The San Francisco 49ers will host the New Orleans Saints on Saturday at Candlestick Park in the second round of the 2012 NFL playoffs. The Niners have announced via official press release that the Bay Area's favorite sons and most successful band will perform the national anthem. No, not the Grateful Dead. The other one. The "Heart and Soul" of San Francisco.
Yes, that's right, Huey Lewis and the News, the hit machine from the 1980s, will sing the national anthem to celebrate the first 49ers playoff appearance since, seemingly, the 1980s. The last time that Huey Lewis was on national television was when the San Francisco Giants made it to the World Series. The News sang the national anthem then, as well, to the rampant glee of the rest of the country that San Francisco had pulled these geezers out of mothballs. The country looked at this band and said, "I Never Think About You." But here in the Bay Area? Heck, we love these guys. It's like they never left.
Look, maybe it's "Hip to be Square." Maybe San Francisco can't see the "Forest for the Trees." Maybe we're stuck in the past and need to get "Back in Time." But these guys made a lot of really awesome songs back in the day, even though they may seem cheesy now. You could even say that in the 80s, they were "The Heart of Rock and Roll." Their songs really "Stuck With You."
People will be tuning in for the playoff game from all over the country, groaning at Huey Lewis. But say what you will, these guys are "Workin' for a Livin'." Now, "Naturally," they may not be the coolest band in the world anymore, but "Who Cares?" They're "Feeling Alright" about their position in this current pop music landscape, comfortable being the butt of everyone's jokes.
But we hold a special place in our heart for Huey Lewis and the News and we probably always will. I guess that's "The Power of Love."
If you're interested in "Doin' it All for [Your] Baby," and said "baby" is the San Francisco 49ers, please visit Niners Nation.