Regardless of what else happens in the World Cup, if the '99 team was David Letterman's Babe City, this team is the Cool Rockin' Mommas from the USA. Megan Rapinoe, at least, should appreciate that. (...Born in the USA.../ I'm a Cool Rockin' Daddy in the USA) Thanks to Megan, and in spite of the ambivalent nature of Springsteen's lyrics, not only did I put Born in the USA in my 4th of July playlist but I was reminded of a favorite Springsteen song from that same album that had slipped my mind and which I've been playing all week including just before the Brazil game. ... Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound I can feel my heart begin to pound You say you're tired and you just Want to close your eyes And follow your dreams down... Well we made a promise Swore we'd always remember No retreat, baby No surrender Like soldiers in a winter's night With a vow to defend No retreat, baby, No surrender! Now young faces grow sad and old And hearts of fire grow cold We swore blood brothers against the wind I'm ready to grow young again And hear your sister's voice calling us home Across the open yards Well maybe we can cut some place of our own With these drums and these guitars Cause we made a promise Swore we'd always remember No retreat, baby No surrender Blood brothers in a stormy night With a vow to defend No retreat, baby, No surrender Now I'm on the streets and as lights grow dim The walls of my room are closing in There's a war outside still raging You say it isn't ours anymore to win I want to sleep beneath peaceful skies In my lover's bed With a wide-open country in my eyes And these romantic dreams in my head Cause we made a promise Swore we'd always remember No retreat, baby, No surrender...
So I'm going to get a drink somewhere tonight where they have a jukebox or where the bartenders will let me play a couple songs off my phone. I have my circa-2004 Abby Wambach jersey with me. Thanks to Megan, I'm playing Born in the USA. I'm playing No Surrender, the other Springsteen song I quoted above. What else? I think I'll save Marvin Gaye singing the National Anthem for the Final. Ditto Ray Charles singing America the Beautiful (couldn't we make it our alternative national anthem? Kind of like having a home jersey and a road jersey and a 3rd jersey? But it has to be the Ray Charles version) AC/DC "Shook Me All Night Long"? Was that the song Pia played on her air guitar a couple days ago? I don't know whether I'll feel like playing something in honor of France and what would I play anyway for their soccer team - something by a chain-smoking Serge Gainsbourg? Guess I could play that Carla Bruni song Quelqu'un m'a dit. Beautiful song but a downer -- but maybe that will fit their mood once we're done with them. Anywho, I meant to start a thread a couple months back when I noticed that the US Soccer facebook page was taking suggestions for stadium playlists during the last series of friendlies leading up to the World Cup. I'm sure they could've used BigSoccer's help. I shudder to think what blared over the loudspeakers without the benefit of our musical sensibilities here.