Sometimes, patriotism makes me sick, particularly when it’s phony. After 9/11, the whole nation pulled out its American flags and pulled together. I did too. That’s been a very rare feat for a country that currently seems wracked by tension over the issues of gay marriage and the war in Iraq (and its subsequent occupation). But I wonder: was it out of fervor for the nation or just following the crowd?
Sports can act as a release from this blind following, a place where people of all backgrounds can legitimately congregate and not care about who’s sitting next to them unless it’s a Hell’s Angel (In that case, RUN!). With Opening Day not far around the corner, I decided to write a song about how much baseball can unite a nation, let alone the world (see Little League World Series). Enjoy.
God Bless the Baseball Game
Sung to the tune of: Lee Greenwood’s
God Bless the USA
(Apologies to Mr. Greenwood
for any plagiarism that appears in these lyrics)
I chose this tune because,
in my opinion,
it’s a great example
of fake patriotism.
If you can read this, you don’t need glasses.
If tomorrow all
the things were gone
I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
With just my children
and my wife,
I’d thank my lucky stars
That we still have got the game,
‘Cause the sound of ball
against the stick
Led us to form a name.
And I’m proud to be
a fan of baseball
Where at least I know you’re out,
And I won’t forget
the men who lived
To show what it’s about,
And I gladly stand up
on the mound
To throw out the day’s first pitch,
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this sport.
God bless the baseball game.
From the yards of suburbia
To the fields of the Midwest,
Across the national parks,
From here it is the best
From Detroit down to Houston,
And New York to LA,
Well, there’s heat in every American arm,
And they all unite to say:
That I’m proud to be
a fan of baseball
Where at least I know you’re out,
And I won’t forget
the men who lived
To show what it’s about,
And I gladly stand up
on the mound
To throw out the day’s first pitch,
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this sport.
God bless the baseball game.
Even all around the world,
Boys pick up carton and sock,
Living for the first chance
To prove that they all could rock.
And when they play their peers,
It can really pack some clout.
Though some don’t know
how to speak English,
their voices know how to shout:
That I’m proud to be
a fan of baseball
Where at least I know you’re out,
And I won’t forget
the men who lived
To show what it’s about,
And I gladly stand up
on the mound
To throw out the day’s first pitch,
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt
I love this sport.
God bless the baseball game.
And if you don’t like it, I’ll sing it myself. Soprano.
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