Are You Ready For Some (or rather, "a" question about) Football (songs)

August 25, 2009 11:18 AM

I am charged with finding music for a work party. The theme is "NFL Draft Day" so I need songs relating to American football. The association to football can be pretty loose and tenuous. Any suggestions?

That the songs be enjoyable in their own right is also pretty important because people will not be listening too closely. It's more of a subliminal thing.

Ideally these songs should be available via iTunes or the Amazon music store but I'll do all the searching. Thanks!

posted by ericthegardener to sports, hobbies, & recreation (36 comments total)

The Decemberists' "The Sporting Life"
posted by xmutex at 11:20 AM on August 25

Super Bowl Shuffle? (Obviously more of a novelty to make people laugh.)
posted by brandman at 11:24 AM on August 25

Todd Rundgren's "(I Don't Wanna Work, I Just Wanna) Bang on the Drum All Day" is what they play at Lambeau Field after a Packers touchdown. Very recognizable to any NFC North fan and seemingly appropriate in theme to your event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZclddLcOYYA
posted by BirdD0g at 11:24 AM on August 25

Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2" is linked inextricably in many people's minds with sports, and it makes for pretty fun background music.

Also, at the risk of being too obvious, there's "Are You Ready for Some Football?" by Hank Williams, Jr.
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:26 AM on August 25

I think the music to NFL Films would be very appropriate.
posted by CancerMan at 11:28 AM on August 25 [1 favorite]

Some football-centric colleges have really great fight songs. As much as it pains me to say this...and it really pains me to say this...Notre Dame and the University of Michigan are two of the best.
posted by brandman at 11:31 AM on August 25

"Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen was played at the Superbowl halftime show last year. He makes a baseball reference in the lyrics but modified it to be football during the show. Either way, it's maybe a look at the folks who don't get picked up in the draft and where they'll be ten years down the road :)

Plus, it's awesome.
posted by handful of rain at 11:31 AM on August 25

I would personally go with NFL Films music. Man just thinking about it gets me all aflutter, ready to run through a secondary. Autumn Thunder. I'd have the voice of John Facenda bellowed at least once.
posted by cashman at 11:32 AM on August 25

More too obvious suggestions:
Faith Hill - Waiting All Week for Sunday Night
Tim McGraw - I Like It, I Love It (the alternate version from MNF a few years ago)

Not too obvious:
Jack Johnson - Mudfootball

Google led me to Ten songs with football in their names
posted by natabat at 11:35 AM on August 25

A.F.I.: High School Football Hero
Ataris: San Dimas High School Football Rules
Funeral for a Friend: The Art of American Football

And, um... I Suck at Fantasy Football.
posted by rokusan at 11:36 AM on August 25

Mel and Tim's Backfield in Motion.
posted by katemonster at 11:37 AM on August 25

With Vick playing you could go with "Who let the Dogs Out."
posted by dzaz at 11:43 AM on August 25

Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goalposts of Life.

Old Bobby Bare number, still works for me.
posted by fourcheesemac at 11:45 AM on August 25

Pavement - Lions (Linden)
posted by burnmp3s at 11:47 AM on August 25

I remember back in the 90's when I used to have a video about best NFL plays, they played Elton John's "Rocket Man" when all the receivers were making these fantastic catches. That song now always reminds me of football, but maybe it's just me.
posted by dealing away at 11:52 AM on August 25

Look up E.S. Posthumus on iTunes. In particular "Unstoppable", "Arise", and "Rise to Glory" which are various CBS Football theme songs.
posted by smackfu at 11:54 AM on August 25

If you're subversive, you might consider:

AFI: High School Football Hero
The Dead Kennedys: Jock-O-Rama
posted by mattdidthat at 11:58 AM on August 25

Fountains of Wayne - All Kinds of Time

Jack Johnson - Mudfootball

But what came to my mind first was Mellencamp's "Our Country" since you couldn't avoid that damn Chevy commercial on repeat every Sunday back in 2006. For a long time I didn't even now it was a real song. If you watch football, you have a natural gag reflex to that "This is our country" line.

So naturally, it should be included.
posted by yeti at 11:59 AM on August 25

If you're subversive, you might consider:

I am. And I will.

Great answers everyone. Nothing is too obvious because I don't follow football much at all anymore.

Any songs from the 60's?
posted by ericthegardener at 12:02 PM on August 25

If you're subversive, you might consider:

I am. And I will.

In that case I would also suggest Belle and Sebastian - I Don't Want to Play Football.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:05 PM on August 25

These most likely will put a puzzled look across your guests' faces - two disco songs about football.
Montana Sextet - (Sunday's Gonna Be A Bore) No Football No More
Love Symphony Orchestra - At The Football Stadium (Making Love In Public Places)
posted by stachemaster at 12:08 PM on August 25

If you wanted to do something a bit more meta you could collect the music used by teams immediately prior to kickoff. For example the Cincinnati Bengals use Guns 'n Roses' Welcome to the Jungle whereas the Steelers use a version of Kernkraft 400 by Zombie Nation.

More tenuous to the theme would be Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes which is played a lot at stadiums during game day.
posted by mmascolino at 12:13 PM on August 25

Don McLean - American Pie
"The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast."
posted by knile at 12:18 PM on August 25

Ludacris - Madden 2000 Theme

It might stick out a bit next to Belle & Sebastian.
posted by yeti at 12:20 PM on August 25 [2 favorites]

It might stick out a bit next to Belle & Sebastian.

Jarring transitions are not a problem.
posted by ericthegardener at 12:33 PM on August 25

Wilco - I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

"Take off your Band-Aid because I don't believe in touchdowns."
posted by martens at 12:49 PM on August 25

Outkast's "Tomb of the Boom" includes:

Fourth and goal
Should I take the three point field goal for the score or should I roll
Around and take the ball up the middle up the gut, the what, the hole
Cranium overload, overthrowed
Now we got seven more points on the board, fa sho

and "The Whole World" mentions Randy Moss.

Plus, although I hate the thing, T-Pain just did an autotuned remix of the Miami Dolphins' fight song, which I guess some people would find more relevant than my personal choice: "Hail to the Redskins".
posted by Dr.Enormous at 1:40 PM on August 25

Well, you can't go wrong with Diskothi-Q's awesome double concept album, The National Conference / The American Conference, featuring one song for every team in the NFL. My personal favorite is "(Nobody Cares About The St. Louis) Rams" (.mp3 link) but it's all good -- and all downloadable for free. Previously on MetaFilter.
posted by escabeche at 1:42 PM on August 25

LA Rams Rap Song (watch this video). Bear's Super Bowl Shuffle. Plus maybe some Queen (We are the Champions or We Will Rock You)
posted by travis08 at 2:41 PM on August 25

For sports generally, Walk of Life by Dire Straits is instantly recognizable.
posted by K.P. at 5:05 PM on August 25

3 Lions by the Lightning Seeds will work too.
posted by K.P. at 5:17 PM on August 25

I love Mojo Nixon's High School Football Friday Night.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:37 PM on August 25

Fox NFL Sunday Theme
posted by knockoutking at 9:14 PM on August 25

You could also exploit the Jock Jams albums. Or save yourself the trouble and just get the megamix
posted by knile at 1:34 PM on September 1

I just saw this this morning: iTunes has a "My Groove" for football. (Warning: Launches iTunes.) If you feel like paying $27-80 for 75 songs, that is.
posted by knile at 9:32 AM on September 13

I thought of this thread when i saw a copy of "Football Freaks" by Clarence Reid in a dollar bin at a record store. I'm sure it's still sitting there if you want me to grab it for you.
posted by stachemaster at 1:17 PM on September 20