In November of 1977, Queen released their album News of the World. Just after Christmas the same year, it was certified platinum. To this day, We Are The Champions and We Will Rock You remain as “Sports Anthems” and can be heard at stadiums and arenas all over the world. In October of 2004, the Red Sox created their own news of the world by [finally] winning a World Series.
To the deranged baseball mind such as my own, that album tells the story of the Sox season. Well, that album and a couple of fatties, anyway. Check it out…
Spread Your Wings – It is what we do every spring, yes? We shake off the winter rust and try to get our fix of the Green Monster, the smell of freshly cut grass, Joe and Jerry, Dirty Water, the sound of a no-doubter leaving Manny’s bat to explore the space above the Pike, Rem-Dawg, streaks, slumps and all that is the magic of baseball. And as we spread our wings we cross our fingers that this might actually be the year.
My Melancholy Blues – After a red-hot start in April, including the sweep of the dreaded-but-aging-and-this-is-the-year-they-might-be-vulnerable Yankees, the Sox began to lose steam. By mid-May, faith was being tested.
“So come and get me
Let me
Get in that sinking feeling
That says my heart is on an all time low – so
Don’t expect me
To behave perfectly
And wear that sunny smile
My guess is I’m in for a cloudy and overcast
Don’t try and stop me
‘Cause I’m heading for that stormy weather soon”All Dead, All Dead – May became June, and June reached towards July, and the dreams of glory were fading fast. Was April a fluke and this is really our team?
“So much ado my lover
So many games we played
Through every fleeted summer
Through every precious day
All dead, all dead
All the dreams we had
And I wonder why I still live on”It’s Late – The 1st of July brought another loss: swept in the Bronx. And it was getting late. As the temperature rose, the Sox began showing signs of life, winning 5 out of 6 against Texas and Oakland before heading into the All-Star break.
“It’s late – It’s late – It’s late
But not too late”Fight From The Inside – The momentum found heading into the Mid-Summer Classic was gone. The Sox limped into the second half of the season back in a too-familiar “lose one, win, one, lose one, win one” pattern. Until an unforgettable night when the sound of baseballs being struck by bats was replaced by the sound of glove striking face.
“You’re just another picture on a teenage wall
You’re just another sucker ready for a fall…You’re just another, monney-spinner tool
You’re just another, fool”Who Needs You – A week later (which the Sox went 4-1) brought the trading deadline and the turning point. Nomar was traded. The end of an era and the beginning of something special.
We Will Rock You – The “new look” Sox found in August what the Fenway Faithful knew they had in them. A winning streak. An incredible 16-1 stretching into September.
“Kickin’ your can all over the place
Singin’
We will we will rock you
We will we will rock you”Sleeping On The Sidewalk – In September, a playoff spot was clinched and tickets for October baseball at Fenway went on sale.
“I’ve been sleepin’ on the sidewalk
Rollin’ down the road
I may get hungry
But I sure don’t want to go home”Sheer Heart Attack – After sweeping Anaheim with a flare for the dramatic (thank you, Big Papi), the Sox were pushed to the brink by the Yankees. They lose the first 3 games of the ALCS, the third in demoralizing-stick-a-fork-in-them fashion. Then the unthinkable, and never done before, occurs. The Sox tie the series and go on to win Game 7.
We Are The Champions -In a somewhat anti-climactic sweep of the Cards, the Sox end an 86-year drought. Go ahead, download the song and CRANK IT. You know you want to…
Get Down, Make Love – The Rolling Rally.
OK, a bit of a stretch at some points, and I did take the liberty of changing the play order of the songs, but it’s January, you know? It was either this, a post about how to maximize suitcase space when packing, or “Ode to a Twinkie”. Speaking of which, I’m getting the munchies…
