After a few hours of hope, the world lost an icon earlier this week when 66-year old music legend Tom Petty died after a heart attack. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were a virtual soundtrack of my teenage years during the lost years of Missouri football.
So for this week's Read & React, I wanted to pay homage to one of my favorite bands of all-time and set the lyrics as a soundtrack to Missouri's football season in what Tiger fans hope isn't the opening act of another lost generation for the Mizzou faithful.
Here's my Petty-led tour of the emotions of Mizzou fans so far this season.
Well yeah I might have chased a couple of women around
All it ever got me was down
Then there were those that made me feel good
But never as good as I feel right now
Baby you're the only one that's ever known how
To make me want to live like I want to live now
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
--The Waiting, 1985
For nine months, we waited. 2015 was disastrous, 2016 wasn't any fun, but nothing breeds optimism like the offseason. The returning guys are gonna be better, the new guys are gonna blow you away and wait till we find that guy you haven't heard of that becomes our next diamond in the rough. This is it, man. This is our year. I know nobody else thinks we're gonna be any good, but damn it, they're wrong. I can't wait till this season starts.
Well, I won't back down
No, I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
No, I'll stand my ground
Won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
Gonna stand my ground
--I Won't Back Down, 1989
Yeah, so Missouri State scored 43 points and marched up and down the field like the defense wasn't even out there. So what? We scored 72! And it could have been more. This offense, man. It's gonna be special. Our quarterback, he might be good enough to go pro after this year. And the receivers. Oh, my word, do we have some weapons? Yeah, I know about the defense. We talked about that. Don't worry. It was an FBS team. They just weren't up for it. We got this. It's our year.
Well some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I've started out for God knows where
I guess I'll know when I get there
I'm learning to fly, around the clouds
But what goes up must come down
--Learning to Fly, 1991
Man, that was a tough one. Things were going well. Thought we had it at 10-0. But then we kicked the ball to that Deebo cat. And then we threw a pick. And then they scored again. 30 seconds? Really, that's all it took? Hey, that's all right. This is a young team. They'll get better. And South Carolina, dang, man, I think they might be pretty good. We'll get there. Bump in the road. You expect those with young teams.
I want to make it better baby
Listen, I want to make it good again
Yes I want to make it better girl
Yeah better for you, and me
Baby wait and see
I know it's been a long, long time
But it's gonna be alright
No you mustn't let it drag you down
Honey, there's a lot a fools around
But anything I can do, honey I'm gonna do it for you
--Make it Better, 1985
Purdue? Really? I mean, damn. That was no good. But hey, we're three games in. It's gonna get better. It's GOT to get better. It can't get worse. This is rock bottom. Hang with me here. We're gonna get it going. So we're not gonna win the East. We knew that. No rational person ever thought that. It's early. Still a lot of good things out there.
I wanna glide down over Mulholland
I wanna write her name in the sky
I'm gonna free fall out into nothin'
Gonna leave this world for awhile
And I'm free, free fallin'
Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin'
Yeah I'm free, free fallin'
Free fallin', I'm-a free fallin'
--Free Fallin', 1989
Ouch. That was bad. I mean, that was over after eight minutes. I knew we weren't real good. I knew Auburn was real good. I knew we weren't gonna win. But, damn, I thought maybe we could put up a fight. This might get ugly, guys. I don't know how we pull out of this.
Let me run with you tonight
I'll take you on a moonlight ride
There's someone I used to see
But she don't give a damn for me
But let me get to the point, let's roll another joint
And turn the radio loud, I'm too alone to be proud
You don't know how it feels
You don't know how it feels to be me
--You Don't Know How it Feels, 1994 (Performed by Barry Odom)
Hey, you hear what Coach said after the game? Dude's betting on himself, huh? Told us it was a turnaround.
Baby even the losers
Get lucky sometimes
Even the losers
Keep a little bit of pride
They get lucky sometimes
--Even the Losers, 1979
Who we got this week? Kentucky? Hell, they're not any good either right? They almost lost to Eastern Kentucky. Eastern Michigan too. We got a shot in this one. The boys are starting over. Can't change September. Gotta forget about it. Get out on the road, eliminate the distractions back in CoMo. Here we go. This might be the springboard we need.
That's the season's soundtrack so far. Where's it go from here? We'll know a lot more after Saturday night. Either they'll find some pride and get some results and make something out of the second part of the season or they won't. Let's let Petty take us out. Which one's it gonna be?
It's good to be king, if just for a while
To be there in velvet, yeah, to give 'em a smile
It's good to get high and never come down
It's good to be king of your own little town
Yeah, the world would swing if I were king
Can I help it if I still dream time to time
--It's Good to be King, 1994
Strange voice on the telephone
Tellin' me I better leave you 'lone
Why won't somebody say what's goin' on
Oh, oh, I think I've been through this before
Looks like I've been fooled again
Looks like I'm the fool again
I don't like it, I don't like it
--Fooled Again, 1976
