All Kinds of Time: A SuperBowl Song

I’ve never been big into sports.

Anybody who knows me, also knows that.  I once got booted from a kids’ baseball game for trying to steal a base, like the characters did on my “Bases Loaded” video game.  I retired from hockey when a kid slap-shot a puck into my face in Grade 6.    And, just like a scene from a movie, my whole gym class once terrorized me by pointing and laughing as I tried and tried and tried to get JUST ONE ball through the basket during the “Basketball” curriculum.  Nice kids.

Do I watch sports?  Not really.  I watch hockey during the play-offs.  And I’m going to see a roller derby game on Saturday night.  Does that even count?

But, hanging out with my producer Adam Smith, and just being in the USA so much … I’ve been pushed into having a thing for football.  As far as American past times go, football holds a certain legendary appeal.  Remember the Titans, my favourite sports movie, is about football.  And football, believe it or not, can actually provide a poignant backdrop for a good pop song.

I fell in love with the band Fountains of Wayne shortly after they released their one hit wonder “Stacey’s Mom”.  (I thought about embedding the video for “Stacey’s Mom” but it’s pretty raunchy.  YouTube it if you dare.)  Say what you will about it’s raunchy video, from a songwriter’s perspective, “Stacey’s Mom” is expertly crafted.  And so is every other song on their record Welcome Interstate Managers.  Buried on the record at Track 7, is the following song titled “All Kinds of Time”.

Football has never been so romantic, epic or magical to me.  If you have 4 minutes to spare, play the song and read the lyrics.  The writers do a great job of capturing those fleeting seconds …

The clock’s running down
The team’s losing ground
To the opposing defense
The young quarterback
Waits for the snap
When suddenly it all starts to make sense

He’s got all kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time

He takes a step back
He’s under attack
But he knows that no one can touch him now
He seems so at ease
A strange inner peace
Is all that he’s feeling somehow

He’s got all kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time

[Bridge]
He thinks of his mother
He thinks of his bride-to-be
He thinks of his father
His two younger brothers
Gathered around the widescreen TV

He looks to the left
He looks to the right
And there in a golden ray of light
Is his open man
Just as he planned
The whole world is his tonight

Call me crazy, but if a song about football can move a guy like me -- who has nothing more than a very passing interest in sports -- then there must be something special about the game.  But I think that’s all sports.

I mean … I was inspired by watching a Roller Derby game last summer where the star player was named Audrey Hellbourne.  We all just love a good underdog story.

Bottom line … I’ll be watching the Superbowl.  Not that I’ve been following the season or even care who wins … but this whole New Orleans thing could be pretty epic.  Underdog all the way.

--

francy