Tuesday, April 10, 2007

"That's My Theme Music. Every Black Hero Should Have Some"

The lovely and talented Malibu Stacy and I took some out-of-town visitors to the Yankees-Orioles game this weekend. It was a lovely day -- 30 degrees, snow flurries, gale force winds, just a typical April afternoon around these parts.

Anyway. My wife, enjoying the sultry rhythms of the Yankees players as they approached the plate, turned to me and posed a really good question: "What would your at-bat theme song be?"

Man, that's a tough one. It has to be short and sweet, and something I wouldn't get tired of after, what, 150 home at-bats? Plus, there's the matter of taste. I suspect my initial choice -- the Beatnuts' "Do You Know Who You're Fuckin' With?!" -- might not be a family-friendly selection for the stadium. As an alternate, I'll go with that opening bassline from Eric B. and Rakim's "Check the Technique."

What about you?

17 comments:

Noah said...

Well, I figure they would never let me play "Fucking Hostile" seeing as how, right out of the gate, the name of the song alone pretty well banishes it to Unsafe for Families Land.

So I'll go with Mouth for War. Something to get me pumped-up.

Mike said...

That is tough. So many songs in the universe to choose from. Plus, you want a song with a cool opening riff, a song with a cool title, a cool song in its own right, and something that fits in with the image you're after on the field. (No Velvet Underground, for instance.)

A few thoughts:

"Begin The Begin" REM. Cool opening, and a title that at least sounds positive, forward looking.

"Jimmy Jazz" Clash. Totally different tip, obviously. But it could actually scare the crap out of the pitcher: stepping to the plate, cooler than anyone has a right to be, a little swing in the step.

Oh, I don't know. So many other choices.

"I Don't Know" Teenage Fanclub

"Purr" Sonic Youth.

Anonymous said...

"Love is Like a Baseball Game" by The Intruders, or maybe "I'm So Bored With the USA" by the Clash, although I keep holding out that that's going to become our national anthem someday.

Jack Gonzo, MD said...

Well, I already use Tech N9ne for my ring entrance so for baseball perhaps something more hard. I do really like the new song by Static-X "No Submission", but may start out a bit too slowly, even for a metal song. Slayer isn't exactly family friendly and Enter Sandman is overdone.

I'll go with Rollins Band, Burned Beyond Recognition

Yossarian said...

When I step up to bat, my music, like my swing inspires fear and hatred. SO songs like

Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up"
Holtz's "Mars the bringer of war" (in 5/4 no less)

Wes said...

Yoss, it's interesting you chose Holst's "Mars". The one time I did stand-up comedy at Go Bananas in Montgomery, OH, I used "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" as my bumper music.

Not quite the same, but the right people got it.

I still like "Why Can't We Be Friends," as used by Homer Simpson when he fought Drederick Tatum.

WF

peb said...

I suppose I would go with the Stooges. Either "Death Trip" or "TV Eye". "Follow The Leader" by Eric B. and Rakim would be another good choice.

I think Chipper Jones (or maybe it was Ryan Klesko) used to use "Crazy Train" which I think is about the best you could hope for from a major league player.

TravisG said...

Depending on the at-bat, Adam Dunn uses "Sister Christian," "Big Shot" or "Jukebox Hero." That's a pretty good rotation there. "Jimmy Jazz" is an excellent choice, and so is "TV Eye."

The opening riff from "Shake Appeal" would sound pretty rad, but these days I might have to go with the Honeydrippers' "Impeach The President." When you think about it, though, "Venus In Furs" would sound pretty weird on a ballpark PA on a lovely July afternoon. On the other hand, it'd sound f'in' sweet on a cold October night, with runners on.

Dan Smith said...

Jet by Wings. It would also take about 5 minutes to get from the on deck circle to the batter's box to make sure they didn't cut off the keyboard solo.

Otto Man said...

Dan Smith, fan favorite.

Tom Hilton said...

No brainer: Big Noise from Waimea, by the Ebb Tides. Sample here.

George said...

For perversity's sake, and imagining myself as a big-leaguer is pretty perverse, it might be fun to go with "Sister Ray." But then "Cool" by Superchunk would be fun, and so would "Sugar Cube" by Yo La Tengo and they're Mets fans, too. For sheer heaviness that would rock the stadium King Crimson's "Red" would be a good choice. Given at best my career would be a single at bat, perhaps the Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" would be most appropriate.

Mike said...

"Venus In Furs" would sound . . . f'in' sweet on a cold October night, with runners on.

Wow. I like it.

Thrillhous said...

Close the comments, "Mars the bringer of war" is the winner. The 5/4 winner!

Smitty, Fucking Hostile was the first song that came to my mind too. If I was going with Pantera, I guess "Walk" would be most appropriate, as that's the only way I'd get to base.

Otherwise, I'd probably go with "We Die Young" by Alice in Chains.

Mr Furious said...

Great Topic!

Hmm. I'll give it some more thought, but right now, I'm thinking "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" by the Stones.

Good recognizable, crankin' riff. Plus, the title is appropriate to the task at hand. I have to 30 seconds get into the box before the lyrics get rolling—the third line is "ya got cocaine eyes"

Jack Gonzo, MD said...

God of Thunder by KISS is always an excellent selection as well

Studiodave said...

I would have to go with some Rush song.

Not because I am a fan per se, however, no Rush fan can sit still during a Rush drum riff.

I would enjoy watching hundrends of white men spilling beer and dropping peanuts in an attempt to keep up with YYZ.