Brightside at the Big House

It's become a tradition in and of itself.

The Big House DJ spins the Killers' classic "Mr. Brightside" and the Michigan students take it from there, screaming each and every lyric. Ultimately, the music cuts out. But that doesn't stop the tens of thousands of off-key and inebriated voices from completing the verse/chorus. Often while a big play is happening on the field.

I can trace the roots of this newfound pasttime to the Notre Dame game of 2019. It was during a complete downpour, and the Wolverines were in the late stages of a 45-14 trouncing of the #9 Irish, so the fans still in the stands were eager for some self-created entertainment.

Enter Mr. Brightside. Hardly an arena-rock staple, but a song so familiar to the student body you'd think a recitation of the lyrics were a requirement of admission. The song's melody is a not-so-shameful ripoff of David Bowie's Queen Bitch, as Ziggy's 1971 release Hunky Dory which contains the track was an object of singer Brandon Flowers' obsession. So, not a theft as much as an homage. The content is relatively sad and dark (no "Sweet Caroline" here... bum-bum-bump), the scattered account of a guy smitten with a woman who was already taken, and not so interested in the guy.

So why is it such a popular part of every college football Saturday in Ann Arbor? Good question. The band heard about the ritual last year on twitter and were honored. I think it has something more to do with the uniqueness of adopting a song like this as a rallying cry. Just as they were the first to successfully pull off the stadium-wide "wave" against Iowa back in 1983 (and drawing a delay of game penalty against the Wolverines, to the dismay of Bo Schembechler), they take pride in owning this.

In honor of Mr. Brightside and of the Wolverines' B1G football championship, I created a compilation video of the song being sung by the Michigan faithful during key games of the season, from the 9/11 "White Out" against Washington, all the way to the B1G championship game in Indianapolis. Hope you enjoy it!