Now, despite what those who sit near Team Batgirl at the games seem to think, it is entirely possible to love one’s country and hate Lee Greenwood's opus “Proud to be an American,” which the Twins played during the seventh inning stretch at every game last year. And it seems, given some of the recent posts in Batgirl’s comment sections, some of her massive and loyal readership agrees. This year, the good folk at the Metrodome have decided to play the song sometimes and if anyone can figure out the rhyme or reason to it, would they please tell Batgirl?
Anyway, as is only natural, Batgirl’s readership in addition to being extensive and devoted is also talented and ingenious, and Batgirl reader Ron Davis (not that one, we assume) has presented us with these alternate lyrics by one Kate Unheney.
From the lakes of Ontario, and the mountains in BC,
Across the plains of Manitoba, sea to gleaming sea,
From Toronto up to Banff, Iqualuit to Calgary,
Let us not forget our maritimes that make us hosers see-eeThat I'm proud to be a Canadian,
Where at least the syrup's free,
And I won't forget the trees who grew
And gave that food to me.
And I'll proudly stand up next to you, in our French and English ways
'Cuz I know that I love this land, God bless Canada, eh!
If we all sing this loud enough, maybe they'll FINALLY stop the music:
I'm proud to be from the Dominican
Where there's too much poverty
And I won't forget the U-S scouts
Who tried signing me for free
And I'll proudly stand up, next to you
In my relaxed, island sort of way
And tell you if you want to ask
That Guzy's here to play!
¡Estoy orgulloso ser del Dominicano
Donde hay demasiado pobreza
Y yo no me olvidaré a los exploradores de U-S
Que trataron me firmar para libre
Y yo me pararé orgullosamente, próximo a usted
En mi relajado, el tipo de la
isla de la manera
Y lo dice si usted quiere pedir que
Ese Guzy esté de aquí jugar!
Part of my job is editing music videos for a service my company offers, and I went through "God Bless the USA" yesterday. What a crappy video! It's pretty much just Lee visiting his family in the middle of nowhere, and having a white-bread afternoon. How truly American. Of course, what should we expect from a song written in 1984, the same year Reagan's "morning in America" campaign ads aired?
You know what's weird? The song is available on his "Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" CD. He wrote more than that one song. Who knew?
I have never sung along with this song in any venue, and refuse to stand when it plays at the Dome--not as an anti-American gesture, but as an anti-crappy music one.
Posted by: Jeremy Wahlman at April 28, 2004 01:44 AMCorey should really see this....
Posted by: Goober at April 28, 2004 06:36 AMFor me, the song has baaaad memories. In bootcamp, it was decided that our company would sing the song for parents and guests at USO night. To "help" us remember the lyrics, everytime we got beat (push ups, sit ups, mountain climbers, etc.) for messing up something, the song would be blasted at full volume. Whenever we heard the song start up, we knew it was going to be a long day. I hate that song.
Posted by: mmmarkiep at April 28, 2004 08:08 AMI love the Spanish translation of Guzie's anthem--- now all we need is someone to translate "Proud to Be a Canadian" into Quebecois! Surely there's an Expos fan out there somewhere....
Posted by: Goober at April 28, 2004 09:28 AM"God Bless America" is a great song and I love the tradition of playing it at games. "God Bless the USA," on the other hand, is one of the worst songs written in the last 20 years.
Posted by: Stephen Silver at April 28, 2004 09:32 AMLee Greenwood looks quite sassy in his mountie outfit, no? Like our beloved and eloquent leader says, "Less stats, more sass." And I thought the sass level couldn't get any higher!
Posted by: JEB at April 28, 2004 09:45 AMDemander et vous recevrez:
Des lacs de Ontario, et les montagnes dans AV. J-C,
à travers les plaines de Manitoba, la mer à la mer de gleaming,
De Toronto jusqu'à Banff, Iqualuit à Calgary,
nous Laisser n'oublie pas que notre maritimes qui nous fait le voit-ee de hosers
Que je suis fier est Canadien,
Où au moins le sirop libre,
Et je n'oublierai pas les arbres qui ont grandi Et a donné cette nourriture me.
Et je me tiendrai fièrement en haut à côté de vous,
dans notre français et nos façons anglaises
'Cuz je sais que j'aime cette terre, Dieu bénit le Canada, eh!
Dear RD,
You are an inspired person. Thank you for gracing Batgirl with your presence.
Sincerely,
Batgirl
As a person who neither speaks nor reads French, allow me that subtle translation. I especially like the way you render the untranslatable "hosers" in the original English. Is anyone else shocked by the the degree to which the translator was able to maintain the original rhyme scheme?
Posted by: Goober at April 28, 2004 11:13 AMAnd wouldn't it be nifty to honor our inter-galactic friends with such variations as....
" Proud to be a Klingon " ( insert other United Federation of Planets names, as needed )
Trivial factoid of the day.... there is no
Klingon word for baseball, according to the official dictionary.
Batgirl - awesome site! It is now required reading with my morning coffee. We at the office * heart * you!!
I like the Dominican version best. In the spirit of enriching Metrodome diversity, could we not rotate the stretch song. Perhaps Bob Casey could lead the chorus of the Dominican version!
Me thinks JEB is a patient man.
Blog Boy
Posted by: Blog Boy at April 28, 2004 11:22 AMel diablo believes that Lee Greenwood sucks ass.
I'm proud to hate Lee Greenwood,
Where his songs are full of pee.
And I'll never forget my hate for him,
And his songs will remain crap-ee.
And I'll proudly stand up next to you, and together we will say:
Does anyone else know this lad? 'Cuz Lee Greenwood sucks the live-long day!!!
(Apologies to my syncopation but I think the meaning works excellently.)
el diablo also firmly believes that the only song that should ever be played in the seventh inning stretch is "Take Me Out To The Ball Game." That, and maybe the organ song of "dunh-dunh-dunh-dunh-dunh-dunh-dunh-dunh, Dunh-Dunh-Dunh-Dunh-Dunh-Dunh-Dunh-Dunh, DUNH-DUNH-DUNH-DUNH-DUNH-DUNH-DUNH-DUNH!"
Posted by: el diablo at April 28, 2004 01:00 PMi LOVE that organ song! Almost as much as I love the guitar song that goes, duh nah-nah-nah-nah-nah [pause] dun, nah-nah-nah-nah; duh nah-nah-nah-nah-nah [pause] dun, nah-nah-nah-nah; duh nah-nah-nah-nah-nah [pause] dun, nah-nah-nah-nah [dance for twelve beats].
Posted by: Goober at April 28, 2004 01:33 PMFrankly, I prefer this one:
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (Uh oh, Hey Ya)
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (Uh, uh, OHH OH)
Heeeyyy... Yaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Heeyy Yaaaaaaaa.. (OHH OH)
Outkast, ladies and gentlemen. Give it up for Outkast!
The Lee Greenwood bashing must stop!
He is a chaw spittin, F-150 Super Duty drivin', gun-rack-in-the-back window-hangin', first cousin luvin', Hee-Haw watchin' PATRIOT.
YEEEEE HAW!
Eric
www.thebaseballboys.com
Actually, I've heard that Lee Greenwood was a draft-dodger.
Posted by: Donnalove at April 28, 2004 04:14 PMhttp://www.snopes.com/music/artists/leegreen.htm
Snopes says he wasn't a draft dodger.
Posted by: mmmarkiep at April 28, 2004 04:40 PMBlessings on you, Batgirl, for saying that which I have been too furious to articulate. This song is the bane of my dome-going existence...a jingoistic load of stool that leaves me angry, cynical and wondering where all the damn stool came from.
A dear friend of mine just turned me on to your site, by the way, and how happy am I (despite the stool)? A truly great blog.
Posted by: Freg Nergstrom at April 28, 2004 05:04 PMI just have to thank Batgirl for railing against that horrendous song. If I want right-wing propaganda shoved down my throat I'll watch Fox News. Please don't do it during the beloved seventh inning stretch.
Posted by: Seamus at April 28, 2004 05:37 PMel diablo believes there should be a Take Back The Seventh Inning Stretch movement. How was the Seventh Inning Stretch hijacked into jingoism and flag waving?
el diablo knows it's "America's Pastime" and believes in all that AND apple pie. el diablo has a particular love of apple pie. However, while I realize the majority of the players on the field are from the US of A, a growing number of them are not. A growing number of them don't even speak 'Merican. So why is "God Bless America" and "God Bless The USA" blaring over the loudspeakers?
Posted by: el diablo at April 28, 2004 07:03 PMIncidentally, el diablo--proud American--also loves Canada and all things Canadian.
Deeply.
Posted by: el diablo at April 28, 2004 07:04 PMAnd as for injecting the word "god" into a baseball game tradition, all I can do is borrow the words of Miss Annie Savoy:
"I believe in the Church of Baseball. I've tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones. I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I heard that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn't work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology..... It's a long season and you gotta trust. I've tried 'em all, I really have, and the only church that truly feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the Church of Baseball. "
My nick is "el diablo" after all.
Posted by: el diablo at April 28, 2004 07:11 PMI was wrong, he's not a draft dodger. He just writes pukey songs.
And has the same birthday as me, but is exactly 40 years older.
I wish he was a draft dodger. Then he wouldn't have written the song.
You know the only reason they play it is because it says "from the lakes of Minnesota." So quick, someone write a GOOD song that mentions Minnesota and maybe they'll play that!!
Posted by: She-Ra, P.O.P at April 29, 2004 12:18 PMMaybe Soundgarden's "Outshined" would be a good idea?
Posted by: Donnalove at April 29, 2004 07:27 PMI like that Soundgarden song:
"I'm looking California
And feeling Minnesota..."
An appropriate song for the weekend series? An even MORE appropriate song for Nick Punto and Jacque Jones?
The with an organist as talented as Sue, we don't need any playing of recorded music.
If the Twins feel the need to pad the 7th stretch with another song, let's do "We're gonna win Twins"
Posted by: Sandee at May 23, 2004 10:38 PMAt Safeco field, if they keep the tradition of the Kingdome alive, they play "Louie Louie", after "Take me out to the Ballgame".
"Louie Louie" being the Unofficial State song of Washington.
Posted by: ketut at May 24, 2004 03:56 PM