This Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. Perhaps you’ve heard about it. Here are some songs about (and not quite about) the game.
Public Enemy, “Brothers Gonna Work It Out” (1990)
The 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh will face the Ravens coach John Harbaugh in the game. They are brothers. That’s not what this song is about, but it’s a superb song with an excellent video, and it may well have been used as a headline for an article about the two coaches. Plus, it contains the somewhat relevant refrain “Let’s get it on.”
Bob Dylan, “Days of 49” (1970)
Dylan’s “Self-Portrait” is one of his most reviled albums, but it does contain a spirited recording of this traditional song, which can serve as a reminder of the 49ers’ glorious Montana/Young years (“in the days of old / in the days of gold”).
Lou Reed, “The Raven” (2003)
Lou Reed’s concept album about the life of Baltimore’s most famous author, Edgar Allen Poe, has rockers with clumsy/brilliant lyrics (“These are the stories of Edgar Allan Poe / Not exactly the boy next door”), and also plenty of poetry, including this reading by Willem Dafoe. Will Ray Lewis, in his post-game interview, say “nevermore”? Stay tuned.
Pretty Things, “S.F. Sorrow Is Born” (1968)
The psychedelic rock opera that may have directly inspired “Tommy” (sounds like it, though the Who deny it). S.F. Sorrow is a character in the album, which has very few plot similarities with professional football: it’s about a psychedelic escape from a benighted factory town. Still, the song’s title is how Niners fans will feel if the Ravens hand them a loss.
Matthew Sweet, “Baltimore” (2011)
Baltimore is a venerable city, and especially venerable in song: from Hoagy Carmichael’s “Baltimore Oriole” to Randy Newman’s “Baltimore.” One of the lesser-known tributes to Baltimore is this Matthew Sweet ballad, from his “Modern Art” album.
The Who, “Tattoo” (1967)
49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has lots of ink. Perhaps you’ve heard that in the endless pre-game coverage. This Who song, from “The Who Sell Out,” is about manhood, domestic violence, and (somewhat straightforwardly) body art. Plus, it contains the immortal lyric “A rooty-toot-toot, A rooty-tooty-toot-toot / Rooty-toot-toot tattoo too / To you.”
Django Reinhardt, “Improvisation No. 47 (Improvisation No. 5)” (1947)
In honor of Super Bowl XLVII, here’s one of the legendary Romani guitarist’s solo-guitar compositions. It’s confusingly titled: sometimes it’s listed as “No. 47,” possibly because that’s the year it was recorded; other times, it’s listed as “No. 5.” And while this year’s game features two premier defenses, that’s not the case for Reinhardt’s name: the “D” is silent.
