The Ballad of Matt Bradley

by BradleyFightingVehicle on Jan 13, 2010 11:58 PM EST Comment 29 comments

Hey guys, never done one of these before but I am going to give it a shot.

Now as you all can probably tell with my screen name I happen to be a bit of a Matt Bradley fan. Well one thing that I, as many others here, have noticed by now, is that Matt Bradley seems to have a bit of a Folk hero quality to him. This latest incident with Downie seems to have only helped grow it.

Well when I was a kid I learned quite a bit about another folk hero. One Davy Crockett of Tennessee, who fought and died at the Alamo. Well in the 1950s (I think?) Crockett was also popular, and there was the famous "Ballad of Davy Crockett."

The lyrics of this ballad can be found here:

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/classicdisney/theballadofdavycrockett.htm

And a video of Fess Parker, who spawned the Crockett craze by playing him in Disney made for TV movies in the '50s, performing the ballad can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nOF4cq6qNc

Now there are different variations some with more or less verses some with as many as ten verses. And, I am only so creative, but I felt I had to attempt to create a folk ballad for Brads. I know some of the rhymes may not work as well, but cut me some slack. I was a history major after all, not a poet. Anyway I'm hoping that if we put the new words to the music we have something here. And now I humbly present to the Rink...

The Ballad of Matt Bradley.

Born in Ontario, in Stittsville, cold
Boldest place in the Great White North.
Raised on the ice to be the best he could be
Kill’t him a ’guin when he was only three.

Maaaaaatt, Matt Bradley, the man who don't know fear!

In two-thousand and five the NHL has froze
And the Caps are in the midst of some losing throes.
Now, kickin' ass is somethin' he knows
So he signs a deal, and to DC he goes.

Maaaaaaaatt, Matt Bradley, fightin' for old DC!

On the ice he's skatin' along
Scorin' on Lundqvist and providin' grit by the ton.
Itchin fer fightin' and righting a wrong
He's as smart as a professor, and twice as strong.

Maaaaaaaaatt, Matt Bradley, the champion of us all!

Fought with Ovie through the Lightning war
Till Downie was whipped, beaten, and sore.
An' while he was handlin' this noble chore
Made hisself a legend, for evermore.

Maaaaaaaaatt, Matt Bradley, smakein' goons down!

He gave his blood, and he gave his hands
So's his Capital friends could rule this land.
An' the rest of his life he took the stand
That Lord Stanley's cup was due, to this Capital band.

Maaaaaaaaaatt, Matt Bradley, holdin' his promise dear!

He's heard of Gretzky and Howe and so
To the Stanley Cup playoffs he just has to go.
Where the Capitals will be fighting many a foe
For the Cup in Hockey's greatest show.

Maaaaaaaaaatt, Matt Bradley, fightin' for old DC!

His helmet is biggest, and his blood is the best
And lord knows his heart's stronger than th' rest.
He's with the Cap's looking to beat the West
For Stanley, in what will be the final test.

Maaaaaaaaaatt, Matt Bradley, the champion of us all!

(Edit: If there are any suggestions to improve the verses, or add additional verses, please let me know. One of the best things about Folk Songs is how they evolve over time. Brads is adding to his legend each day, no reason we can't add those exploits to the ballad! We already have the first change in the first verse, h/t to IRockTheRed!)

If this FanPost is written by someone other than one of the blog's authors, the opinions expressed in it do not necessarily reflect those of this blog or SB Nation.

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Comments

Words can’t describe how much I love this!! +7 rec if I could

by JustJeff on Jan 14, 2010 1:22 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Awesome.

The artist formerly known as thehoagster07

by what Juneau about that? on Jan 14, 2010 1:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Rec’d. this post is full of win!

What amazing date in history are we giong back to today, Mr. Peabody?

by dlw66 on Jan 14, 2010 1:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Let me tell 'ya 'bout

How great this is

He’s as smart as a professor, and twice as strong.

Awesome.

Atta dinnin stick a who!

by Gould Old Days on Jan 14, 2010 4:12 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

agreed. My favorite line as well. Big time rec for this work.

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by Sombrero Guy on Jan 14, 2010 3:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I was just thinking of attempting this yesterday. Glad I didn’t, since you did a much better job. Kudos.

I have a C on my heart.

by boutros23 on Jan 14, 2010 5:56 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks guys!

One of the best things about folk songs is how they evolve over time, so if you all have suggestions for verses, or just ways to improve upon the existing ballad, I would love to hear ’em.

As Brads continues to be awesome, I’m hoping more verses will write themselves.

by BradleyFightingVehicle on Jan 14, 2010 10:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

This might scan better...

Born in the cold of Stittsville, Ontario.
Boldest place in the land of Snow
Raised on the ice to be the best he could be
Kill’t him a Penguin when he was only three

Born in Ontario, in Stittsville, cold
Boldest place in the Great White North
Raised on the ice to be the best that he could be
Kill’t him a ’guin when he was only three …

I need a snappy signature...

by IRockTheRed on Jan 14, 2010 7:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good call! I changed it. That first verse was giving me fits when I wrote it, some of the others did too, but the first was definitely the hardest.. Brads just had to be born in a place called Stittsville. I liked the change to ’Guin too!

by BradleyFightingVehicle on Jan 14, 2010 7:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks. Which other verses were you having trouble with?

I need a snappy signature...

by IRockTheRed on Jan 14, 2010 9:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The “providn’ grit by the ton” part in the third verse, though it fits Bradley’s style of play, doesn’t rhyme too well with the rest of it. Because it fit his style of play so well though, I kept it in there.

If I get a chance I may try to work other verses that include tales of him scoring from weird angles, scoring shorties, and son Henry. Those were all things that I had in there at one point but took out because I couldn’t make them fit/rhyme/or vibe with the rest of the song.

by BradleyFightingVehicle on Jan 15, 2010 11:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

On the ice he’s skatin’ along
Scorin’ on Lundqvist and providin’ grit by the ton.
Itchin fer fightin’ and righting a wrong
He’s as smart as a professor, and twice as strong.

Out on the ice he skates alone
Grit is his trademark and his song,
Itchin’ fer fightin’ an’ rightin’ them wrongs,
He’s smart as a perfesser an’ twice as strong.

If his buddy’s in the sin bin, and he’s on the ice,
Bad guys on the other side had better think twice!
Brads’ll flash right by ‘em skatin’ up a storm,
And before they know what hit ‘em, the puck’s long gone!

I need a snappy signature...

by IRockTheRed on Jan 15, 2010 4:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I like it! Your second verse gave me some ideas and I changed up the end, let me know what you think.

If his buddy’s in the sin bin, and he’s on the ice
Bad guys on the other side had better think twice.
Cause Brads’ll score a shorty so nice
That soon their balls, he’ll have in a vice!

by BradleyFightingVehicle on Jan 19, 2010 5:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Of course, I’m having trouble, because I keep wanting to sing this to the tune of “The Beverly Hillbillies” rather than “Davy Crockett,” and it’s giving me fits!

I need a snappy signature...

by IRockTheRed on Jan 14, 2010 9:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

"Be always sure you’re right — then go ahead!"

A man gotta have a code

by CP2Devil on Jan 14, 2010 11:21 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

This is better than the caps rap.

My ability to post is only surpassed by my ability to pinch pennies.

by jordanDC on Jan 14, 2010 4:35 PM EST reply actions 2 recs

Someone just needs to record it.

I have a C on my heart.

by boutros23 on Jan 14, 2010 5:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I would love to see it recorded, afraid it won’t be me though. I can’t play an instrument and am tone deaf, even if I tried it wouldn’t end well. So I’ll leave that to someone else.

by BradleyFightingVehicle on Jan 14, 2010 7:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wouldn’t be me, either. This crowd has some scary talented people in it, so I’m sure someone will take the bait.

I have a C on my heart.

by boutros23 on Jan 14, 2010 8:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ooh, and someone should animate it…

I have a C on my heart.

by boutros23 on Jan 14, 2010 8:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hahahaha!

I can probably find the guitar chords online somewhere…

I need a snappy signature...

by IRockTheRed on Jan 14, 2010 9:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

my brother said he’ll take a stab at recording it tomorrow.

www.wiseadvertising.com

Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.

by Sombrero Guy on Jan 15, 2010 11:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sweet.

I have a C on my heart.

by boutros23 on Jan 15, 2010 12:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Awesome! I’m incredibly curious to see the if verses can actually be sung. I was hoping they could be when I wrote it, but I’m not so sure lol.

by BradleyFightingVehicle on Jan 19, 2010 5:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

ok so no update on this…i’ll check in with him again

www.wiseadvertising.com

Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.

by Sombrero Guy on Jan 21, 2010 6:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Awesome. Bonus points for incorporating smakedown.

by grapejoos on Jan 14, 2010 6:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Bradley has been quoted as saying

I’m bleeding! Making ME the victor!

My ability to post is only surpassed by my ability to pinch pennies.

by jordanDC on Jan 15, 2010 11:37 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

<3 this. :D

by SemiSteckel on Jan 15, 2010 2:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I second that!! This just made my day!

Brads, You're my hero!!!!!

by CapsKH on Jan 21, 2010 2:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

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