A lot of you know my love of songs. While stuck on a delayed flight last week with nothing to do, I found myself thinking about the upcoming Rice-Notre Dame game, and specifically about Notre Dame's catchy but over-used fight song. I got it in my head that the famous tune could use some new words. In particular, looking head to August 30, it occurred to me that those of us who make the trip are going to hear that darn tune over and over and over throughout the weekend. And while there's no chance of our small contingent being able to drown out the ND fans with a DIFFERENT tune, it would be a fun form of subversion to have our own words to sing when the tune gets played.

Of course there are many drinking-song adaptations, but I wanted something specific to Rice and more sports-oriented. Here is a first draft (note: the __ indicates that the one syllable essentially occupies two beats):

Fight__ for Rice, Rice Owls fight on,
Fight on for Rice, arise loyal sons.
Make them fear the Blue and Gray
Breaking through yonder skies today.
Standing and cheering, drinking more beer,
Sammy will lead us, victory is near!
Onward go to crush the foe, fight
on for the Blue and Gray.


Editorial improvements are welcome. For comparison, here are Notre Dame's words:

Cheer__, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky.
What though the odds be great__ or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to victory.

Attached is the printable version, for practicing on the train/plane/bus/car en route to the happy hour/tailgate/watch party.


  Rice Victory March.pdf (Size: 286.87 KB / Downloads: 11)

Here's another possibility:

(I've added some hyphens in places where it may help sing in the cadence of the music.)

Cheer, cheer for Rice Owls today!
Winning in South Bend is what we say.
Chris-tian and Bryce will pre-vail,
Scoring like thunder, rain and hail.

What though the odds be ever so small,
Driphus will run and pass through it all --
Scor-ing touch-downs here and there, 'till
Vic'try for Blue and Gray!

Bump.

Any edits/improvements?

- - - -

Cheer, cheer for Rice Owls today!
Winning in South Bend is what we say.
Chris-tian and Bryce will pre-vail,
Scoring like thunder, rain and hail.

What though the odds be ever so small,
Driphus will run and pass through it all --
Scor-ing touch-downs here and there, 'till
Vic'try for Blue and Gray!

- - - -


Go Owls!!

We rehearsed it on the flight this morning. (George's version)