Off to war: A playlist for the Olympics

There is no denying man’s thirst for competitio. It is in our nature to aspire for greatness, and we will go through hell and back to savor triumph.

Since its inception, the Olympics has been the world’s grandest competitive stage — the Wembley Stadium of concerts, if you will. It is the new battlefield of our times.

This is where wars are now fought, and substance and worth are realized. We can easily declare that the Olympic games are where wars are fought for the sake of world peace.

In the midst of the Beijing games, I’ve prepared a playlist to commemorate the Olympics and all that it embodies.

Brotherhood, camaraderie, sacrifice, pride… All for glory, all for the country!

Off to war… for peace we go!

The Beautiful People - Marilyn Manson

Olympians are a rare breed. The best of the best. Beautiful people, they certainly are. This amazing track kicks off the playlist with a bang. It has just enough aggressiveness to get us all hyped up — maybe even as much as the athletes competing in Beijing.           

Starz - Smashing Pumpkins

The enigmatic Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins leader, laments, “Born of love and cast in light, don’t you know we can not die... we are stars, we are, stars that shine, stars that bleed, silver seeking destiny.” Very appropriate for Olympic heroes who posses God-like qualities, yet are humanized in defeat.          

In Your Honor - Foo Fighters

It’s a full-bore, bone-crushing tune that hits home. Dave Grohl, former Nirvana drummer exclaims, “Mine is yours, and yours is mine, I will sacrifice, in your honor I will die tonight, for you to feel alive.” If this song doesn’t make you want the gold, I don’t know what will.    

Dream On - Aerosmith

I could’ve easily gone the Queen/Freddy Mercury route. Some friends even suggested so. But, I decided to go with Steven Tyler and his boys. Dream On is an inspiring song that tells us how we should overcome our struggles in order to achieve our dreams. Sounds easy enough to do right? Well, that all depends on how big your fighting heart is. Even the song isn’t easy to sing, ask the throngs of American Idol contestants who got booted out by attempting to sing it. Tsk, tsk.

Hands Across The Sea -  Modern English

Okay, okay… I’ll lighten up a bit. The playlist needs some breathing space anyway. Here’s an old track from the ’80s by a band that captured our ears and hearts in the movie Valley Girl with the song Melt With You. This less popular and obscure track Hands Across The Sea certainly doesn’t disappoint, either. And, how can we go wrong with a title that professes brotherhood and captures the spirit of the Olympics. “Come with me, close your eyes and touch what meets you there, reaching out, stretch your hands across the sea…”

Visions Of China - Japan

The very essence of this song reminds the listener of a war march, and in a very Asian manner at that. The title, of course, is self explanatory, and quite obvious. Japan’s front man, David Sylvian, has an unmistakable voice, deep, dark, and is laced with just enough torment. This is another obscure new wave tune from the ’80s that deserves a comeback.    

Achilles Last Stand - Led Zeppelin

Okay, this is the mighty Led Zep we’re talking about here. The Michael Jordan of all rock bands. The band from which all wannabes are compared. The chosen track from the album Presence is Achilles Last Stand. It pounces on you like a wild panther on sugar.  Plant’s haunting lyric accompanied by Bonzo’s remarkable time, Jones’ thumping, and Page’s killer riffs just make this song the perfect call-to-arms score. Its arrangement brings forth a new emotion at every turn. You can just imagine galloping horses ridden by warriors with drawn swords, one of them screams at the top of his lungs… “I Am William Wallace!!!” Beautiful.           

Jump In The Fire - Metallica

This album is probably the schematic used by all metal-heads out there. Released back in 1983, Kill ‘Em All is primordial, yet intricate and full of melodic overtures. The track Jump In The Fire invites the listener to join in on the fracas and let all hell break loose. Unrelenting, this song is the equivalent of a racecar turned athlete, going for the gold. Feel the rush!

I Don’t Wanna Stop Ozzy Osbourne

“All my life I’ve been over the top, I don’t know what I’m doing, all I know is I don’t wanna stop… All fired up, I’m gonna go till I drop, you’re either in or in the way, don’t make me, I don’t wanna stop,” wails the legendary metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, just like an aging banshee still up for one more fight. Most athletes can only dream of this kind of longevity and perseverance.           

Original Fire - Audioslave

“Golden soldiers, born much older then they’ll ever live to be, diving into a sea of hands in a long forgotten city, here the rain falls forever after the strangled vines hang dead in rafters, the blood rushed into your head induces laughter endlessly, the original fire has died and gone, but the riot inside moves on” sings Chris Cornell, Audioslave and Soundgarden vocalist, and one of my favorite lyricists. I’ll leave these lines for you readers out there to decipher.