The day the "HEY!"s died
Well, Gary Glitter asked one too many kids if they wanted to touch him there for the NFL's taste, and touchdown celebrations are going to need a new song:
No more Glitter on the gridironIt's a little sad. "Rock and Roll Part II" is such a part of sport spectating and now it's the song suffering for the sins of the writer. But I suppose the intention behind the ban is noble. I just can't help but think that this whole thing could have been avoided if Gary Glitter had done the decent thing and died around 1980, ensuring this song the status of classic for eternity and not getting politics wrapped up in the whole thing. Alternately, Gary Glitter could have just done the decent thing and not molested children.
The choice for it's replacement is clear: it has to be Blur's "Song 2", for several reasons. First, both "Song 2" and "Rock And Roll Part II" end with "two", proving them to be blood relatives. Secondly, they're both actually good songs, but still badass. Thirdly, they're both by English artists, providing decades more of cultural surprise when the song is played and the Brits think, "I remember this song!" and the Americans think, "We scored!" and then Brit and American look at each other, shake their heads, and realize that they're so much more than just an ocean apart.
But most importantly, it's a perfect replacement because it's easy. Your team has just scored in the fourth quarter, you're on your seventh beer and in between hating the other team and loving your own, and you're not feeling so articulate and your memory of lyrics is not going to be so great. You need something you can just YELL OUT and not have to mess around with pronunciation or correct words. You need "HEY!" And you need "WOO-HOO!"
I rest my case, your honor.
4 comments:
Definitely should have pulled a T.Rex/Marc Bolan moment and wrapped himself around a tree or something. Now he's tainted goods...for life.
Your argument is valid, but I'm not really feelin Song 2 in place of Rock'n'Roll Part II. There's just something about the feel of R'N'R PT II that Blur doesn't quite nail. I think it's that Song 2 is just a bit too....aggressive? It doesn't really have that same celebatory feel. This may seem too obvious, but what about Kool and the Gang's Celebration? Is that too tame? Clearly I have given this subject too much thought. ;)
Most hockey teams have been using "Song 2" for a few years now. Between it and "Rock and Roll part II", every team uses one or the other after a goal by the home team.
It works for hockey, but I don't really know if it's right for football. It wouldn't seem right for a methodical scoring drive to culminate in the chorus to "Song 2". Christian's right. The song is too aggressive for that kind of thing. Maybe for something more sudden, like a kickoff return for touchdown.
I dunno.
meh.
Christian, I just wrote a multi-paragraph post on the subject and you're worried about giving it too much thought?! If you should be worried, I should be committed! No, let's just all agree to over-analyze everything forever.
Dave and Xtian, I can see how it can seem kind of aggressive instead of celebratory, but isn't "Rock & Roll Part II" kind of menacing-sounding? That's what I always liked about it. Besides that, tell me that if you're stading in the stadium and your team just took the lead with a few minutes left in a crucial game against a division rival and they play that song, you wouldn't be whooping "Woo HOOO!" as loud as you could. And loving every minute of it.
And yes, "Celebration" is too tame.
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