NCAA® 2007 Men's College World Series - Omaha, Nebraska

When Boston songwriter and singer Todd Thibaud and ESPN first teamed up in the late 1990s to provide theme music for coverage of the Men’s College World Series, an existing song titled “Sweet Destiny” was originally chosen. That year, Thibaud attended the Series as a guest of ESPN, where he performed a couple shows, attended games and gained an appreciation of the tradition and atmosphere that makes “The Road to Omaha” so unique among college sports.

“I’m a huge sports fan, so I always knew about the College World Series, but I had no idea how cool of an event it really was until I actually experienced it,” Todd recalls. “Having that experience really helped when ESPN asked me to write a new theme song, because I could visualize the ball park and all the great fans who make the pilgrimage to Omaha every year, as well as the teams and the purity of the game at that level.”

Rewarding experience
The response to “Back Home in Omaha” since it made its debut in 1999 has been phenomenal, according to Todd. “Some of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my 20 years in the music business are the result of writing ‘Back Home in Omaha.’ I’ve gotten so many great e-mails over the years from people who want to tell me what this song means to them. And as a songwriter, that’s what it’s all about. You want to touch people in some way.”

Among those who have been touched by the song are college players, their parents and coaches. “And sometimes it’s not players who are actually in the College World Series – it’s parents of young kids who are growing up and have fallen in love with the song,” Todd explains. “Obviously, you get the impression that their dream is someday to go to Omaha and it’s really cool to read those stories from these people who are so enthusiastic about what their child is doing and that the song somehow makes a connection for them to that whole experience.”

Todd has also been contacted by college baseball coaches who play the song in their locker rooms and stadiums before games to motivate their players. “That’s just incredible to me that the song has taken on a much broader life than I ever expected it to,” Todd acknowledges. “It’s been an unexpected bright spot in my career.”

Capturing the feel
Rather than writing literal songs about a specific event such as the Men’s College World Series, Todd endeavors to capture the feel of the individual sport in his theme music for ESPN. His success with “Back Home in Omaha” has led to other themes for ESPN events including the Big East College Basketball Tournament (“In the City Tonight”) and the NFL Draft (“Down to This”).

Last year, Todd wrote the theme for the Women’s Softball College World Series titled “This is Our Time.” “I think I did my job on that one, too, because I’ve had the same kind of experience with those fans and players who really like what that song is saying to them,” Todd reasons. “Obviously, ‘Back Home in Omaha’ will always be extremely special because that was the one that came first, but this new one is taking on a life of its own as well.”

As for future projects, Todd is discussing the possibility of writing theme music for ESPN’s coverage of the college bowl games they televise. He’s also finishing up a new CD that could be available in early 2008 and is planning a European tour this fall where he has a dedicated fan base. “About 10 years ago, I was approached by a German record company that wanted to release my records over there,” Todd notes. “It worked out and I’ve been touring over there for about 10 years now, so it’s been a nice addition to what I do here.”

‘American roots rock’
Todd describes his musical style as “American roots rock.” “Basically, the type of music that you hear in ‘Back Home in Omaha’ is very similar to what I do in my own music,” he says. “If there’s a recurring theme, I tend to write about the process of life and the stages we go through on the journey that we all have to take, and those little struggles and how we deal with adversity. Those are the things I find fascinating.”

The continuing popularity of “Back Home in Omaha” continues to gratify Todd, who adds, “I want to extend very sincere and heartfelt thanks to the fans of the College World Series who have responded to the song. It really means a lot to me knowing that the song is enjoyed by people and that it means something to them.”

Copies of “Back Home in Omaha” are available at www.toddthibaud.com .

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Back Home in Omaha

Well we took the field on a perfect day,
It was right out of a dream
Never seen a sky so crystal clear,
Never walked on grass so green
And in the stands when they clapped their hands,
Well, I could feel it in my chest
Yeah they come from almost every State
To find out who’s the best
So put me in, I’m your man,
I promise I can do it all
And feels so good to breathe the
Air back home in Omaha

From the Texas hills to the Golden Gate
To the warm Miami shore
They play the game, a thousand names
You’ve never heard before
Yeah, but don’t forget a single face,
You could see that boy again
And somewhere down the road you might
Say, “Hey, I remember when,”
‘Cause there’s a dream in every glove,
There’s a wish on every ball
And once again they’ll make their
Name back home in Omaha

Well, it feels like it might be time
Somebody gives this game a rise
Throw me one across the plate
Man, I’ll put it in another State
And that ain’t no lie

When it all comes down to the final round
I’ll be right here on this hill
Yeah me and the boys are gonna make
Some noise and give this crowd a thrill
So raise that flag, sing that song and
Throw me out a brand new ball
And there’s nowhere I’d rather be
Than back home in Omaha

Back home in Omaha
Back home in Omaha