Song of the Day: Pine Tar Wars by C.W. McCall


Today’s song of the day is a another song inspired by the Pine Tar Incident.  I bet Billy Martin hated this song.

Well, the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times
Carried the story in big headlines
How Kansas City George was robbed that day
When Tar Baby Billy took his bat away

It was two men out in the top a’ the ninth
It was one a’ them classic settin’s
The Goose on the mound in that Big Apple town
And George is up there battin’

As the crowd chants “Goose!”
He turns it loose
With fire and smoke and ash
George sends it deep
In the right field seats
Another timely crash

As he rounded third and he headed on home
Was a gleam in Billy’s eye
Dick wondered “What’s he up to now?
“I know this guy’s real sly”

Billy grabbed the bat as both teams sat
In awe upon the benches
Says, “There ya are! That there’s pine tar!
“An’ it’s a whole lot more’n eighteen inches!”

Tar Baby Billy can you hear our song?
Did you cry about the game last night?
Cry Baby Billy tell us all what’s wrong?
All you wanna do is fight
You like a child, kickin’ dirt on the umpire’s shoes
That’s the way you’ve always been
So now we’re gonna take that pine tar rag
And rub it in your face again

So Tim thought it through, and he asked the crew
Then with bat in hand, he shouted
“You’re out! The home run just don’t count!
“I’m gonna have ta disallow it!”

Well, the sky was clear and the day was hot
But George was even hotter
Till Lee got wise, and said “Hey, you guys!
“This claim ain’t a-gonna hold water”

Tar Baby Billy can you hear our song?
Did you cry about the game last night?
Cry Baby Billy tell us all what’s wrong?
All you wanna do is fight
You like a child, kickin’ dirt on the umpire’s shoes
That’s the way you’ve always been
So now we’re gonna take that pine tar rag
And rub it in your face again

Well, the fans was riled and suits was filed
To create a long dee-lay
Then Billy’s team, apparently
Was just afraid to play

Now the stage was set and Billy bet
That he had the upper hand
But Billy was fooled when the big court ruled
“You gonna play this game, as planned!”

Well, Tar Baby Billy can you hear our song?
Did you cry about the game last night?
Cry Baby Billy tell us all what’s wrong?
All you wanna do is fight
You like a child, kickin’ dirt on the umpire’s shoes
That’s the way you’ve always been
So now we’re gonna take that pine tar rag
And rub it in your face again

With affidavits (notarized)
That George had touched ’em all
The umpire said, “We a step ahead
“Gonna put an end to Billy Ball”

“We done heard the call for Billy Ball
“We ain’t never gonna hear it again
“Just like the cheer for Billy’s Beer
“When the Democrats was in”

Now the game they played that summer day
Won’t be famous for the scores
But the incidents that have happened since
Will be remembered as Tar Wars

Tar Baby Billy can you hear our song?
Did you cry about the game last night?
Cry Baby Billy tell us all what’s wrong?
All you wanna do is fight
You like a child, kickin’ dirt on the umpire’s shoes
That’s the way you’ve always been
So now we’re gonna take that pine tar rag
And rub it in your face again

Music Video of the Day: Is It Now? by Automatic (2025, Dir. by Nicola and Juliana Giraffe)


This video celebrate all of the hard work that goes into running your own business and owning a giant landline phone.  This video deserves a lot of credit for its production design.  Everything from the boxes to the phone to color scheme to the outfits worn by the band works.

This song is the title track from Automatic’s forthcoming new album.

Enjoy!

Cut your hair
With kitchen scissors
New look
A different image
Secondhand
Not television
Shopping malls
They make you vicious

Yuppy farm
Bread in the kitchen
Pissing on your dreams and wishes
Sabotage
The banking business
Capital makes
Big decisions

I wanna be like
Going out alone
They wanna be like
Copy or clone
I wanna be like
What do you stand for
They wanna be like
Bet on a dead horse

And it’s there (da da da da da)
If you dare (da da da da da)
No divide (da da da da da)
You and I (da da da da da)

I wanna be like
Going out alone
They wanna be like
Copy or clone
I wanna be like
Give me the answer
They wanna be like
Still moving backwards

Falling hit the ground I’m running
Towards the edge of something
Tired of only watching
And I can’t stop wanting
When the walls are closed in
On the way to nothing
Well the earth still pulls me
Back into myself

Song of the Day: The Pine-Tarred Bat or the Ballad of George Brett by Red River Dave McEnery


Today’s song of the day is based on an actual incident.

In 1983, The Royals and the Yankees were playing in Yankee Stadium.  At the top of the Ninth Inning, the score was 4-3, Yankees.  With two outs, the Royals’ George Brett hit a two-run home run to give his team the lead.  However, Yankees manager Billy Martin protested that Brett had too much pine tar on his bat.  When the umpires demanded to see the bat, Royals pitcher Gaylord Perry gave the bat to a batboy and told him to hide it.  When they finally did manage to find the bat, the umpires agreed with Martin, nullifying the homerun and calling Brett out.  Because Brett was the third out, this gave the Yankees the victory.  An understandably angry Brett attempted to confront umpire Tim McClelland about the ruling but was physically restrained by his teammates.

The Royals protested the game and the American League President, Lee MacPhail, upheld their protest, saying that pine tar did not give a batter an unfair advantage.  25 days later, the Yankee and the Royals met and resumed the game in a nearly deserted stadium.  The Royals won 5-4.  As for the bat itself, it now resides in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Pine Tar Incident inspired today’s song of the day, The Pine-Tarred Bat or The Ballad of George Brett, written and performed by “Red River” Dave McEnery.

Music Video Of The Day: Somewhere Over Lardeo by Lainey Wilson (2025, Dir. by TK McKamey)


Lainey Wilson may be heading out west to Southern California in this video but her heart, her mind, and her imagination still rest with that one rodeo rider in Laredo.  The song’s a short story and the video is a visually stunning interpretation of love and regret.

I liked this video.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Half the Truth by Royal Court of China (1989, directed by Sam Raimi)


The best rock band to ever come out of Nashville, Tennessee, Royal Court of China was named after a “supergroup” that Jimmy Page tried to put together after the end of Led Zeppelin.  Page may never have formed his band but Joe Blanton used the name for his own group, which started out as a hard country band before moving to heavy metal.

This video was directed by Sam Raimi.  The song was produced by none other than “Groovy” Bruce Campbell, who is celebrating his 67th birthday on this day.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: Talkin’ Baseball by Terry Cashman


The Rangers won yesterday and I feel like celebrating with today’s song of the day!  Talkin’ Baseball was recorded in 1981 and it’s gone on to become one of the great baseball songs.

The Whiz Kids had won it,
Bobby Thomson had done it,
And Yogi read the comics all the while.
Rock ‘n roll was being born,
Marijuana, we would scorn,
So down on the corner,
The national past-time went on trial.

We’re talkin’ baseball!
Kluszewski, Campanella.
Talkin’ baseball!
The Man and Bobby Feller.
The Scooter, the Barber, and the Newc,
They knew ’em all from Boston to Dubuque.
Especially Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.

Well, Casey was winning,
Hank Aaron was beginning,
One Robbie going out, one coming in.
Kiner and Midget Gaedel,
The Thumper and Mel Parnell,
And Ike was the only one winning down in Washington.

We’re talkin’ baseball!
Kluszewski, Campanella.
Talkin’ baseball!
The Man and Bobby Feller.
The Scooter, the Barber, and the Newc,
They knew ’em all from Boston to Dubuque.
Especially Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.

Now my old friend, The Bachelor,
Well, he swore he was the Oklahoma Kid.
And Cookie played hooky,
To go and see the Duke.
And me, I always loved Willie Mays,
Those were the days!

Well, now it’s the 80s,
And Brett is the greatest,
And Bobby Bonds can play for everyone.
Rose is at the Vet,
And Rusty again is a Met,
And the great Alexander is pitchin’ again in Washington.

I’m talkin’ baseball!
Like Reggie, Quisenberry.
Talkin’ baseball!
Carew and Gaylord Perry,
Seaver, Garvey, Schmidt and Vida Blue,
If Cooperstown is calling, it’s no fluke.
They’ll be with Willie, Mickey, and the Duke.

Willie, Mickey, and the Duke. (Say hey, say hey, say hey)
It was Willie, Mickey and the Duke (Say hey, say hey, say hey)
I’m talkin’ Willie, Mickey and the Duke (Say hey, say hey, say hey)
Willie, Mickey, and the Duke. (Say hey, say hey, say hey)
Say Willie, Mickey, and the Duke. (Say hey, say hey, say hey)

Music Video of the Day: Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche) by 98º (2000, Dir. by Wayne Isham)


Would you give 98 Degrees just one night?

98 Degrees was a part of the whole boy band era but, unlike NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, and O-Town, the members of 98 Degrees actually formed the band on their own.  They weren’t put together by a producer or a record company.  That’s one of the many reasons was 98 Degrees was better than the typical boy band.  They also wrote and produced most of their own songs instead of relying on a record company to hire someone to do it for them.

As for this video, it was filmed in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico and it features 98 Degrees performing amongst Mayan ruins.

Enjoy!