The Making of an Epic Remake

During the third round of the NHL playoffs, after game two, a number of Jets fans were feeling rather glum about the loss. I had been working with Winnipeg Harvest, dressed up as the Tiger Lily Fairy, "Whiteout Edition," the two hours previous to the game and stuck around for the street party, where I sat on one of the concrete benches in the family section behind the Millenium Library in downtown Winnipeg. I watched the game on a huge big screen which was showing the CBC broadcast of the Jets/Knights game, alongside a lot of families who appreciated a family friendly cosplayer spending their time with them. Truth be told, I hate drunks, and knew none were allowed in this area. But the people there recognized me from a brief interview I did after the viewing party held in Bell MTS Place, when the Jets won over the Predators in game seven in the second round.

Needless to say, even after that game, there were a few of the fans wanting to talk with me, get photos with me, monstrously hug me.... But the truest and nicest interaction I had with a fan was on the bus ride home, where I spoke to a lady who wasn't impressed with one of the parody/adapted songs that had already been created.

Flippantly, I replied, "I could likely do one to the tune of 'Eye of the Tiger'!"

Her eyes sparkled, and she asked me, "Could you really do that?"

(Inside I am thinking "Should've kept your big yappy mouth shut, Mousie!")

I nodded, and said, "I'd likely call it something like 'Eye of the Sniper'!" and progressed to improvise a couple of lines to it and sang those on the bus.

I honestly thought they sucked, but she stared at me, and seriously asked me "Do you think you could get something done before the NEXT game?!"

At this point, I shook my head as I am also a university student, and am completing some classes over and beyond my degree in film right now (a 2000 word essay is due with one and a ten minute completed short film is due with the other!). Instead, I told her, "I might be able to get it done before game 4, but it won't be perfect!"

"Who cares? It's the thought that counts, right?" was her eager response.

I hopped off the bus, walked home to my place, and pondered her words.

As Eye of the Tiger is a song I regularly kill in karaoke, I know the tune of it fairly well. To that end, once I changed out of my full-length gown, I sat up on my bed, cross-legged, and wrote out some lyrics that night. A friend did try and help me shoot the video showing me singing the following day, but as I had not yet recorded the song to have playing as playback, the lip syncs failed titanically.

In fact, the song was recorded the day of Game 4 in the Media Arts lab recording booth at the University of Manitoba. Should I ever have the opportunity to re-record it with others to help me, and with the time to really mix it down with the best takes of my singing the lyrics to my little parody song, I would jump at the chance.

The lyrics were written with longevity in mind. I knew the Jets were facing a fairly strong team (who were receiving a lot of breaks in terms of the refs turning a blind eye at certain plays!) so there was no way I was going to date the lyrics by mentioning any of the players on the roster by name. I did the opposite... made sure that nobody by name was mentioned, rather there were references made to things happening in the Jets playoff run which will more than likely happen again next year, and the years to come.

I used clips from several games this season (including the one I wrote about earlier on here), and wherever possible, put the clips in where they matched up with the lyrics. My one regret is not getting a copy of the clip where one of the defensemen grabbed two of the Vegas players by the scruff of their necks and yanked them away from the fray to use to go along with the line of the d-men being tough, but there's always later, once I finish up my university projects.

Someday I hope to do a better vocal recording of this song, as there had been a lot of grass fires around Winnipeg at that time and the smoke had really frakked up my throat. I know I could do a better job at singing, and I know I'd never win a Juno award with the recording as it stands. But the idea, really, was to get something out there to get the fans in a more positive state, and perhaps even some of the players if any of them happened to come across it.

It was all about raising the spirits of the players and the fans.