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One of the most popular ways to enjoy Tigers baseball is by watching the games on television. And watching on television means yielding your ears and eyes to whatever Fox Sports Detroit is serving up. And since 2008 that has meant repeated (very repeated) exposure to the April in the D promotional song.
This year the suits at FSDetroit have decided to forgo the cute local contest and go with a song by Papa Roach entitled Still Swinging. I will not post the video here since it will only add to your madness, but I strongly recommend you read the lyrics HERE. Yes, their artistry is almost nicklebackian; brilliant to be sure.
But what saddened me the the most about the repeated playings of Still Swinging was my longing for the April in the D songs of yesteryear. Let's take a look at the offerings, working our way from the most forgettable down to the very best (most mind invading) April in the D song of all time.
5. April in the D - The Product - 2012
Last year the folks at FSDetroit started to realize something - they were annoying all of us. 2012 was an intermediate step between the greatly over-hyped contest and killing the April in the D song altogether. Unfortunately this yielded the least played and most forgettable effort of the bunch - this punchless rock tune from The Product.
4. April in the D - The Victorious Secrets - 2010
To me this was the most listenable tune of the group. It was artistic, it was wailing, it was mournful, however it just didn't have the mind invading potency of some of the others. Fun fact: The Victorious Secrets went on to be featured in some of those FreeCreditReport.com commercials.
3. April in the D - Blacklist Union - 2008
This rock/rap Kid Rock emulating tune from Blacklist Union had the advantage of being the first April in the D song. Being first came with the advantages of novelty and a fan base that at not yet developed a distaste for April in the D. Also, the Red Wings were so good that April they went on to win the cup.
The most memorable part of this one is, of course, the stacatto "AprilInTheD, AprilInTheD [come on!] AprilInTheD, AprilInTheD" of the chorus.
2. April in the D - B-Dab - 2011
This funk/hip-hop/whatever fusion effort was one I secretly enjoyed. I liked the groove on the chorus (although I could have done without the random cheering between phrases). B-Dab was the beginning of the end for poor April in the D. They played a concert in the Brushfire grill at Comerica before a game and everyone was sick of it. It wasn't their fault. It was simply a concept that had run it's course.
1. April in the D - The Good Luck Joes - 2009
You can argue all you want, but the Good Luck Joes' version is simply the quintessential and most memorable version of April in the D. FSDetroit played THE HELL out of this song. Yes, it's whiny. It's cliched. It's repetitive, it's everything we will remember the April in the D song being.