“Raise Up” and the Search for the Carolina Hurricanes’ Goal Song

Two weeks ago, I talked about the offseason that changed the Carolina Hurricanes for the better in 2018. The franchise saw some incredible changes, but one detail that I unintentionally left out was the search for the ultimate goal song.

A team’s goal song is one of the most critical aspects of the ultimate fan experience. The objective is to find a song that the fans can cheer or sing along to after watching their team put the puck in the back of the net. There are so many polarizing songs that you associate with specific teams, whether it’s “Chelsea Dagger” for the Chicago Blackhawks or, one of my personal favorites, “You Make My Dreams” by Hall and Oates for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Under the new ownership, the franchise put it up to the fans to determine which song would play after a Carolina Hurricanes’ goal, posting a poll on social media with eight choices.

Those eight songs were “Jump Around” by House of Pain, “Lithium” by Nirvana, “Party Up” by DMX, “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin, “Uprising” by Muse, “Raise Up” by Petey Pablo, an updated version of “Brass Bonanza, the goal song of the Hartford Whalers for a while, and “The Nights” by Avicii, the goal song for the team at the time.

After a few months of voting, the fans had spoken, picking “Raise Up” as the team’s next goal song. It was the perfect choice for a team based in North Carolina, albeit a unique one. Greenville-born Petey Pablo’s track feels like a love song to his home state. It’s also one of the only hip-hop goal songs in the entire league.

While I don’t have the receipts to confirm this, I don’t believe “Raise Up” was my first choice. Knowing me five years ago, I probably picked either “Party Up” or “Lithium,” and while Seattle now uses Nirvana’s track, I still think the late DMX’s song would make a fantastic goal song, and I feel that way every time I hear it when I see a game at PNC Arena.

My taste in music should not be the deciding factor in determining whether or not it’s the best song from the original choices. It is nice to have “Brass Bonanza” grace our ears twice a season to celebrate the Whalers, but I’m not sure I could hear it for every home game.

For what the team is going for, “Raise Up” is a great choice and arguably the right one. I also appreciate that Tom Dundon and the front office wanted the fans to choose it because, in the end, we’re the ones that are going to care about it more than the players will. That mindset is part of why the franchise has been as successful as it has been in recent years.

So, if you feel so inclined to do so today, take some time, and listen to the song. Also, don’t feel ashamed to take your shirt off, twist it ’round your head, and spin it like a helicopter.