Still Life with Robin: Go Nats (But Without That Baby Shark)

by Peggy Robin

So it’s not going to be a sweep. One down. Still ahead by a game.

I do have one little suggestion for the Nats, though. Hope this can be taken in the right spirit. It’s time for that Baby Shark theme to go! Yes, it was cute  at first. Now it’s just a bad earworm (see https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/earworm if you are unfamiliar with this term). So inane. If you have missed out on this epi-phenomenon, here’s a look  at what I’m talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AetTT3d5k70. 

Yes, I know that fans sing it because it’s a favorite of Geraldo Parra’s toddler. With those clapping hand movements meant to mimic a shark’s clamping jaws, it has given the crowd a way to move as one. But now that we’re this far along in the World Series, it’s begun to look robotic and silly, not worthy of a world class team. This is largely a crowd of adults. As we come down to the finish line, it would be good if had a more mature way to cheer on the team. Time for a new meme with the same sort of bouncy catchy-ness…but without the baby-talk lyrics.

I say this, knowing that it’s probably too late for a change. And if the Nats win the World Series to the Baby Shark meme, I'm sure we'll be stuck with it for next year, too. Still, I’d like a chance to plant the seed of a thought about moving away from Baby Shark to something more sophisticated. Something like what the Red Sox have in “Sweet Caroline.” We all can sing it: “So Good! So Good! So Good!” It’s rhythmic and upbeat but not in a preschool way.

Here are a few suggestions:

Van Halen’s “Top of the World” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtXq-v9XoMc
The Turtles, “Happy Together” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRCe5L1imxg
The Beatles, “Good Day Sunshine” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws6CF4S82nY
Springsteen’s “Born to Run” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuThNgl3YA
…and of course, the greatest baseball song ever written, John Fogerty’s “Center Field” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqY7e4bP9PQ

Having said all that, if the price of winning the World Series is to keep on hearing that refrain, “Baby Shark Doo-DOO Doo-DOO do-DOO,” I’ll take it!
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Still Life with Robin is published on The Cleveland Park Listserv -- now found at Groups.IO - https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark - and on All Life is Local on Saturdays.