The Autumn Wind
“The Autumn Wind” is a sports-themed poem written by present NFL Films President and co-founder Steve Sabol (son of founder Ed Sabol) describing the atmosphere autumn weather, as it relates to pro football season. It is synonymous with, and the unofficial team anthem of the NFL's Oakland Raiders,[1][2] and is often heard blaring out of the soundspeakers at Raider games.[3][4] Narrated by John Facenda,[5] this 1974 production has been dubbed "The Battle Hymn of the Raider Nation."[6]
The poem was first used for the team's official team yearbook film in 1974, of the same title. Legend has it that when Raider owner and managing general partner Al Davis first heard "The Autumn Wind" song for the first time, he remained silent for a second before telling then NFL Films President Ed Sabol that he loved it, and that "it epitomized everything that the Raiders stood for" . It has been used on numerous official NFL Films audio album soundtracks, most notably The Power & The Glory LP featuring Facenda narrating over both it. as well as numerous other Sam Spence-composed and conducted NFL Films Orchestra musical tracks.
The Autumn wind is a pirate
Blustering in from sea
With a rollicking song he sweeps along
Swaggering boisterously.
His face is weatherbeaten
He wears a hooded sash
With a silver hat about his head
And a bristling black mustache
He growls as he storms the country
A villain big and bold
And the trees all shake and quiver and quake
As he robs them of their gold.
The Autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He'll knock you 'round and upside down
And laugh when he's conquered and won.
[edit] References
- ^ Warnock to sell luxury suites at stadium, ESPN, 2004-05-07, http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1797330, retrieved 2008-01-27
- ^ The Recap, Washington Post, 2006-10-30, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/29/AR2006102900909.html, retrieved 2008-01-27
- ^ Steele, David (2000-10-23), Coliseum Turns Into Wind Tunnel for a Day, San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/10/23/SP81987.DTL, retrieved 2008-01-27
- ^ Carr, Bob (2005-11-01), What do the Tennessee Titans and the San Diego Chargers have in Common?, San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/author?blogid=11&auth=34&o=10, retrieved 2008-01-27
- ^ Peterseim, Peter (2001-12-29), Cool Hand Luke, Wilt the Stilt, and the nine-headed monster, ESPN, http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/annotatedmiller/1106.html, retrieved 2008-01-27
- ^ Lynch, Kevin (2002-11-01), Foreboding song blows through practice, San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/11/01/SP153120.DTL, retrieved 2008-01-27
[edit] External links
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