What kind of athlete are/were you? The type who excels at every sport you try and basks in the adulation of the townsfolk? Or perhaps one who stumbles about the court/field/pitch clumsily enough that only participation trophies await?
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If you’re more the latter, Colin Meloy and The Decemberists delivered your anthem with the 2005 song “The Sporting Life”. The track sympathizes with the athletic underachiever while also lampooning those who get too carried away with the pursuit of competitive glory.
A “Sporting” Chance
The Decemberists released their third album, Picaresque, in 2005. It represented a leap forward in both popularity and musical excellence by the Portland-based band. Picaresque launched them near the top of the indie-rock heap.
It helped that they featured a unique songwriter at the helm in Colin Meloy. Whereas other indie songsmiths tended to bare their soul with tortured confessional songs, Meloy was far more likely to go the fictional route.
Maybe that was understandable considering his background. A creative writing major in college, Meloy has developed a successful sidelight as an author outside his career in music, with a focus on children’s books. His literary bent can be found in the variety of characters he has created within the songs of The Decemberists.
That said, there’s a good chance that “The Sporting Life”, which stands out with its jaunty horns and “Lust For Life”-styled rhythm, contains a little bit of autobiography. During live shows, Meloy has mentioned that the main character hails from Helena, Montana. It’s probably not a coincidence that’s his childhood hometown.
Examining the Meaning of “The Sporting Life”
“The Sporting Life” spirals out of a single moment of embarrassment for the narrator. “I fell on the playing field,” Meloy begins. “The work of an errant heel.” As he picks his head up to look around, the absurdity of the situation dawns on him. How strange that people would put so much emphasis on something as trivial as a soccer match.
It’s not like his stumble has cost the team much, as he reveals their outstanding record: “We managed it 12 to 1.” But this one moment seems to instantly change how others see him, including his paramour. “And there’s my girlfriend arm in arm,” Meloy sings. “With the captain of the other team / And all of this is clear to me / They condescend and fix on me a frown.”
As the song progresses, the authority figures jump on the bandwagon against this poor kid. That includes his dad. “And Father had had such hopes,” Meloy confides. “For a son who would take the ropes / And fulfill all his old athletic aspirations / But apparently now there are complications.” The boy briefly thinks about rising to show them all how wrong they are about him. Instead, he decides against it and stays down.
The coach strikes a particularly loathsome figure in Meloy’s scenario. His reaction: “’I should have known,’ he things again / ’I never should have let him in.’” Nobody helps the kid up. All he can do is marvel at their priorities. “How they love the sporting life,” Meloy wistfully concludes.
Great songs about sports are few and far between, in part because the tendency is for writers to over-romanticize the action. As wonderful and fulfilling as they can be, competitive sports can also turn ugly in a hurry. The Decemberists’ “The Sporting Life” gives us a striking example of that.
Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
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