America's Cup Songs

AC 32, or at least the competition to select the challenger, is shaping up to be a fascinating tussle. Wins by both underdogs yesterday, and questions are already being asked about the supposed boat speed advantage of the Americans and the skills of various superstar tacticians and helmsmen.

But one thing is missing. What is the song of the 32nd America's Cup?

The song of the 1983 Cup was clearly Men At Work's Land Down Under which was used as a theme song by the crew of Australia ll. Whatever you think of the song it certainly worked for Australia ll in their historical win.

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich
And he said,

"I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover."

Then in 1987 Jimmy Buffett wrote a "fight song" for the Stars & Stripes Challenge to win back the Cup from the Australians in Fremantle. Take It Back was played for the first time as the boat was towed out to the racecourse and eventually made it to JB's boxed set Boats, Beaches, Bars and Ballads.

We aint stealin were just takin back
Very simple plan of attack
Its our job and a labor of love
Take it home to the up above
We aint stealin were just takin back
Very simple statement of fact
Call it pillage or call it plunder
Were takin it back from them boys down under

In a slightly different vein, Tom Paxton's The Day We Lost the America's Cup is hilarious in lampooning the importance (or lack thereof) of yacht racing to most folk. One of the characters of the song is clearly so cut up about the New York YC losing the cup that he even wonders if we lost the saucer too.


So what is the song of AC 32? Do any of the teams have a rousing fight song? Inquiring minds demand to know.