An acclaimed rock band has released a new song about someone from Syracuse. But who?
Guided By Voices, an indie rock/power-pop group led by singer-songwriter Robert Pollard, dropped its 43rd album, “Thick Rich and Delicious,” on Halloween. One of the singles, titled “Our Man Syracuse,” celebrates a mystery Central New York native.
“Our man Syracuse / And the girls are crying,” Pollard sings.
In an interview with Magnet Magazine, Pollard said the track was “a composite of a bunch of different songs from the last 40 years” of GBV’s music. Pollard wrote the lyrics and sings lead vocals with the Ohio-based band’s guitarists Doug Gillard and Bobby Bare Jr.; drummer Kevin March; and bassist Mark Shue.
“I was finally able to put it together coupled with a lyric that I felt suited its structure perfectly, and so I decided it was ready to go,” Pollard told the publication last month.
But when asked if the lyrics were inspired by a famous Syracuse University alumnus such as Jim Brown, Lou Reed, Carmelo Anthony, Pete Yorn or former President Joe Biden, Pollard said no. The subject is actually a classmate of Pollard’s at Wright State University near Dayton, Ohio.
“He was a big, somewhat heavyset, but very athletic dude with long hair. I think he may have actually played on the varsity volleyball team. He was cool, and they called him ‘Syracuse’ because that’s where he was from,” Pollard told Magnet. “I thought he would make a fine subject for an upbeat pop song about a very popular man with the ladies.”
Who is “Syracuse?”
Pollard attended Wright State in the late 1970s, and played on the college baseball team. He famously threw the first no-hitter in the school’s history in 1978 before graduating from WSU in 1979.
So we know “Syracuse” is someone who attended Wright State in the ‘70s. And he played volleyball.
When syracuse.com | The Post-Standard reached out to the school to find out if anyone from Syracuse was on the men’s volleyball team then, they were stumped. Wright State University dug into its archives and found WSU started a Men’s Varsity Volleyball team in 1977; they went 0-20 in both of their first two seasons (1977-78 and 1978-79).
University Records Manager/Archivist Chris Wydman sent photos and rosters from those two seasons. All but one of the players were from Ohio; the exception was a freshman in ‘79 from Farrell, Pennsylvania. The biggest player was a 6′2″, 195-pound freshman in ‘78 named Bill Hiermer, whose listed hometown was Galloway, Ohio (with “Westland” handwritten next to it; Westland is located about 80 miles from Galloway).
When contacted by syracuse.com, Bob Pollard said he may have been mistaken about the team, but was certain “Our Man Syracuse” played volleyball.
“Sorry about that, I thought he was on the volleyball team. I know he played volleyball on campus. I don’t remember his name,” Pollard said.
So maybe Pollard misremembered some details, or at least took some creative license with the new song.
“We know his name / We know his number / We know his game,” the lyrics state. “And it’s the reason why he came / Yeah, it’s the reason why he came.”
Guided By Voices
Pollard formed Guided By Voices in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. The lineup has changed many times over the years, but notable members in the ‘80s included Bob’s brother, Jim Pollard; Mitch Mitchell; Tobin Sprout; and Kevin Fennell.
The group has released dozens of albums, starting with “Devil Between My Toes” and “Sandbox,” both in 1987, and reached the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2003 with “Earthquake Glue.” Popular GBV songs include “Game of Pricks,” “If We Wait,” “Hot Freaks,” “I Am a Scientist,” “A Salty Salute,” “Glad Girls” and “As We Go Up, We Go Down.”
Pollard has also released more than 20 albums as a solo artist and collaborated with other musicians like former Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos and John Moen of The Decemberists (in side project Boston Spaceships).
Guided By Voices and Pollard have long been favorably reviewed by music critics and beloved by die-hard fans for energetic live performances and their mix of power-pop, garage rock, psychedelic, progressive, and post-punk music. Pollard celebrated his 68th birthday on Oct. 31, the day of the band’s new album featuring “Our Man Syracuse.”
Do you think you know who “Our Man Syracuse” is? Help us solve a rock-and-roll mystery and send an email to gherbert@syracuse.com.
Listen to “Our Man Syracuse”:
