Tessie

In Boston, the only thing bigger than the Dropkick Murphys’ street punk and bagpipes sound is the Fenway Park’s Green Monster. So it’s fitting that the group united with the Red Sox for this rousing team pep song. According to lore, the team’s formative years were made louder by the presence of a particularly rowdy group of supporters at every game. And when the then Boston Pilgrims won the inaugural World Series in 1903, some said it was these “Royal Rooters”‘ regaling of their hometown boys — and dogging of the competition — by singing the Broadway number “Tessie” that helped Boston win the day. The Dropkicks have reworked the song for a new generation of fans, giving it their trademark punkish punch and a whole lot of throwback bagpipe. The liners even say that somewhere in the gang vocal backups are the voices of Sox players Johnny Damon, Bronson Arroyo, and Lenny Dinardo, not to mention team VP Dr. Charles Steinberg, ex-Buffalo Tom hero Bill Janovitz, and Red Sox beat writer (and song co-writer) Jeff Horrigan. – Johnny Loftus