Alabama Crimson Tide in Popular Culture
With Alabama's re-emergence as a national power, the number of references in pop culture to our favorite team will almost certainly go up. While I enjoy listening to my gameday playlist/CD with predominantly stadium music and marching band cheers when I get fired up about the approaching football season, I would like to create a music playlist with songs with slightly more subtle Alabama references. I thought I'd also bring movies into the discussion as well so we can have more to talk about.
Movies: Crimson Tide (I really dug up an obscure reference there) has that awesome scene they used to show on the jumbotron with "GO BAMA! ROLL TIDE!", but can you think of any other references to 'Bama in the movies? i also enjoyed Sandra Bullock talking about how handsome she found Saban in "Blind Side."
Music: I think of Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues" and that newish Tim McGraw song "Southern Voice" where he mentions Bear Bryant winning and mentions wearing an Alabama shirt. What other songs mention 'Bama? "Bama Anthem" by 63 Boyz and "Sweet Home Alabama" by B.A.M.A. don't count.
FanPosts are just that; posts created by the fans. They are in no way indicative of the opinions of SBN and the authors of Roll Bama Roll.
1 recs |
106 comments
|
Comments
Just a note...
I know this post doesn’t have anything newsworthy in it, but I thought it might promote a good discussion.
Friday Night Lights
Season 2 or 3, I’m not sure. “Smash” Williams was a blue chip RB. They feature an Alabama recruiter. Williams ends up committing to Alabama, but he gets in some off the field trouble that causes the schollie to be pulled.
What you're seeing is team spirit. It's like the Holy Spirit, but more powerful.
-Hank Hill
Never watched the show
Most of the TV I watch is DVRed so I don’t discover new shows unless they are recommended to me. Friday Night Lights seemed to get really mixed reviews from people I knew so it never entered my lineup. Would you consider it worth watching?
Watch it.
First three seasons are on Netflix to watch online, if you’re a member. It gets a little soap-opera-y at points, but it makes up for it with moments of brilliance.
"Only the strong survive, but the strong still get their ass whipped." -Nick Saban
YES!!!!!
Great show, lots of football, and Kyle Chandler is unbelievably hot.
by Queen of the Universe on Jul 20, 2010 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions
That kid...
…that plays Riggins ain’t bad either…
by Queen of the Universe on Jul 20, 2010 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions
COUGAR!!!
(i, of course, agree)
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
Other hotties include


Ohio State has the worst fans in the Big Ten. Bar none. And it’s not even close. Humorless in defeat. Condescending in victory. Generally insecure all the time. I’ve partied and had fun with fans of every team in this league, save Ohio State.
you are sooooo right...
…I would totally switch teams for Connie Britton.
by Queen of the Universe on Jul 21, 2010 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
and

and

It’s a good show alright.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 22, 2010 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions
i miss those ladies on the show
especially blond girl -what’s her name? oh well i guess i don’t miss her that much
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
i love FNL
it’s my guilty pleasure
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
Sweet Souther Comfort by Buddy Jewell
Had to Google the title. The chorus is essentially a list of Southern states, and after Alabama he sings “Roll Tide, Roll”.
"Only the strong survive, but the strong still get their ass whipped." -Nick Saban
Trace Adkins: “Ala-Freakin’-Bama”
Also, Harry Crews’s A Feast of Snakes includes references to Bear Bryant and Alabama football.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 7:15 AM CDT reply actions
Trace Adkins?

Enough said.
"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself." -- Milton Friedman
by outsidethesidelines on Jul 20, 2010 7:25 AM CDT up reply actions
The only good thing he ever did...
…was the “”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjdpSQD2bns" target="new">One Hot Mama" video. Do yourself a favor and watch it with the sound off, though.
Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.
I seem to remember roughly a decade ago
before Dave Chappelle became ungodly famous, he did a few skits as a correspondent on the streets for Jay Leno and the Tonight Show. On one skit, they sent him to the red carpet of some country music award show. He made an ass of himself interviewing musicians until Trace Adkins walked up. He asked “what happens if some rival cowboys roll up here for a drive-by?” Trace, not knowing who he was, responded, “I’m not worried, I’m always packing” and appeared to be completely serious.
"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"This is not the end. This is the beginning." - The Great and Powerful Saban
by Thomas Walker Esq on Jul 20, 2010 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions
Like him or not. They sing “Roll Tide” in the song. It’s basically props to Alabama the state and Alabama the team. It’s hard to hate on.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 7:43 AM CDT reply actions
I saw Robert Randolph and the Family Band...
..at the Alabama Theatre and they all came out in Bama jerseys (some football, some basketball), which I thought was really awesome, but it probably alienated a big chunk of the crowd. Oh well.
RollBamaRoll.com - Also check out my music blog: Hear the World, which is exploring the music of BULGARIA in July 2010.
I saw Shania Twain...
…at the BJCC (I got free tickets, so shut your whore mouth) and she came out for the encore wearing a Bama jersey. Needless to say, all the Auburn fans began booing and the confused look on her face was priceless. This was in the middle of the unfortunate streak, too (’06), so it was endlessly amusing that even during a time of utter dominance no one associates Auburn with the state.
Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.
lulz super gey
if you preempted that with “the night before I woke up with Shania Twain” then you would have been fine. This also works with Jessica Simpson and Beyonce.
However, you cannot start a story with “the night before I woke up with Celine Dion”. That is still, technically, super gay.
I voted for Kleph and all I got was this lousy t-shirt
by BamaReturns07 on Jul 20, 2010 9:02 AM CDT up reply actions
I see what you did there
I voted for Kleph and all I got was this lousy t-shirt
by BamaReturns07 on Jul 20, 2010 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions
2002-2007
hereby referred to as ‘the unfortunate streak’
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
Got to love...
Robert Randolph and the family band. I first saw them in 2003 in Chicago when they were opening for the Allmans. I had never heard of them, but they stole the show that night. Amazing band. I’ve seen them a dozen or so times since then.
that show was awesome
every time i’ve seen him in this state, they’ve all sported bama gear. They were rocking Steelers gear in Tennessee
"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"This is not the end. This is the beginning." - The Great and Powerful Saban
by Thomas Walker Esq on Jul 20, 2010 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Drive-By Truckers: “The Three Great Alabama Icons” from Southern Rock Opera (great album btw) mentions the Bear (the other two icons are Ronnie Van Zant and George Wallace)
“There’s few things more loved in Alabama than football and the men who know how to win at it. So when the Bear would come to town there’d be a parade.”
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 8:35 AM CDT reply actions
Being pals with
DBT (mostly Jason)..I know most of those guys know where their heart is.
"...because you've got your mind right, and that's the way we like it." Nick Saban
I had tickets to see them in Starkville but they cancelled. I think I’m gonna go see them in Malmö, Sweden this fall. I’m a huge fan of theirs – both with and without Jason Isbell.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Jason's a good guy...
but, if ever given the opportunity to hang out with them, be prepared to drink JD…and I mean drink, man…they were at Mudbugs and Music here in the ’Ham ..when they were done, Jimbo,Jason and I got pretty loaded.
"...because you've got your mind right, and that's the way we like it." Nick Saban
Not at all about Bama
but I love It must have been the roses written by Robert Hunter, music by Jerry Garcia, performed by Grateful Dead. Mentions tide rolled, roses, and crimson ribbons.
I wouldn't piss off the boys from Alabama . . . DBT
Apparently Forrest Gump goes without saying,
since it went without saying. And that’s all I have to say about that. ;)
Despite Tim Mcgraw giving us love in his new song...he is a lsu fan and makes a disgusted face in his video when he has to mention us so I cannot really jam as much knowing he is a craw craw corn dog face.
"Sympathy has expired Longhorns" WallaceWade04
"We are certainly not worried about Alabama until we play them" Urban Meyer
"We should have known" Pete Carroll
by The Voice of Reason on Jul 20, 2010 10:28 AM CDT reply actions
and yes I did go there ATVS.....Craw Craw Corn Dog Face!
"Sympathy has expired Longhorns" WallaceWade04
"We are certainly not worried about Alabama until we play them" Urban Meyer
"We should have known" Pete Carroll
by The Voice of Reason on Jul 20, 2010 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions
He doesn’t really “have” to mention us. I’m pretty sure he has the authority to change the lyrics of a song he records. Either way, there’s a lot of sense in mentioning the Tide rather than any other Southern team.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Not sure if you buy a song you can just change the lyrics without the authors consent? Lawyers?
Besides how funny would it be if it said Les Miles Won it ? Geaux Tigers?
Most Valuable Participant 2009
You may be right but I think McGraw could convince most songwriters to let him change it. Him singing it guarantees royalties and recognition. Anyway, I think it makes sense to mention the Tide. It’s pretty easy to make the case that they’re the team of the South and the song references people who were important to the South and not just their respective home states.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 4:04 PM CDT up reply actions
and he makes a cross with his fingers...
haven’t liked him since.
by TexasTideGirl on Jul 20, 2010 3:33 PM CDT up reply actions
In the movie Sweet Home Alabama...
The dog’s name is Bear.
Yes, I’ve seen the movie… a lot… I like girls and girls like this movie, so by convention, I’ve had to watch this movie. WHAT OF IT?
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
Sad that I know this...
…but the dog named “Bear” is never in the movie because he died while Reese Witherspoon was in New York, and the dog he has when she comes back is named “Bryant”
Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.
It’s pretty sweet. She says “Bear” and he immediately after says “Bryant”. Gotta love it.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions
new dog was named Bryant.....thats why he said that .....the old dog had died that looked similar and was named bear....sorry you may have understood that but your comment seemed confused.
Most Valuable Participant 2009
Yeah, I got that. I was just pointing out that the way they say it, it sounds like they say “Bear Bryant.” It comes across as one name – not Bear and Bryant but just Bear Bryant. That’s what I failed at explaining.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Fag check...
you failed!
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
I love that movie!
Of course, I’m a girl.
by TexasTideGirl on Jul 20, 2010 3:35 PM CDT up reply actions
I love it too!!
If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!"
Bear Bryant
too bad it was filmed in Georgia,
as was Forest Gump, Crazy in Alabama, and Talladega Nights was in NC. Damn our state government and its refusal to offer tax credits to anyone but automotive companies.
"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"This is not the end. This is the beginning." - The Great and Powerful Saban
by Thomas Walker Esq on Jul 20, 2010 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Shit...
…keep offering those automotive plants all the credits they want, we could use a Toyota plant, too.
Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.
didn't mean "don't offer any more car people"
meant “let the movies get some too, this state needs all the new jobs and good exposure it can get”
"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"This is not the end. This is the beginning." - The Great and Powerful Saban
by Thomas Walker Esq on Jul 20, 2010 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions
as a caveat,
Big Fish was filmed in Alabama, but it features Auburn so who give a shit?
"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"This is not the end. This is the beginning." - The Great and Powerful Saban
by Thomas Walker Esq on Jul 20, 2010 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions
Slayer, as I recall...
Serinity in Murder mentions “crimson tide” but I think they were talking about something else…
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
That TV show Coach
I’m pretty sure i remember them playing Alabama in a bowl game in Hawaii.
I'm in no condition to drive...wait! I shouldn't listen to myself, I'm drunk.
by That Other Dave on Jul 20, 2010 12:09 PM CDT reply actions
and they won....
i call BS!!!!!!!
"You stay bought into it when you see your opponent sucking air and physically failing and you're still fit and ready and you know you own his ass."- Corey Reamer speaking about Coach Cochran
Come on man, they were coached by Craig T. Nelson who was pretending to be Hayden Fry. You can’t beat that.
There is fire at the travel agency.
by ReadingRambler on Jul 20, 2010 7:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Sorry, keep remembering...
Black Sabbath mentions crimson tide in Country Girl. Could have some relation there…
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
How about...
…the movie “Crimson Tide” from 1995 with Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington? Not a bad flick.
Yeah...
Movies: Crimson Tide (I really dug up an obscure reference there) has that awesome scene they used to show on the jumbotron with “GO BAMA! ROLL TIDE!”
But you’re definitely right. That whole movie, including the soundtrack, is awesome.
BJ and the Bear, circa 1980
If I remember the back story correctly, the protagonist hero trucker named his companion monkey/orangutan/marmaset/whatever the hell it was “The Bear” because of how much thoughts of Coach Bryant helped him hold it together while he was a prisoner of the NVA, or something like that.
Being good has nothing to do with it, Mikey. They choose your name randomly out of the phonebook.
Who can forget
Gary Busey as the Bear?

"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"This is not the end. This is the beginning." - The Great and Powerful Saban
by Thomas Walker Esq on Jul 20, 2010 12:53 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I think everybody wishes they could forget it.
RollBamaRoll.com - Also check out my music blog: Hear the World, which is exploring the music of BULGARIA in July 2010.
I've got the original movie poster
Gotta remember the bad with the good
"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"This is not the end. This is the beginning." - The Great and Powerful Saban
by Thomas Walker Esq on Jul 20, 2010 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions
i don't
even think Gary Busey remembers being Gary Busey.
"You stay bought into it when you see your opponent sucking air and physically failing and you're still fit and ready and you know you own his ass."- Corey Reamer speaking about Coach Cochran
JoePa: starring Nic Cage?
There is fire at the travel agency.
by ReadingRambler on Jul 20, 2010 7:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Wait, no. Al Pacino.
There is fire at the travel agency.
by ReadingRambler on Jul 20, 2010 7:34 PM CDT up reply actions
THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
There is fire at the travel agency.
by ReadingRambler on Jul 20, 2010 7:31 PM CDT up reply actions
harry dean stanton was in it?
i have to see it then. HDS is the best character actor of all time.
The beauty of The Process is that you have never arrived, so you get to continue being perpetually awesome... -Espyonage
by tempebamafan on Jul 21, 2010 3:42 AM CDT up reply actions
Ali G and...
…“Play it All Night Long” by Warren Zevon, although the song doesn’t reference the team, just the state.
hey missed this when I was reading through comments
I posted the same thing further down about Brüno.
actual serious question here...
there’s a black and white movie from the 30s or 40s that is a romantic comedy if i’m not mistaken. there’s a character in it, the uncle of the female lead i think, who is this HUGE alabama fan. he’s always wearing sweaters with the “A” on it and talking about the team. i saw it years ago (and may not have all the details right) but cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was.
if anyone has any idea what this might be, i’d really like to know.
Roll 'Bama Roll: The Champagne of 'Bama Blogs.
One of Hitchcock's lesser works...
…Mr. and Mrs. Smith has someone tell one the other characters something like “why you were one of the finest halfbacks Alabama ever produced!”
Roll Bama Roll - The Champagne of Bama Blogs.
i hated that movie...
totally lame…No way a little girl could stop Brad Pitt like that..and plus…they never ran out of bullets…total BS.
"You stay bought into it when you see your opponent sucking air and physically failing and you're still fit and ready and you know you own his ass."- Corey Reamer speaking about Coach Cochran
UM HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF ALFRED HITCHCOCK
Or do you assume Hitchcock is just a Will Smith movie. You can’t just assume you know what you are talking about when you read stuff and decide be a big wise guy.
Todd was referencing a movie by one of the greatest directors ever, not the cringe-inducing, box-office ttripe of past ten years you were referring to, but I guess that’s all you know…. Go watch something pre-1993 teenie bopper.
/s
But seriously, this post is bait for some wiseguy to think he is giving you a lecture. I’m glad that hasn’t happened.
isn't there an Iron bowl reference in the original Ocean's Eleven from 1960?
"Yeah, it's Tennessee, that's the way it is sometimes." - Corey Zickefoose, Pulitzer Prize winner and robbery victim
"This is not the end. This is the beginning." - The Great and Powerful Saban
by Thomas Walker Esq on Jul 20, 2010 2:23 PM CDT reply actions
Show me the way to the next whiskey bar...
“Alabama Getaway” by the Grateful Dead
“Alabama Song” by the Doors
"High standards come from passion within...." --Coach Nick Saban
by NiceLittleSaturday on Jul 20, 2010 2:51 PM CDT reply actions
Why don't these songs count?
Bama Anthem" by 63 Boyz and “Sweet Home Alabama” by B.A.M.A. are really cool songs.
Hah
I didn’t mean to make it sound like there were rules to this. All I meant was that stuff like those songs, songs created FOR the football team and fans are kind of a given. So is “Rammer Jammer” and “Yea, Alabama.” I enjoy both of those songs immensely, especially Bama Anthem.
And rap song by Kosha (“Ala-Freakin’-Bama”): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxgWza9xHRw
and Pat and AWOL (“Alabama Crimson Tide Rap”): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEYjBvxajF0
63 Boyz’s song is the best one though.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 20, 2010 4:59 PM CDT reply actions
I think Clancy may have mentioned Bama once or twice since Clancy is always looking for more words to put in his books.
There is fire at the travel agency.
The Gator Boys (Boyz?)
had a song a few years ago called “Bama Anthem.” I’m not sure if you can download it, but if you want it I can provide a copy. It’s pretty catchy.
-D.
No Groucho Marx?
I know it’s not specifically “Crimson Tide” but I remember in “Animal Crackers” how he tells the story of hunting the elephant in his pajamas (how it got in his pajamas, we’ll never know) and how the tusks were hard to remove…it would be easier in Alabama, ’cause in Alabama the Tuscaloosa (“tusks-are-looser”).
Yes, I live in Starkville...WHO did I piss off in a past life?
by Queen Hoka-Hotty-Toddy on Jul 21, 2010 3:16 PM CDT reply actions
I remember, and love,
the Marx Brothers…Groucho was an original curmudgeon!
"...because you've got your mind right, and that's the way we like it." Nick Saban
TV
Just remembered when Brüno interviewed Shaud Williams. I enjoyed that because he tried to make Shaud show his ass, but he handled it really well.
In the movie there’s a guy with an Alabama hat. He’s not exactly making us proud though.
"We knew we had to turn it up or we would get beat. We ripped the knob off. We turned it up so much we broke the knob." - Roy Upchurch after beating Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game
by bearbryantwonit on Jul 21, 2010 6:03 PM CDT up reply actions

by 

















