See if you can decipher the below song lyrics, and then tell me what they have to do with our Pistons.
We’re heading for Venus and still we stand tall
Cause maybe they’ve seen us and welcome us all
With so many light years to go and things to be found
I’m sure that we’ll all miss her so.from Europe’s “The Final Countdown”
“WTF?,” you say. Not exactly lyrics that inspire thoughts of Dee-troit basketball, huh? But let me assure you that this 80’s classic is as “Piston” as the Palace, the “Bad Boys”, Blaha, or Mason. For those that don’t recognize the song by name, it is the unlikely source of the familiar, chill-inducing synthesizer riff that plays during Mason’s (and Marco’s) Piston introductions, as well as during crunch time of any regular season or playoff game at the Palace.
Those fans unfortunate to have come of age in the dreaded “teal era” may not know much of the song’s history; that this song served as the soundtrack for titles one and two on Four Championship Drive. And when Joe D gained control of the Piston front office in 2000, it didn’t take long for him to bring it back along with several of the team’s championship ties (including the original Piston colors). For some–me included–the return of “The Final Countdown” and the championship memories it evokes was almost as significant as the return of the red, white, and blue.
And in the first season back in their championship colors, the Jerry Stackhouse and Ben Wallace-led Pistons clinched their first Central Division title since the Championship season of ‘89-90. As the players celebrated on the court, the song was blared over the PA system to the delight of the then recently-suffering Piston faithful.
Sadly it seems the significance of this hair-band classic is lost on some. Out-of-towners definitely don’t understand the fetish….though the Pacers and 76ers, amongst others have been known to dust off the track once in a while, and the Chicago Bulls have continued to use “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project, the same 80s track played during the Jordan era. Most are clueless of the song’s championship powers, evidenced by this question asked of ESPN-tool “Buzzmaster” during last year’s finals Game 3 chat:
Scott (NY): Doesn’t “The Final Countdown” as introduction music serve as a bad omen? Seems like there were better choices out there… (ESPN chat)
But more disturbing is the band of Piston bandwagoners bent on “updating” this Piston theme. During the height of Eminem’s popularity, it was suggested by numerous fans on message boards, sports talk radio, etc. that “Lose Yourself” (from the ‘8 Mile’ soundtrack) should replace Europe as the Piston anthem. And while that song has the beats and the Detroit origins to represent the boys in blue, it suffers from a lack of Piston pedigree.
What these late-comers fail to understand is that “The Final Countdown” isn’t just a gimmick from the Bad Boys era; it has become a unique part of the new-school Piston experience, blending seamlessly with Mason’s modern announcing style and the playoff pyrotechnics. The Free Press listed “hearing The Final Countdown” as one of their favorite experiences at the Palace, one that still gives them chills. And Piston fans have continued to embrace the song in different ways, no-doubt contributing to it being one of the more downloaded cell-phone ringtones. 
And, amongst numerous similar examples, the song serves as a backdrop for this Piston fan’s MySpace page and provides a soundtrack for this fan’s ingenious flash movie.
In short, yes–Europe is a hair band. Yes, “The Final Countdown” lyrics babble incoherently about a band of 80s rockers leaving behind Earth for Venus (again, WTF?). And yes, any one of us could have banged out that little synth riff on our Casio keyboards as kids. But who cares? The song has transcended its humble beginnings to become a symbol of all that is right and good with the world (i.e., the Pistons).
So let it be.
Lyrics to “The Final Countdown” [Lyricsandsongs.com]
Going Retro: Detroit Pistons [NBA.com]
Pistons 105, Hawks 99 recap (April 8, 2002) [ESPN]
100 things we love about the Palace [Detroit Free Press]
Piecereine’s MySpace Page [MySpace]
Detroit Pistons movie [Stick Figure Death Theatre]
The Final Countdown [Wikipedia]
I knew this was an Ian Cameron post before I read who the writer was. Just so you know, Ian knows EVERYTHING about all songs, artists, etc. from the 80s (the 90s and 00s for that matter). Go ahead, ask him anything — and he will probably sing all the words for you too.
So obviously, Ian has downloaded the final countdown ringtone…but I’m curious…how many other faithful are out there?
Those lyrics don’t make sense? Sure they do — they’re the Interplanetary Pistons!
i have only been a REAL pistons fan since mid-season last year. i had a huge dislike of grant hill for some reason and it took me a while to get over it, but i am sooo glad that i did….i did watch the old pistons with dumars and isiah. i love these guys like i’ve known them my whole life lol
i actually have the countdown song downloaded on my laptop and always get goosebumps when i hear it…
i’m glad we use that song, to me it represents the passion of the current pistons.
I always thought it was funny when they first started using it, growing up in the Late 80’s and remembering when the song first came out, but now instead of it’s cheese factor, I think Pistons Pride. In fact I get pretty pissed off when i hear it played in other arenas.
I do have it as a ringtone and I always make sure I am at the game early enough to hear it played under the intro’s. It gets me revved for the battle. I am on my way to the game right now and you can count on me standing up and screaming when I hear the first synthesized notes.
“The Free Press listed “hearing The Final Countdown” as one of their favorite experiences at the Palace, one that still gives them chills.”
It does! Every time! And it brings back memories of the Bad Boys every time I hear it, too. Love it.
Dunno if you guys have seen this. Check out the music section…my favorite is the Bad Boys remix.
http://www.markromeo.com
I am trying to find a song and artist from the late 80’s. It’s a hair band/ hard rock. I haven’t heard this song in about 17 years, but I have it on a mix tape. It kinda sounds like Y&T, or somebody like that.
The main chorus goes:
I believe in you, do you believe in me
hearts runnin’ with the night,
tell me how you feel, can I make you see,
lies cryin’ to your light,
cause I belive in you, do you believe in me.
A few other lines go from what I can tell,
I open my arms,
told you how it felt from the very start,
I’m wishing on a lucky star.
Tim,
You’re thinking of Only Child’s “I Believe in You,” off their 1990 self-titled album. Here’s a link to Amazon. For more info, you may want to try Googling “Only Child” and “Paul Sabu,” the lead singer.
Thanks Matt, I’ll give it a try
Matt,
you are a genius. I’ve been trying to find that song for years.
How can I ever thank you
Hey, I know this is a pistons blog but I was watching the finals last night and need to know about a song, does anyone know the name of the song the Mavs used for their starting lineup last night? Not the big rock one, but the one that had more bass to it, it’s from the 80s I think and can’t get the name of it anywhere. If someone can help me I’d appreciate it, to hear it click on the video for the Mavs lineup from last night on the Mavs’ website. Thanks!