By Steve Springer
Contestant, Volvo’s Biggest Fan of the Big East Contest
Living three hours away from my favorite team is a burden many times. I don’t get to many games, much less have the luxury of season tickets. But there is a silver-lining, eternally optimistic way of looking at it, however. When I do get to go, it makes for an extra special time. And what’s the best part of a special time? The road trip.
An enjoyable road trip is never complete without a good vehicle, good weather, good company, and great tunes. Everybody has their own musical tastes and reasons for why they select the songs that they do on a road trip. My hypothetical road trip to my hometown to see the Louisville Cardinals play the University of Whoever is quite eclectic and quite unique. Included are various songs that are collectively special to the whole UofL fan base, and then there are a couple of ditties that are sentimental to me personally, evolved from years of support of my team. Below are the top five songs that I would jam out to cruising the Western Kentucky Parkway en route from Murray to The Ville for Big East Basketball:
(1)What road trip back to your hometown would be complete without the ultimate homecoming soundtrack Motley Crue’s Home Sweet Home. The hair band ballad from the eighties is always a favorite when heading back to Louisville after a long hiatus. You know the tune, but just in case you haven’t heard it in a while:
(2) In 2009, UofL swept both the Big East regular season title and the Big East Conference Tournament title on the way to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. That was a magical couple of weeks, even though it didn’t end up in a Final Four run. One clever UofL fan compiled a highlight video of the season accompanied by the tune of Kevin Rudolf’s Let It Rock. That video compilation was special and very appropriate for that time. Whenever I hear the song, I think of the video, and it reminds me of Terrence Williams and Earl Clark dunking all over people that season and that March.
(3) Louisville’s first NCAA Championship came in March 1980. That was a special time for the school, the fans, and the city. I’m sure you’ve had songs that seem to cement themselves as a universal theme for a particular event. When the tragedy of 9/11 happened, a couple of songs came to mind, such as Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA or God Bless America played in the 7th Inning Stretch at Yankee Stadium. The song that fills in the blank for this era of UofL Basketball is Kenny Loggins’ This Is It. I get goosebumps thinking back to some of my earliest childhood memories when I hear this song and remember UofL winning it all for the first time:
(4)Another personal UofL song favorite is one that preceded the UofL-Kentucky game in 2003. That was the year that a freshman named Francisco Garcia kick-started his way to becoming one of the greatest players in team history, dropping daggers on the blue team. UofL won that game and I’ll never forget the Big Game look on Garcia’s face during the intro song, Emine’s Lose Yourself. Yes, its worn out now, but you still hear it all over the land in sporting venues before big games:
(5) Finally, not just a song makes this road trip complete. The ultimate road trip back to The Ville would have to be behind the wheel of Volvo’s new 300 horsepower, all-wheel-drive, Naughty S60. And what tune would be more appropriate in that car than Sexsie Volvo, with the greatest sound system ever designed and engineered for an automobile?
This Louisville fan just can’t wait to get behind the wheel of another Volvo S60, and on the road again.
I bet your play list sounds great on the Volvo sound system. You and Casey deserve this sweet ride; I hope you get it!! Then maybe you will give a UK fan a ride!!
Road trip cruise? Well, the music list for Cardinal Couple goes with these ten. Repeat as necessary.
1) Roadhouse Blues. The Doors
2) Twilight Zone. Golden Earring
3) Jeremy. Pearl Jam
4) Heard it thru the Grapevine. CCR
5) Green Grass and High Tides. Outlaws
6) Watermelon Man. Herbie Hancock
7) I Want You. The Beatles
8) Rapture. Blondie
9) Hypnotized. Fleetwood Mac
10 Red House. Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughn
Crank it
Ok babe I am with you for 3 of the 5. I can’t join in on the Motley Crue hit. I love the Kenny Loggins hit and Let it Rock. My final song has got to be Sexsie Volvo. I agree it fits that black, trimmed out, 300 horsepower, hugging the ground, fan-freaking-tastic sound system. That is what we should put on the plate.
SEXY—that would be great to pull into your P.E. teaching parking spot at school wouldn’t it. lol
Thanks for the memories, Steve! I like the theme of the article, with the cool car, loud music, good friends and good times. The Volvo S60 certainly fits the dream, though my music is understandably a few decades older. Let’s hope the BBall matches some of the memories–this year! Go Cards!
Thanks for the great info! You write really well and get us all excited about the Cards!
Fantastic List! You deserve the car and the rockin sound system.
Great article! Would be great music to get pumped about any game!
Wow…that music would make for a fun trip!
awesome list!
Those songs from the 80 and 86 championships, of course, were never played in Freedom Hall at the time. I can’t recall when the filler music started in there or on the gridiron. I would guess some time in the 90’s.
They’re not high tech, but Mickey Clark’s Cardinal Cannonball series was well received through the 80’s and 90’s. I believe he last sung it for the ’98 pep rally just prior to the Motor City Bowl. (I was thinking about that in comparison to Eminem’s Detroit-based video…oil and water!)
Dagummit Tom! I forgot all about the Cardinal Cannonball!!! I can’t believe that too. I WORE OUT my cassette version of Cardinal Cannonball. I still have it somewhere in the attic. Not sure I have a tape player anymore though! I even jammed out to the Metro Conference Tournament version on the B-side! That song gives me chills too. I doubt I could find a Youtube link for it though! 🙂
Some of these songs have a lot of meaning for Louisville fans. Thanks for the bringing back some good memories Steve.
I may not like the music but Steve is as cool as they come. So whatever he picks must be good.
Couple those songs popular in my old country. We don’t play them very loud for good reason.
And what old country is that, may I ask?
Good picks. I’m cool with all those songs.
Good choices Steve. You would have that car vibrating with that sound system. I might need ear plugs, however.
That sound system IS incredible! You must have been paying attention to some of my earlier comments about the audio in the S60! Thanks a bunch!
Love song #1! Goo Steve
Rockin’, my man! Go Cards! But based on the road trip to Dallas in 1986, I would have to add Queen’s “We Are The Champions.”
I just don’t feel right playing that song until we actually win another championship! Maybe in the next couple years…
So coooool!
Having made it to Dallas in 1986, I have to go with No. 3, Steve. That Volvo song just happens to be pretty good, too. Hope you win that baby.
I was there in Dallas in 86 too. I just couldn’t remember a song other than Queen’s “We Are the Champions” which I don’t really like to listen to unless we’ve actually won a championship! And it’s been awhile for that. That KL song just gives me the chills though.