A few days ago when I was talking to Ted about my idea for this Ultimate Misery Mix 2011 song contest here on DN, I thought it could be a total flop. I thought I'd get five, maybe ten song submissions. Last night in the kitchen as my turkey brine was cooling, I counted up the submissions as I started in on the task of finding a winning song. The total number of songs submitted for the first topic was 46. Apparently, in addition to being long-suffering, Minnesota Vikings fans have an exhaustive musical library.
Thank you so much for all the submissions! You made this silly contest really interesting and surprised me with a deluge of great song choices. As you would expect, there were lots of songs about love gone wrong, some songs with a Minnesota connection, and some low self-esteem classics.
With so many great songs submitted, it made choosing a winner a real bitch difficult. The only way to wade through the choices was to be a stickler about making sure the song reflected the topic, the Vikings response about a week ago to Governor Mark Dayton about the stadium situation. This meant that all the great songs that expressed how fans feel about the Vikings' 2011 season didn't quite fit the topic. That said, Bobcat m's suggestion of TAPS was great--it made me giggle all day.
Join me after the jump for some good music and, of course, the winning song choice when we'll crown today's Ultimate Misery Mix winner. The crown's from Burger King, but we like to think it's the thought that counts.
Here, in no particular order, are the honorable mention, also-ran submissions that are just too good to ignore. Kick back, countdown until Thanksgiving, and enjoy some music.
- Maroon 5 "Misery" submitted by Landonio. "I laughed when I thought about if this was Zygi singing this to Mark Dayton about needing a new stadium and how Dayton won’t follow up on his promises." Made me laugh too.
- OneRepublic "All the Right Moves" submitted by jayj55405. This one just feels right when you're talking about politics.
- Soul Asylum "Misery" submitted by Chris464. "I know just what you need/I might just have the thing/I know what you’d pay to see..." Seems right when talking about the Vikings wanting to build a stadium in Arden Hills.
- Harry Nilsson "You're Breakin' My Heart" submitted by abba7. In between the formal language, I get the feeling the Vikings would like to tell Governor Mark Dayton something like this.
- Eli Young Band "Enough is Enough" submitted by Sittin, Waitin, Ponderin. A love gone wrong country song to describe the Vikings' rapport with Minnesota politicians? Brilliant.
- The Animals "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place" submitted by rube6642. And the Vikings will get out of the Metrodome if it's the last thing the current ownership group ever does.
- Styx "Haven't We Been Here Before 1983" submitted by VikesFanSince1967. This is partly for the song and partly for the really funny notes he submitted with the lyrics. Way to sell it.
- Joe South "Games People Play" submitted by Velvetouch. Owners and politicians playing games regarding a new stadium? Say it ain't so.
This weeks winner is a song that garnered discussion, not for the song itself, but for the original video for the song. Muppets, in general, don't freak me out, but the ones in that video do. So, here's a concert version of the winning song, Genesis' "Land of Confusion" submitted by Alittlemore_cowbell. Congratulations Alittlemore_cowbell, you're today's Ultimate Misery Mix 2011 mix master. Toss some confetti on yourself and enjoy.
Thanks to everyone who submitted a song, you made this silly contest fun. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families, let's cross our fingers and hope that the Detroit Lions win tomorrow.
Oh, and HolySchnikes, I can't get The Downtown Fiction's "Thanks for Nothing" out of my head. Catchy, catchy song. What have you done to me?