‘Commanders Song’ is a viral anthem for a newly optimistic fan base

In the studio, he muttered “Commanders” again and again, hoping to seek out a punchy, catchy phrase to finish the hook. But nothing appeared fairly proper. Eventually, for causes that also mystify him, he blurted out: “Left hand up! Who are we? The Commanders!”

Later, at residence in Capitol Heights, he performed the demo for his spouse, Chaquita. She requested why he had stated “left hand up.” After all, most individuals are right-handed.

“I don’t know,” Woody stated, for the primary of many occasions.

Early on, Woody and his nephew, Wayne Sellers, a 25-year-old safety guard who sings within the third verse, promoted the track on their private social media profiles. Slowly, it gained a wider viewers, and it was largely mocked. But all through the autumn, the sentiment shifted. Clips from the music video they made went viral. Talk-show hosts praised the tune for audiences within the lots of of 1000’s. The Wizards’ DJ spun it at Capital One Arena. An organization created “Left Hand Up” T-shirts for $28 every. Quarterback Taylor Heinicke put his left hand up throughout an interview. Before a recreation this month, the Sellerses tailgated at FedEx Field, and most of the followers streaming by had visceral reactions to the track, taking pictures their left palms into the air or racing over to take selfies.

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The reception has surprised the Sellerses. Normally, Woody’s posts on YouTube get about 100 views. The video for “Commanders Song” lately crossed 107,000.

“I didn’t see that coming,” Woody stated. “Where we at right now, I had no idea. … This is, like, so amazing. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

During the meteoric rise, the Sellerses stated, their dream was for the workforce they’ve cherished their entire lives to play their track at FedEx Field. Recently, the Commanders invited them to carry out it at their subsequent residence recreation, Nov. 27 towards Atlanta.

The Sellerses shall be there. Wayne plans to take the time without work from his seasonal job as a concourse safety guard at FedEx Field.

‘We done crossed over’

The Sellerses characterize a good portion of the Commanders’ fan base that has survived the previous 20 years: the Black neighborhood within the space. Their observe faucets into the nostalgia that has sustained many followers, however it’s greater than a requiem. It gives intergenerational connective tissue for a franchise that has informed followers repeatedly that, regardless of its new title, it’s not an enlargement workforce.

The anthem by no means mentions embattled workforce proprietor Daniel Snyder, and its sole agenda is, as Woody sings, to “tell you something about some good fans.” The outcome is the primary in style piece of grass-roots Commanders tradition.

The rappers bridge the wealthy heritage and sophisticated current with symbolic verses. Woody raps with an end-rhyme, crowd-engaging type in style within the glory days he references of the Hogs, John Riggins, Doug Williams and Joe Gibbs. Wayne is all fashionable, breathy autotune, and although he name-checks the nice hopes of his childhood, Santana Moss and Albert Haynesworth, the longing for success in his time is palpable within the traces: “You know what I want: Super Bowl on my mind. We got three rings, but I think we need nine.”

“I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Yeah, that’s what I wanted it to do,’ ” Woody stated, laughing. “It’s just because that’s my time, that’s my era. I can remember the Super Bowl where [Williams threw for four touchdowns].” He trailed off, misplaced within the reminiscence of watching the sport together with his brother, Wayne’s father, who was shot and killed in 1999. He continued: “I get choked up because it was such a good feeling.”

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In late July, the Sellerses recorded their music video. They rented the Glow Bar/Nexxt-Gen Event Center in Clinton, employed a photographer and videographer and invited about 50 family members and associates. Woody requested the gang to affix in when he rapped, “Left hand up!” and “We want Dallas!” He posted the video to YouTube on Aug. 3.

For the primary few weeks, Woody estimated the video obtained one like for each 10 dislikes. Cowboys followers led the clowning, however Commanders followers joined in. Some feedback have been significantly nasty, however the Sellerses stated they didn’t thoughts.

“I loved it,” Wayne stated. “A troll is going to draw eyes to the song.”

After Washington gained in Week 1, Woody stated, the tone of the feedback began to alter. Each week, there have been extra views and extra followers. On Oct. 4, after a unhealthy loss at Dallas, former NFL punter Pat McAfee performed the track on his in style YouTube present, which has greater than 2 million subscribers. Three producers within the studio sang alongside, placing their left palms up.

Woody’s cellphone began blowing up.

“I said, ‘Uh-oh, this could be big,’ ” Woody recalled. “When I watched that and I seen the guys in the background singing the words, I said, ‘Oh, my goodness.’ ”

In days, the video shot to twenty,000 views, then 30,000, then 40,000. Woody’s Apple Music artists profile confirmed listeners in Switzerland and the Bahamas. He observed the brand new followers weren’t largely Black as that they had been to start with.

“I noticed the people that was really liking it happened to be Caucasian,” Woody remarked. “I said, ‘We done crossed over.’ ”

In the subsequent month, the Commanders went on a three-game profitable streak, and Snyder introduced he was contemplating promoting the workforce. Fans appeared energized, and the Sellerses’ anthem had discovered the appropriate viewers on the proper time. Comments poured in, and a few famous that, although they hated the title “Commanders” at first, the track was warming them to it.

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Eric Sollenberger, a lifelong Washington fan higher generally known as PFT Commenter on Twitter, suspects there are two different causes the track blew up. Its natural origins distinction with the manufactured tradition the group has pushed for years — mirrored even by the title Commanders — and the criticism the track obtained early on galvanized a instantly optimistic fan base.

In the previous few weeks, Sollenberger, who has almost 1 million followers, has develop into arguably the track’s highest-profile champion on-line. He usually lauds good news by tweeting pictures of celebrities and historic figures, from Jesus Christ to George Washington to Miley Cyrus, with their left palms up.

‘I never imagined there was another level’

No matter what occurs subsequent, the Sellerses, stated the track has given them greater than they ever anticipated. And in a manner, it is the fruits of almost 40 years of follow.

In 1983, Woody was within the Army at Fort Hood in Texas when he met a soldier who was at all times DJing in his room. He cherished listening and cherished the artwork of the turntables, and when he met one other DJ whereas deployed in Germany, he resolved to show himself easy methods to be one.

In the late Nineteen Eighties, Woody purchased a small set. It took him about eight hours to determine easy methods to get every little thing attached. Over the subsequent decade, hip-hop grew, and when he watched music movies, he seemed previous the rappers to the turntables. In 1998, he determined to attempt DJing professionally and went to the pawnshop to purchase higher gear. He practiced onerous for about a yr, bombed the primary gig and stored spinning. Over the years, he carved out a facet enterprise, taking part in events and weddings.

“It’s not even about the money,” Woody stated. “Just looking out there, and I got control of 100 people or 200 people or 150 people or 30 people. … That’s very fulfilling for me, just to see people enjoying the music. And then to get the compliments: ‘Do you have a business card?’ Or, ‘We had such a good time.’ I love that. I simply love that.”

In 2019, Wayne had lately returned from school in Arizona, and Woody thought he appeared a little adrift. Wayne labored as a bouncer and at Costco and as a safety guard, spending his free time within the studio rapping, and Woody proposed they do a track collectively. They put their plans on maintain in the course of the two seasons of the Washington Football Team, then resumed within the spring of 2022. What occurred subsequent, Wayne may solely describe as “God’s plan.”

“I never imagined that there was another level of this,” Woody stated. “I just was so happy with where I was at. I didn’t think that this would ever happen.”

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In the Commanders’ facility, Coach Ron Rivera stated he had by no means heard the track. Running again Antonio Gibson stated he had heard from a teammate that “it sucks.” Wide receiver Terry McLaurin stated he had seen social media posts of “the two guys” however was solely vaguely conversant in the track, although he knew it included the road, “Left hand something.”

“That b—- go hard,” security Kam Curl stated, approvingly, and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste nodded. Curl identified the track was “way” higher than one a group of followers used the day of the rebrand, which substituted “Commanders” within the Farmers Insurance jingle. Recently, when left sort out Charles Leno Jr.’s spouse confirmed him the track, he laughed.

“It’s cheesy, but I love it,” he stated. “Left hand up!”