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Song: “Steel Defense”
Roster: In Acchord
Game plan: Parody of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”
Play of the game: Early in the song, when vocalist Addie Twigg discounts the importance of Steely McBeam in the team’s success.
Fumble: Rhyming “long-distance pass” with “knock you flat on the grass.” It’s the Steelers, guys — you can bring out the mild swears!
Post-game wrap-up: While the song drags a bit in tempo and overstays its welcome (it’s nearly five minutes long), it wins points for being contemporary and not trying too hard.
Song: “Steelers Polka 2011”
Roster: Gene the Werewolf
Game plan: Rehash of the ’70s classic.
Play-action fake: The song starts with a glam-metal-sounding “Charge!” riff and feedback explosion, only to kick into a pretty standard version of the polka.
Post-game wrap-up: You can’t go wrong with a classic, and the updates on this one are pretty well done.
Song: “Reed’s Gone”
Roster: Matt Foglia
Game plan: A YouTube-based homage to the rapscallion placekicker let go earlier in the season; a re-work of Hall and Oates’ “She’s Gone.”
Right between the uprights: Foglia rhymes “Having trouble with the kick” with “Is that a picture of his dick?”– and makes reference to Reed’s run-in with the law after backup tight end Matt Spaeth’s public-urination incident.
Post-game wrap-up: The recording sounds hasty and the vocals leave plenty to be desired, but who doesn’t like kicking Skippy when he’s down?
Song: “Black and Yellow”
Roster: Wiz Khalifa (and, in a remix version, Snoop Dogg, Juicy J and T-Pain)
Game plan: Not meant as a Steelers fight song specifically, but it is a Pittsburgh anthem.
Pump fake: Wiz switches the classic “gold” out with “yellow,” confounding squares and old people throughout Steelers Nation.
Post-game wrap-up: The track was climbing the pop charts even before the Steelers hit the post-season; now it’s the football fight song with the most street cred.
Song: “Here We Go Steelers”
Roster: Roger Wood
Game plan: Droning vocals articulate practically the entire 53-man roster over a repetitive yet painfully catchy bass line.
Punt: Rhyming “Hampton” with “Timmons.” To be fair, the raw material for these songs is out of Wood’s control; at least he didn’t try for “Kapinos.”
Post-game wrap-up: Freshly updated for its 15th season, “Here We Go” is the most recognizable harbinger of playoff season. And until at least Feb. 7, like it or not, it’ll probably be stuck in your head.
This article appears in Feb 3-9, 2011.
I gotta check out this “Steel Defense” track…
Personally, I try to separate “Here We Go” (the sentiment and fan chant) from “Here We Go” the monotone fight song.