Them's Fightin' Tunes

She wore baby pink gloves, baby pink shoes and a baby pink helmet. She was all of six years old and truly fearsome.

Recently all the kickboxing girls and assorted partners piled into a minibus and headed west for Fight Night. We were there to cheer along two of the girls and our Leader in their respective bouts.

It was a busy card - they started with the tiny wee kids and went all the way up through the spotty teens to the fearsome grown-ups. Our team did brilliantly, but I must admit The Girl In Pink was my true hero. You would not want to try and steal her lunch in the playground. She came out with a face of pure steel, tiny gloves whirling like a windmill. Her opponent was a little boy and she truly kicked his butt.

I think I expected Fight Night to be all dark and skanky but it turned out to be thrills galore with a cosy family atmosphere. And far more civilised than my wee brother's soccer games used to be. The parents were more encouraging than baying for blood. And the kids were so focused and respectful of their peers and their sport.

My favourite part of the night was the Theme Tunes. Everyone from the six-year-old whippersnappers to the creaky old guys got to have their Las Vegas spotlight moment - shadowboxing while the microphone dude gave a rousing intro, then strutting out through the whooping crowd as their chosen song boomed.

How bloody cool to be introduced WITH SONG. Just the ticket to get you pumped for a big occasion. I wish this could be adopted for everyday confidence boosting - I'd breeze through important meetings or dentist appointments if my entrance was preceded by a thumping tune. Kind of like Ally McBeal but less annoying.

All I've got to do is choose. I've been through all the Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath albums, lots of 70s funk plus assorted metal, but I just can't quite seem to nail it. Right now the main contender is Girl's Got Rhythm by AC/DC. Imagine if you will...

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiin the red corner... with the red hair and the red face... the lack of Wonder from Down Under... Shhhiiiooorrrnaaaareeeiiiiddd...

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I am spewingly jealous of Gareth's chosen song. It is perfection - swelling opening bars to build anticipation, mega chords for his moment of introduction, followed by the ultimate strutting rhythm. Just picture the swirling spotlights and baritone:

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiin the blue corner... with the blue eyes and the baldy heid... it's the Doctor of Destruction... the PhD of Pain... Gaaaareethhhreeeiidddd.

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Michael Jackson's Thriller is Gareth's all-purpose theme tune. He regrets not walking down the aisle to it. He wants to have it for his funeral, with the pallbearers dressed in wolf costumes and doing all the hand actions.

What would your fighting tune be?

Comments

[1 · Posted by Amy · September 09, 2008 at 01:36 AM]

I know it's probably not politically correct, but nothing gets me pumped up like "Shook me All Night Long"

[2 · Posted by FLG · September 09, 2008 at 02:07 AM]

Hmm, I would've thought you would go with something like the Superman theme song.

My theme tune isn't very well known. It's "The Flu" by Lettuce. Funky, conveys a sense of chaos and sneakiness.

[3 · Posted by pubsgal · September 09, 2008 at 02:10 AM]

Oh, it's gotta be the theme music from Pirates of the Caribbean 3. It loops through my brain every time I go running.

[4 · Posted by kathryn · September 09, 2008 at 03:10 AM]

I've always said that when I win lotto, I'm going to pay someone to follow me around and play my theme song before I walk into a room...

The Final Countdown by Europe!

Actually I should see what Europe are up to now, I mightn't need to win lotto.

[5 · Posted by Mich · September 09, 2008 at 04:04 AM]

I'm neither Breton nor celtic, but I'd go with something by Tri Yann: either the Kan Ar Kann section of An Heol a zo Glaz, or, more likely, La Jument de Michao.

[6 · Posted by HK · September 09, 2008 at 05:08 AM]

One of 80s' best: Invincible (Theme from the Legend of Billie Jean) by Pat Benatar.

[7 · Posted by Ellen · September 09, 2008 at 06:47 AM]

Definitely have to be "Gonna Fly Now," the theme song to Rocky (the original, I think). Still haven't seen the movie, but that first minute just gets me going!!

Check it, yo!

Gonna Fly Now

[8 · Posted by Sarah · September 09, 2008 at 07:24 AM]

I have marylin Manson's "Fight Song" for my entrance music when I fight, but I've edited it a bit so it goes from the heavy intro straight to the chorus without any of the quiet versey bits in the way :)

[9 · Posted by unable2trace · September 09, 2008 at 08:01 AM]

Hmmm... think my intro song would have to be 'Gimme Stitches' by the Foo Fighters - especially if Dave Grohl would sing it personally every time!

[10 · Posted by Loth · September 09, 2008 at 09:19 AM]

"I Surrender" by Rainbow.

I haven't really got the hang of this, have I?

[11 · Posted by Cat · September 09, 2008 at 11:53 AM]

TNT by AC/DC, Rock you like a hurricane by Scorpions oooor Rebel yell by billy idol. I've thought about this way too much ;)

[12 · Posted by Dee · September 09, 2008 at 12:11 PM]

I can never think of anything good for these :( I suspect mine would be something like "Itsy Bitsy Spider"...

[13 · Posted by Anjel · September 09, 2008 at 01:07 PM]

Ha! Classic!

Me? Oooh, probably "Sex Bomb" by Tom Jones. LOL!

...no probably "All Over You" by Live. Very Cool. And intimidating. Or maybe "Breathe" by The Prodigy? ooh, now you got me thinkin'...

:)

[14 · Posted by G.G. · September 09, 2008 at 01:29 PM]

My choices wouldn't be very original, but I'd probably pick "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC or "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J. What can I say--I'm a child of the '80's . . . .

[15 · Posted by Debbi · September 09, 2008 at 01:31 PM]

"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister. And thanks to your commenters for all the other great ideas for fight songs. The only one I have is the "Rocky" theme – I see myself spending some quality time on iTunes soon.

[16 · Posted by dg · September 09, 2008 at 01:36 PM]

OOOH I am loving these tunes! Especially the 80s slant :)

Thunderstruck always reminds me of Body Pump, it was a bicep track a few years ago and REALLY good.

It would be so hard to choose a song for an actual fight coz it's only the intro of the song and some songs are fab but take too bloody long to build up!

[17 · Posted by NyadOio · September 09, 2008 at 03:16 PM]

"Keep Hope Alive" by The Crystal Method! Have to cut the first few bars out, though, it takes too long to build. Hmmm.
Gotta go with "Fire Woman" by The Cult.

[18 · Posted by NyadOio · September 09, 2008 at 03:20 PM]

No, I change back to "Keep Hope Alive". You can have "Fire Woman"! It matches your coloring! ;)

[19 · Posted by M. · September 09, 2008 at 03:39 PM]

You Can Do It, by Ice Cube.

"Hear me banging down these back streets
Bumpin' Blackstreet, fiending like an athlete
Life ain't a track meet (no)
It's a marathon
[radio edit] the cemetery that a [radio edit] get buried on"

How can you NOT get pumped to that??!?!? :)

[20 · Posted by nolafwug · September 09, 2008 at 04:35 PM]

OMG You Can Do It is one of my favorite running tunes!

For my theme song I like Iron Man by Black Sabbath, Setting Sun by Chemical Brothers, or maybe Unbelievable by EMF. Ooh or Lip Gloss by Lil Mama. Bucky Done Gun by M.I.A. - it uses a sample from Gonna Fly Now. Ace of Spades by Motorhead. Oh and let's not forget Dragula by Rob Zombie. I'm getting pumped just thinking about this y'all! :)

[21 · Posted by Nicola · September 09, 2008 at 06:45 PM]

With out a doubt NERD's 'Rock Star' the Jason Nevins Remix.

Really really wanted my instructor to start playing that in step aerobics because I wanted to start doing high kicks to it!!
Awesome intro!!

[22 · Posted by Cara · September 09, 2008 at 07:24 PM]

Oh heavens, my current "song to strut to" is Lupe Fiasco's Superstar...try it, it's the ultimate tune for wiggling one's backside down the street...I think it would work spectacularly well as a theme song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty0u1PzXfTo

[23 · Posted by Amanda · September 09, 2008 at 08:32 PM]

Sorry to be completely off topic, but I totally didn't know you had a brother! And I thought I read all of DietGirl and WNP archives haha.

[24 · Posted by Cath · September 09, 2008 at 10:09 PM]

I can't believe Eye of the Tiger by Survivor is still unclaimed! Not very original perhaps, but I I claim it.

[25 · Posted by Ash · September 09, 2008 at 11:05 PM]

My favourite song to pump me up is Queen....

Don't stop me now!! I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball, I'm having such a good time JUST GIMME A CALL etc etc... I'm travveling at the speed of liiiiiight I'm gonna make a supersonic woman of you!

It's such a revv up!

[26 · Posted by dietgirl · September 09, 2008 at 11:26 PM]

You folks have some great taste in music :)

@Amanda - I have a wee half bro and sis back in Australia and I miss them like hell :)

[27 · Posted by hdm · September 10, 2008 at 02:34 AM]

"Here it Goes Again" by Ok Go always makes me get my strut on. Their "Invincible" gives me the right kick-arse attitude to work out as well...

[28 · Posted by Tracey from Melbourne · September 10, 2008 at 03:12 AM]

Definitely something from AC/DC - I favour "You shook me all night long" or maybe "Highway to Hell".

[29 · Posted by Tracey from Melbourne · September 10, 2008 at 03:15 AM]

Or... how about AC/DC "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap" and DrG could have AC/DC's Big Balls as his new theme song! : )

[30 · Posted by cranky · September 10, 2008 at 12:28 PM]

It's Tricky by Rum DMC!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C2b8XWJnfE
"They took my chain!
They took my GOLD CHAIN!"

Now if that aint worth fightin' for, I don't know what is!

See Momo's babies? Noice!

[31 · Posted by Holly · September 10, 2008 at 12:33 PM]

I'd forgotten about Invincible, which is a great choice, but my current personal theme song is 'She's a Rebel' by Green Day

[32 · Posted by tokaiangel · September 10, 2008 at 01:43 PM]

Haha, I used to sing in an AC/DC tribute band, if you can Adam and Eve it, AND I remember that bicep track - most excellent.

This is a GREAT post and a question I could spend the best part of a year on and still not come up with the perfect answer...

...I suspect it would be a toss-up between Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue or Cherry Pie by Warrant.

TA x

[33 · Posted by Sagan · September 10, 2008 at 06:17 PM]

That should definitely be your song.

I am so jealous of you and your kickboxing/theme song awesomeness.

[34 · Posted by Shirls · September 10, 2008 at 06:45 PM]

for me, hands down, easy question...

Mortal Kombat by 2unlimited

Yep, its the song from the video game, and yep its silly but everytime it hits the Ipod I speed up the treadmill, push up the pace, go harder, faster, do more reps, cause for some reason it reminds me that there is no more mortal fight then me against the bulge :0)

[35 · Posted by Shirls · September 10, 2008 at 06:47 PM]

for me, hands down, easy question...

Mortal Kombat by 2unlimited

Yep, its the song from the video game, and yep its silly but everytime it hits the Ipod I speed up the treadmill, push up the pace, go harder, faster, do more reps, cause for some reason it reminds me that there is no more mortal fight then me against the bulge :0)

[36 · Posted by lilbet · September 10, 2008 at 08:20 PM]

This is a GREAT topic. Love it!

Mine? Either Trouble by
P!nk

or

Barracuda by Fergie but that was so wrecked by VP candidate Palin

[37 · Posted by Alexia · September 11, 2008 at 03:24 AM]

Hmm. Well, my favorite band is the Grateful Dead. Hippy music isn't exactly "fight" music ;-)

I was going to say Patty LaBelle's New Attitude -- until I looked it up up on wikipedia and saw that Dr. Laura uses it to intro her radio show -- ugh!

Back to the drawing board...

[38 · Posted by Lesley · September 11, 2008 at 08:40 PM]

My all-purpose song is "Walking on Sunshine" with extra loud Whoa ohs. Fight song where I would theoretically be doing that whole bouncey sting like a butterfly malarky would probably be the Proclaimers (twa braw lads fae 'muchty ken?) "500 miles" as I am a child of peace and love and too chicken to actually hit anyone except my sister and not her since I was 13 - back to the song - it would accompany me as I leg it in fine style

[39 · Posted by feckinsausages · September 12, 2008 at 01:56 PM]

What about Kashmir from Led Zeppelin?

[40 · Posted by Corrina · September 12, 2008 at 05:53 PM]

I used to do Aikido, Karate and Tae Kwon Do and never got beyond a yellow belt (or the equivalent of a year's work of practice).

But this post is inspiring, DG. Looking forward to followups.

I would pick one of these songs:
E-Pro - Beck (good intro); Paper Planes - M.I.A.; Mercury - Bloc Party; Take Me Out - Franz Ferndinand; Body Movin' - Beastie Boys; Float On - Modest Mouse (uplifting); Shut Up and Let Me Go - Ting Tings; The Way We Get By - Spoon; Untouchable Face - Ani Difranco; Song 2 - Blur; Dare - Gorillaz (good for strutting); Fight Test - Flaming Lips (confuse everyone); Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J.

Sorry to co-opt your blog. Better get blogging again myself one day.

[41 · Posted by Rosemary Grace · September 12, 2008 at 07:17 PM]

Maybe MAYBE "Whole lotta Rosie", if I was feeling brave. I used to go out with an AC/DC fan ann his friends thought it was HI-larious my name's Rosie...

Perhaps I could reclaim it.

[42 · Posted by dave currie · September 13, 2008 at 03:36 PM]

I'm with "feckinsausages" above - it has to be Kashmir by Ledzep, doesn't it. Or that one by Eminem that *sounds* like Kashmir ;)

[43 · Posted by Jo · September 18, 2008 at 05:09 PM]

I would probably slink out to 'Mysterious Ways' by U2 in a black cloak, red hot stilletos and plenty of dry ice wafting around me, hiding my winter padding.