Nashville is the Music City so there should be some pressure on the club, supporters groups and fans to have at least one if not more of the best chants in MLS. This shouldn’t be too hard. The city is loaded with talent that the club can (and hopefully has) reach out to. The Roadies already have eleven chants listed on their website, but as far as I’m aware none have been professionally done. Like many other MLS clubs a couple are the same ones done for years by USMNT supporter’s group American Outlaws. Specifically, “We Love Ya” and “Come on Nashville (U.S.) Score a Goal”. There is nothing wrong with this. The reason these chants are so common in MLS is that they are familiar to people and catch on easily. I’ve seen the “I Believe” chant used in MLS stadiums as well. For many the best chants are the ones that start organically due to things that happen in the match. For example, “Dos a Cero” started in Columbus because that was the score. If you were in Columbus Crew Stadium back in those days you know the supporter’s section was small (just behind the goal) which makes organic chants easier. By 2013 the supporter’s section had grown so big capos were brought in to try and coordinate cheers. While this makes sense for large stadiums this shouldn’t be needed for Nashville SC. Certainly not in year one with a small stadium and the supporter’s group being three sections.

There is a slight risk that an organic chant might be something MLS or the club dislikes. The most famous of these being fans chanting YSA (You Suck As_hole) on goal kicks. MLS has spent years trying to stop it. The league sent out cease and desist letters to Real Salt Lake and New York Red Bulls supporter’s groups in order to stop it back in 2013. For the record, I have 11 and 13 year old boys. I take them to soccer matches and other sporting events. Shocking, but people curse, people drink and people get rowdy. That’s part of the fun right? The more a club tries to sterilize a stadium the less attractive you make that place for the majority of people who go. Nashville SC has a fan code of conduct which is quite extensive. That along with common sense lets most people know what is clearly crossing the line. Racism, throwing projectiles or physical harassment are clearly wrong and things that should revoke a season ticket holders privileges. I spoke to Ron Deal in Supporter Relations today and the most interesting thing he said was the club doesn’t want to tell fans what to say, but what they can not say. Smart as no one likes being told what to do or what to say.

While it’s too early to say what the cheers will be that catch on and last for the next decade in both First Tennessee Park and the new Fairgrounds stadium, we are the Music City. Nashville should already take credit for starting the greatest soccer song ever written. Yes, The White Stripes, “Seven Nation Army” has been sung by tens of thousands of soccer fans in stadiums throughout the world. Listen to the crowd before the 2016 Euro final below. Perhaps Nashville SC should claim it? Maybe we should get @5jackwhite to write a specific song for his home city? I really hope someone at the club has already reached out to him. Everyone knows “I like it, I love it” by Tim McGraw which is played after every Nashville Predators goal. It should be an easy sell to any musician to come with a chant for Nashville SC. While my personal favorite it doesn’t have to be Jack White, but there should be someone. Should the club lead this effort? The Roadies and The Assembly? Nashville SC Supporters Trust? Maybe a combination of them all? I’m not sure, but I really think this needs to happen. It would be a waste if Nashville SC isn’t one of the top clubs in MLS when it comes chants and songs. We are Nashville, it’s what we do.





