic?" (Lovin' Spoonful, late 60's) with a video of the most unbelievable moments in Mets history, and/or some amazing plays.
I heard it on the radio the other day and it still sounds as original as when it was written. Not a "baseball song" but neither is that syrupy Caroline.
I should be working. Later.
Cheddar - Dancing in the Street would be awesome. Coming to America's good to, especially if they could get Reyes on the Jumbotron to teach us the chorus in Spanish.
You belong to the city - 86 Mets tapped vetted, but too slow and weird.
Boys of Summer, also solid.
But let me suggest something by the Beach Boys, say Sloop John B? Or the Beatles, Hold Your Hand?
Thomas -- definitely gave "Sloop John B" a thought, but consider the chorus: "This is the worst trip/I want to go home" -- as sing-songy as those lyrics are, there's too much exposure to other fans (mostly Yankee fans) shitting on us about it ("Of course they want to go home, the Mets suck!" that kind of thing).
I considered Boys of Summer as well; maybe that one should have been listed. Ultimately I decided that the lyrics were a little too out there, but if "Sweet Caroline" works, why not Boys of Summer?
what about don't stop believin?
Anon:
I didn't list Don't Stop Believin' because I didn't think the lyrics in the rest of the song would work. As I think about this topic more, I think I might have been too judgmental when it came to the lyrics during the verse. I mean, a great chorus is a great chorus, and really that's what the crowd is reacting to (i.e. "So good! So good! So good!).
Don't Stop Believin' could work.
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