Ah! Only In Dreams

Ah! Only In Dreams

Rivers Cuomo

In the mid-90s, just as Weezer were becoming famous, frontman Rivers Cuomo underwent a surgical procedure to fix his leg, followed by several months of wearing a steel brace which required self-administered "stretching" of the leg four times daily.

By Citizen Correspondent Sir Stephen

Date Posted: 04/11/08

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Many of you might have heard of American rock band Weezer, famous for hits like Buddy Holly, Hash Pipe, Island In The Sun and Beverly Hills. However, you probably didn't know that frontman Rivers Cuomo is a frustrated wannabe footballer who is bringing that side of his life to the forefront with his new solo single Lover In The Snow, taken from album Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo. While the title doesn't seem to have much to do with the beautiful game, this video certainly explains it all very well.

Born in New York to parents of Italian and German/English descent, football played a larger role in Cuomo's early years than for most other young Americans, with his father a big fan of the sport. However, Rivers was born with his left leg 44 mm shorter than his right leg, which was a major hindrance when he tried to play, so he was never able to have a go at playing it professionally, turning instead to music. On reflection, that seems to have been a good move.

However, as he explains at the start of the video for Lover In The Snow, his footy dream wasn't quite over. In the mid-90s, just as Weezer were becoming famous, Cuomo underwent a procedure to fix his leg, which involved the surgical breaking of a bone, followed by several months of wearing a steel brace which required self-administered "stretching" of the leg four times daily. He likened the ordeal to "crucifying my leg," but the pain was worth it for the results, and while he was never going to suddenly become a professional footballer, at least he could play properly.

Of course, his music career has continued to flourish with his band, but he's kept in touch with the sport he loves by following the fortunes of LA Galaxy (yes, that's the team that Beckham fella plays for) and got to turn out at their Home Depot Center ground a few months ago to play in a charity game organised by the world's most famous former female footballer Mia Hamm and her husband Nomar Garciaparra.