Playing the minors

[sigma7]

So I was playing MLB2K10, particularly its mode that lets you create a player and play as him exclusively through his entire career. Immersive, yes, but I gorfed up my on-base percentage something awful early on in the season (mainly by, well, learning how to play) and didn't get called up to the major league until September, which meant I spent most of the season as a member of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (don't worry, I didn't know they existed, either), a team you've gotta love for their abbreviation -- NWA -- if nothing else. You'd think their in-game music would at least be more entertaining.

Speaking of, someone went to great lengths to license Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" to play during the game, which makes sense only on one very basic level: it's a good song. It's not even slightly appropriate for baseball, and indeed, most of the lyrics are either excised or reverse-distorted to indecipherability, which makes you wonder why they went to the effort to get a song about heroin addiction to play during a professional sports video game anyway.

How bad is it? Let's take a walk through the lyrics and see what makes it into the game....

Here comes Johnny Yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And a flesh machine
He's gonna do another strip tease

Hey man, where'd you get that lotion?
I've been hurting since I bought the gimmick
About something called love
Yeah, something called love
Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens

Well, I'm just a modern guy
Of course, I've had it in the ear before
'Cause of a lust for life
'Cause of a lust for life

I'm worth a million in prizes
With my torture film
Drive a G.T.O.
Wear a uniform
All on government loan

I'm worth a million in prizes
Yeah, I'm through with sleeping on the sidewalk
No more beating my brains
No more beating my brains
With the liquor and drugs
With the liquor and drugs

Well, I'm just a modern guy
Of course, I've had it in my ear before
'Cause, of a lust for life (lust for life)
'Cause of a lust for life (lust for life, oooo)
I've got a lust for life (oooh)
Got a lust for life (oooh)
Oh, a lust for life (oooh)
Oh, a lust for life (oooh)
A lust for life (oooh)
I got a lust for life (oooh)
Got a lust for life

Well, I'm just a modern guy
Of course, I've had it in my ear before
'Cause I've a lust for life
'Cause I've a lust for life.

Well, here comes Johnny Yen again
With the liquor and drugs
And a flesh machine
I know he's gonna do another strip tease

Hey man, where'd ya get that lotion?
Your skin starts itching once you buy the gimmick
About something called love
Oh Love, love, love
Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens.

Well, I'm just a modern guy
Of course, I've had it in the ear before
And I've a lust for life (lust for life)
'Cause I've a lust for life (lust for life)
Got a lust for life
Yeah, a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Oh, a lust for life
Got a lust for life
Yeah a lust for life
I got a lust for life
Lust for life [repeat and fade]

So yeah, not the slightest bit monotonous when you gut it like a fish. And it's still one of the better songs on the soundtrack. Pity importing your own music's not an option.