FiveThirtyEight has a cool piece on fight songs.

They've got the P5 + ND listed (sorry, AAC—I guess they haven't bought into the whole P6 thing yet). As far as the ACC goes, BC has the fewest fight song clichés (0), while Pitt & Cuse are tied for the most (6).

They also have a chart which charts where all songs are from the fastest and shortest (Oklahoma State) to longest and slowest (Texas A&M).

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/col...ng-lyrics/

So it's a guide to the exuberant nonsense of a certain portion of college fight songs. I'll pass.

I wonder what fight songs would sound like if they were written today, instead of a century ago? And how many have been changed over the years to reflect modern sensibilities?

I'm sure there used to be more cliches in earlier versions. For example, Boston College changed its lyrics from "here men are men" to "here all are one". Would that have counted as two cliches, since "men" was used twice in the same sentence?

So, "Cheer Cincinnati" isn't on the list...for obvious reasons...but it's one of the truly great college "fight songs" IMO.

The lyrics are:
"Cheer Cincinnati, Cincy will win!"
Fight to the finish, never give in!
You do your best, boys, we'll do the rest [boys]…
Onward to VIC-TO-RY!

Gooooo RED,
Goooo BLACK
Goooo Bearcats, Fight! Fight! Fight!
Give me a B-E
A-R
C-A-T-S
GO UC!"

So, I tallied up the "cliché's" and I got 6... (I highlighted them in red.) Which seems pretty common, really.

It's a "fight song."

It's interesting how the Kansas Jayhawks fight song has evolved as their opponents have changed.

The original 1912 version of the song mentions the Sooners (Oklahoma), the Aggies (Kansas State), the Braves (either Ottawa or Haskell Indian Nations), the Tigers (Missouri), and the Cornhuskers (Nebraska).

The song was updated in 1958 to change the Aggies to Wildcats (Kansas State), to replace the Braves with the Buffs (Colorado), and to add the Cowboys (Oklahoma State). Strangely, it still omitted Iowa State.

The song didn't change upon the creation of the Big 12. But finally, in 2010, with the upcoming departure of Colorado and Nebraska, the song was revised again, replacing the Buffs with the Bears (Baylor) and the Cornhuskers with the Cyclones (Iowa State). Also, the Aggies returned (this time Texas A&M), and the Horns (Texas) and Red Raiders (Texas Tech) were added into the chorus.

It wasn't updated with the departure of Missouri and Texas A&M, however. Perhaps they're just waiting for the next round of realignment.

http://www.calonsong.org/KansasSongs/imajayhawk.htm
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/news...id=5439965
http://www.kansan.com/sports/the-evoluti...2c37f.html
http://archive.news.ku.edu/2010/october/...song.shtml
https://web.archive.org/web/201907141231...34707.aspx

(08-30-2019 03:07 PM)ken d Wrote:  I wonder what fight songs would sound like if they were written today, instead of a century ago? And how many have been changed over the years to reflect modern sensibilities?

I'm sure there used to be more cliches in earlier versions. For example, Boston College changed its lyrics from "here men are men" to "here all are one". Would that have counted as two cliches, since "men" was used twice in the same sentence?

Hey, Stanford Band! Can you help us out?

(08-30-2019 11:00 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  So it's a guide to the exuberant nonsense of a certain portion of college fight songs. I'll pass.

Settle down, young lad! Northern Illinois University's William Studwell wrote a series of books on college fight songs. Before his passing, he was also known for his "Christmas Song of the Year" announcements.
https://www.amazon.com/College-Fight-Son...vzHuhDZ2bw

(08-30-2019 03:32 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  So, "Cheer Cincinnati" isn't on the list...for obvious reasons...but it's one of the truly great college "fight songs" IMO.

The lyrics are:
"Cheer Cincinnati, Cincy will win!"
Fight to the finish, never give in!
You do your best, boys, we'll do the rest [boys]…
Onward to VIC-TO-RY!

Gooooo RED,
Goooo BLACK
Goooo Bearcats, Fight! Fight! Fight!
Give me a B-E
A-R
C-A-T-S
GO UC!"

So, I tallied up the "cliché's" and I got 6... (I highlighted them in red.) Which seems pretty common, really.

It's a "fight song."

I like your take on it. They didn’t include us so let’s do it for ourselves. For South Alabama we’d have the below:

South!
South! Alabama
We’re the pride of the red, white, blue!
Loyal, strong, and faithful
To our alma mater true!
South! Alabama
We will cheer you to win the day!
For it’s J-A-G-U-A-R-S
For U-S-A!

We reference our school colors, use the word “win” and spell out words. So we have 3 clichés.

Furthermore, the big red dot is where we’d fall on the graph.

(09-02-2019 05:15 PM)chess Wrote:  

(08-30-2019 03:07 PM)ken d Wrote:  I wonder what fight songs would sound like if they were written today, instead of a century ago? And how many have been changed over the years to reflect modern sensibilities?

I'm sure there used to be more cliches in earlier versions. For example, Boston College changed its lyrics from "here men are men" to "here all are one". Would that have counted as two cliches, since "men" was used twice in the same sentence?

Hey, Stanford Band! Can you help us out?

I always thought it was funny that the mascot that everybody associates with Stanford (the tree mascot of course) is not actually the school's mascot but rather is the band's mascot. I also find it fun that they make a new tree every year.

(08-30-2019 03:32 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  So, "Cheer Cincinnati" isn't on the list...for obvious reasons...but it's one of the truly great college "fight songs" IMO.

The lyrics are:
"Cheer Cincinnati, Cincy will win!"
Fight to the finish, never give in!
You do your best, boys, we'll do the rest [boys]…
Onward to VIC-TO-RY!

Gooooo RED,
Goooo BLACK
Goooo Bearcats, Fight! Fight! Fight!
Give me a B-E
A-R
C-A-T-S
GO UC!"

So, I tallied up the "cliché's" and I got 6... (I highlighted them in red.) Which seems pretty common, really.

It's a "fight song."

Haha I’ll do Georgia Southern’s which is one giant cliche:

Wave the blue, wave the white
Hold the banner high
The Eagles are on the wing!
Sound a cry to the sky
As we look for glory!
“VICTORY NOW,” we sing!

Hail the blue, hail the white
Hail the team that’s soaring
Upward to bring us fame!
Georgia Southern! Eagles!
Fight on to Vic-to-ry
and win this game!

Blue and white! Fight! Fight!
Blue and white! Fight! Fight!
Georgia Southern! Eagles! Fight! Fight! Fight!

I count about 22 cliches in there

I like fight songs that say a) something unique about the school, and b) use archaic language that sounds funny.

That's why my favorite is Georgia Tech. It says who they are (engineers). It revels in the school's prowess at drinking hard alcohol. And the second verse is positively dripping with deliciously outdated chauvanism.


"I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech, and a hell of an engineer—
A helluva, helluva, helluva, helluva, hell of an engineer.
Like all the jolly good fellows, I drink my whiskey clear.
I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer."

Oh! If I had a daughter, sir, I'd dress her in White and Gold,
And put her on the campus to cheer the brave and bold.
But if I had a son, sir, I'll tell you what he'd do—
He would yell, 'To hell with Georgia!' like his daddy used to do.

Oh, I wish I had a barrel of rum and sugar three thousand pounds,
A college bell to put it in and a clapper to stir it round.
I'd drink to all the good fellows who come from far and near.
I'm a ramblin', gamblin', hell of an engineer!"


I don't think there's any cliches at all in there!

I sometimes sing this to annoy my wife. Neither of us have any connection to Georgia Tech, but we both have engineering degrees.

(09-03-2019 12:28 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  I like fight songs that say a) something unique about the school, and b) use archaic language that sounds funny.

That's why my favorite is Georgia Tech. It says who they are (engineers). It revels in the school's prowess at drinking hard alcohol. And the second verse is positively dripping with deliciously outdated chauvanism.


"I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech, and a hell of an engineer—
A helluva, helluva, helluva, helluva, hell of an engineer.
Like all the jolly good fellows, I drink my whiskey clear.
I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech and a hell of an engineer."

Oh! If I had a daughter, sir, I'd dress her in White and Gold,
And put her on the campus to cheer the brave and bold.
But if I had a son, sir, I'll tell you what he'd do—
He would yell, 'To hell with Georgia!' like his daddy used to do.

Oh, I wish I had a barrel of rum and sugar three thousand pounds,
A college bell to put it in and a clapper to stir it round.
I'd drink to all the good fellows who come from far and near.
I'm a ramblin', gamblin', hell of an engineer!"


I don't think there's any cliches at all in there!

I sometimes sing this to annoy my wife. Neither of us have any connection to Georgia Tech, but we both have engineering degrees.

I was at Costco in the Chicago area and a lady had a North Carolina t-shirt on. We sang the Tar Heel fight song.

Behind her, was a guy with a Georgia Tech shirt. After, I sang the Georgia Tech fight song with him.

I love fight songs.

Hard not to love ramblin wreck. To hell with Georgia!

Xavier’s fight song is incredibly cliched and basic, but the “X-A-V-IER” cheer during the chorus redeems it somewhat

The Victory March was written in 1908 by two Notre Dame graduates, Father Michael Shea and his brother John. They first performed the song on their music teacher's church organ of the Second Congregational Church in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The Notre Dame Victory March was born, and was first played at Notre Dame on Easter Sunday in 1909.

The "Notre Dame Victory March" later was presented by the Shea brothers to the University and it first appeared under the copyright of the University of Notre Dame in 1928.


"Rally sons of Notre Dame:
Sing her glory and sound her fame,
Raise her Gold and Blue
And cheer with voices true:
Rah, rah, for Notre Dame
We will fight in ev-ry game,
Strong of heart and true to her name
We will ne'er forget her
And will cheer her ever
Loyal to Notre Dame

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."