Move over “Sweet Caroline,” there’s a new anthem in Boston now. After last night’s improbable ALDS series victory over the favored Tampa Bay Rays, the wild card Boston Red Sox went through the typical motions of a playoff win. You know, line the locker room with plastic sheets and spray beer all over each other. But there was something different about this particular celebration…
You’d normally expect the tough guy baseball player types to belt out a jock jam rock song from say…Bon Jovi? Queen? Or in Boston’s case, Neil Diamond? But not your 2021 Red Sox. No sir. Xander Bogaerts, Kyle Schwarber, Kiké Hernandez, and the fellas broke out into “Dancing On My Own” by undisputed Swedish pop Queen Robyn… and it was glorious:
here is a video of the boston red sox singing “dancing on my own” pic.twitter.com/2wtPGMC20Q
— maggie graber (@magraber) October 12, 2021
A true sad banger if there ever was one, it’s actually fairly appropriate considering not many people had the Red Sox pegged to beat the Rays and their best record in the American League. In fact, Robyn told BBC Newsbeat last year that she finds nostalgia and sentimentality “difficult” and she appreciates how the song “became something that took on meaning for a lot of people in different ways.”
It’s certainly playing into the underdog mentality of these Red Sox who already beat the Yankees in a one-game playoff before taking down the Rays. It’s nice to know that us sad boys and girls and professional athletes are inspired by the same music. And hey, Robyn is not just for when you’re all in your feels at the karaoke bar anymore.
