The Iron Bowl and Third Down Songs
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Alabama, Jason Isbell, and third down songs
Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
—Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Some great college football rivalries are happening this weekend, including one of the greatest of all time, the Iron Bowl. Ben, Mat, and Adam cheer for teams from the Yellowhammer State so they’re kicking off the Swap with a song selection about Alabama.
To keep the football theme going, our Bonus Track tackles third-down songs—those hype-up-the-crowd classics that get the defense ready to stop the ball from crossing that yellow first-down marker.
Hut, hut…
Alabama by Tedeschi Trucks Band (Adam)
Alabama, you got the weight on your shoulders
That's breaking your back
Your Cadillac has got a wheel in the ditch
And a wheel on the track
After catching Tedeschi Trucks Band at Bourbon and Beyond this fall, my admiration for them has only deepened. This track, a Neil Young cover that sparked the song, Sweet Home Alabama, has really struck a chord with me lately. My disdain for Young and his negative feelings toward southerners is very true and real, but I still dig the tune. The mention of a Cadillac takes me back to my childhood as an Auburn fan, watching Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown run all over the Tide. While my loyalties have shifted (Go Jags!), the legacy of the Iron Bowl remains unparalleled. Wishing a happy rivalry weekend to all who celebrate!
Dixieland Delight by Alabama (Mat)
My wife is a Bama alum so her suggestion for a song for me this week was a definitive “Dixieland Delight,” which is frequently sung at BDS in Tuscaloosa. However, it has also been sung at Jordan-Hare after an Iron Bowl victory. Not even the fact it is sung at Bama games can ruin this absolute banger of a song for me. It’s hard to beat country music supergroup Alabama and “Dixieland Delight” is one of their best. I especially love the part where they start listing out different woodland creatures. I hope it’s sung at Jordan-Hare tomorrow!
Alabama Pines by Jason Isbell (Ben)
Adam and I must have been on the same wavelength this week. I considered highlighting Neil Young’s “Alabama” alongside Lynard Skynard’s response song, “Sweet Home Alabama.” That song played as Forrest Gump danced with/ Jenny and will play with/ 100,000+ singing at Bryant-Denny again this Saturday at 2:30pm. (I realized it needs an entire bonus track - for another day)
Instead, I’m going with “Alabama Pines” by Jason Isbell. As a kid who moved around a lot, I don’t really think about a place as home. My grandparents lived in Alabama, and we would drive there for major holidays, so the vision of pine trees and the theme of “home” landed with me. This song is a lyrical masterpiece. Even years later, I continue to hear new angles in the story. Happy Thanksgiving weekend, whether you’re “home” or longing to be home.
Bonus Track: Third Down Songs by Jared Kathcart
Third down in football is such a great metaphor for so many things in life. Trying to work hard so that your boss takes notice and gives you that promotion at work? Might seem like a 3rd and 10, but with the right game plan, you can do it.
Coming to the end of writing that big term paper and you need just enough steam to sail into a stress-free Christmas break? Sounds like 3rd and inches.
Eat too much turkey and gravy yesterday and now you feel so ashamed about your life choices that you plan to swear off carbs until the 4th of July? That’s a classic 3rd and long. Anything is possible, but you might want to get your special teams unit ready.
And what about those times when you are the one who needs to get the big stop? Well, the metaphor holds up.
Have a friend going through something? It doesn’t matter the yardage; it’s your role to pretend like you care just long enough to get through third down.
Trying to raise a moody teenager? Adolescence is the 3rd down of parenthood. Tighten your helmet, stand strong, and they’ll be off to college after a solid cover-two defense shuts down all their pathetic pass attempts.
Worried about listening to your in-laws babble on about the election this holiday season? Just dig in your heels, get a stop on 3rd down, and you’ll be opening a gift bag of new dress socks in no time.
So what’s it going to take? What motivates you? How are you going to overcome this? What’s going to help you stop your worthy adversary short of that hypothetical, superimposed yellow line?
Enter Sandman.
No really. Enter Sandman. Enter Sandman (or whatever metal classic you prefer).
Metal goes hand-in-hand with football. Football is a sport for hard-hitting meatheads who give no regard for the physical well-being of themselves or others. Metal concerts are a place for hard-hitting meatheads who give no regard for the physical well-being of themselves or others. In fact, as one who has both played football and who has been in a mosh pit, I genuinely feel safer on the gridiron.
This is why the best songs for getting pumped up for that big stop on a third down are classic metal songs. I’ve put together a playlist of my favorite metal songs (with a variety of metal sub-genres) that I believe perfectly blend together familiarity, quality, personal preference, and something that makes me want to crush every single tush getting pushed.
Third Down Metal Songs Playlist
Enter Sandman—Metallica
Master of Puppets—Metallica
Killing in the Name—Rage Against the Machine
Iron Man—Black Sabbath
Immigrant Song—Led Zeppelin
Chop Suey!—System of a Down
Painkiller—Judas Priest
Ace of Spades—Motorhead
Back in Black—AC/DC
Hells Bells—AC/DC
Hallowed Be Thy Name—Iron Maiden
Crazy Train—Ozzy Osbourne
Stargazer—Rainbow
Schism—TOOL
Jared Kathcart lives in Kansas City, MO. He is from Texas and loves the Dallas Cowboys. He welcomes your condolences for this season. He thinks 90s alternative is the greatest genre of music, and has seen the Goo Goo Dolls in concert more times than he can count.
Are you ready for some football this weekend? What third-down songs would you add to Jared’s playlist? Thank you for reading the Music Swap. Next week is our last edition of the year before we take a winter break.
-TheMusicSwap
Alabama has long played “Look Down” from Les Miserables on third down. It works really well. Roll Tide!