Steve Perry Would Prefer Dodgers Fans Stop Believing

Journey singer is one unhappy Giants fan

Every time the Dodgers play "Don't Stop Believin'" before the bottom of the eighth inning, money gets dropped into Steve Perry's pocket. The former lead singer of Journey isn't happy about it, though. He hates that the Dodgers use the song because he's a Giants fan who doesn't like that the Dodgers are riding that midnight train right to the postseason.

"It tweaks me to know they're using the song as a rally song. I really wish we'd have hijacked it first. I think the song is about hope and power, and it's working for them, damn it."

No argument that the song is about hope, but power? People with power do not, as a general rule, take the midnight traing going anywhere. They've got stuff to do.

Anyway, the Dodgers didn't hijack it first. They hijacked it eighth or ninth or even later. The White Sox used it in 2005, which bothered Perry enough that he started going to their games, and the Tigers jumped on the bandwagon in 2006. That led to other Detroit (North Detroit, so the fit isn't perfect) teams blasting the song with varying degrees of success. The Lions, for example, were born to sing the blues. Then the song was the last thing heard on the last episode of "The Sopranos" in 2007, and you haven't been able to avoid it for more than a day or two at a time ever since.

That, and not the fact that the Dodgers' rallying cry was written by a Giants fan, is the reason why the Dodgers should find another song. LA's attempt to co-opt it comes off like a typical Hollywood production by melding ideas that lots of other people came up with and trying to spin it off as an original production.

With a couple of exceptions, it's time for everyone to end this. Detroit can be the exception, as they are mentioned in the song. The other allowable exception should be if you're facing the end of your season in the playoffs and things look quite bleak. Then, and only then, should you take solace in the fact that everybody wants a thrill.

We can do better, America. We live in paradise cities where the grass is green and the girls are pretty, we know what it's like to be halfway there and living on a prayer and, by god, we ain't looking for nothing but a good time. So why should we focus only on Journey when fine bands like Foreigner are begging to have their hits belted by 50,000 people drunk on overpriced beer?  

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.

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