Battle of the Ballads
This Saturday, at the 142nd Kentucky Derby, the Churchill Downs crowd will sing "My Old Kentucky Home" as it has for 95 years. Twenty-two days later, about 120 miles to the north, another crowd will sing "Back Home Again in Indiana" at the 100th Indianapolis 500. Here's how the two songs stack up.
[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
"My Old Kentucky Home" | "Back Home Again in Indiana" | |
1853 | Published | 1917 |
Stephen Foster | Writer | Ballard MacDonald and James F. Hanley |
Abolitionism: Foster, a Pittsburgh native, was inspired by Uncle Tom's Cabin | What's it about? | Nostalgia: Hanley was from Indiana, MacDonald was not. |
1921, when Kentucky-bred horse Behave Yourself won and the song was played in celebration | Tradition origin | 1946, when then Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony Hulman first asked James Melton to sing it |
Louisville Cardinals Marching Band | Backup | Indianapolis Children's Choir |
None, just the band | Lead singer | Jim Nabors, 36 times between 1972 and 2014; The Voice winner Josh Kaufman this year |
A big bold hat | Headphones | Headphones |
THEY SAID IT
"I'LL NEVER GROW UP."
John Daly
The golfer, who turned 50 on April 28, answering a question about how he's changed as he prepares for his Champions tour debut, at the Insperity Invitational on May 6.
SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE
A die-hard Green Bay fan is marrying a woman named Packer and taking her last name.
PHOTO
EBAY (PACKERS DECORATION)
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HORSEPHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES (HORSE)
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COURTESY OF HONDA PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT (CAR)
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MARIANNA MASSEY/GETTY IMAGES (DALY)