Get rid of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy?”

[JimGinSP]

Many years ago I thought updating with “I Love Rock & Roll” by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts would have been great due to her link to Montgomery County where she spent her teen years.  That song is four decades old at this point so its time has passed.  
My most recent choice would be the 1961 Harry Belafonte version of Jump In the Line (Shake Senora). Classic & multigenerational, (used in Beetlejuice, BASEketball, Little Mermaid, sampled by Pitbull and was a TikTok sensation in 2019 according to wiki).  The opening with the strings & horns would get the crowd up and hopefully we would see line dancing all around the stadium!   Too bad Mr. Belafonte passed last month so he won’t see it at our World Series.

Listen:  

 

Edited May 23, 2023 by JimGinSP
Added BASEketball

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, tntoriole said:

“The Orioles have tried to implement new seventh-inning stretch music over the years: “Orioles Magic” in 1980, Rick Dempsey’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” cover in ’87, and others. None caught on like Denver's “Country Boy,” though the song was taken out of circulation from '88-93 by owner Eli Jacobs. It returned after Peter Angelos bought the team and remains to this day, played immediately after “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/orioles-john-denver-seventh-inning-stretch-connection

Something else I can blame Peter for!

Honestly if the boy were to pick a new song it's probably be some Bro Country tune that will be even worse.

[Tony-OH]

Look, this song is a tradition. Does it makes sense for Baltimore to have a song called "Thank God I'm a country boy?" as a 7th inning stretch?Nope. Does it makes sense for Boston to have "Sweet Caroline?" No it does not either..

But both are traditions and there is something fun about yelling that "Yee Hah" at the end. 

It's 1000 times better than the old "Take me out to the ballgame" that they tried to replace it with. That is the Cubs tradition.

So if you don't like it, you know what?

"Well life on the farm is kinda laid back
Ain't much an old country boy like me can't hack
It's early to rise, early in the sack
I thank God I'm a country boy

Well a simple kinda life never did me no harm
A raisin' me a family and workin' on the farm
My days are all filled with an easy country charm
Thank God I'm a country boy

Well I got me a fine wife I got me an ol' fiddle
When the sun's comin' up I got cakes on the griddle
And life ain't nothin' but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I'm a country boy

When the work's all done and the sun's settlin' low
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow
The kids are asleep so I keep it kinda low

Yeeeeee    Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Thank God I'm a country boy!"

By the way, most Orioles players know to stay out of the batters box before the fans have their Yee Ha!! Good for them!

[jabba72]

Maybe play it once a week or something like maybe Saturdays. I dont really see the point in playing it every game. 

[Br10n]

American Land by Springsteen

[tntoriole]

6 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

Maybe play it once a week or something like maybe Saturdays. I dont really see the point in playing it every game. 

Many things about games have no point .. that is what makes them games.  Why Cracker Jack? Why hot dogs? Why peanuts? Why 7th inning stretches, why not 5th or 6th? Why shout O in the National Anthem? 
Rituals serve unconscious needs, not rational ones.. thus they seemingly have “no apparent point” 

[Emory Eagle]

Just win, couldn’t care less about the song.  

[jabba72]

14 minutes ago, tntoriole said:

Many things about games have no point .. that is what makes them games.  Why Cracker Jack? Why hot dogs? Why peanuts? Why 7th inning stretches, why not 5th or 6th? Why shout O in the National Anthem? 
Rituals serve unconscious needs, not rational ones.. thus they seemingly have “no apparent point” 

Well if there's no point to it, they should mix it up more and play something cool like Plush or something. Doesn't need to be the same song. 

[Malike]

3 hours ago, MCO'sFan said:

I voted to keep it only because it is a "thing" now. But, "Take Me Home Country Roads" was at least written about Maryland. 

 

 

Perhaps surprisingly, the inspiration for “Take Me Home, Country Roads” occurred in the state of Maryland. The “country road” was Clopper Road in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The song was originated by Bill Danoff and Mary Catherine “Taffy” Nivert. Taffy was his wife at the time.Sep 18, 2016

If the plan is to put the crowd to sleep, that's a fine choice. :). Fine song, but a snoozer.

[Just Regular]

Is this song meant more to entertain target customers, or be one Adley/Gunnar/Grayson/Holliday have heard of?

The "Take On Me" era at Nationals Park was fun.

Having an elementary kid, the Trolls movies tell me the four main characters are Pop, Rock, Country and Rap, though none of those might resonate with the third of big leaguers from Latin America, Japan, etc.

I have heard Adley single out Eric Church in fluff interviews.    Not sure if him and a few of the guys going to the Springsteen show was authentic or ironic - hard to tell with the younger people sometimes.

[Frobby]

56 minutes ago, Br10n said:

American Land by Springsteen

How about Hungry Heart?  

[tntoriole]

I think Nessum Dorma would be good 

 

 

[blid]

I appreciate the tradition enough to not outright hate it or care too much, but it is so out of touch with the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland, it's bizarre.

[Alasdaire]

Obviously it's a tradition by this point, but it's not a good tradition.

I cringe more during the "whoop" of "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" than I do when pink hat nation chants "bum bum bum" during "Sweet Caroline."

There's nothing particularly objectionable about the song or the artist. But playing it in Baltimore/Maryland is and always has been completely out of place. It would feel a bit odd not hearing it at OPACY during the stretch, but I can't imagine actually missing it.

[Br10n]

33 minutes ago, Frobby said:

How about Hungry Heart?  

But, he left Baltimore and never went back.