Thorn Tree travel forum

1

Of the four universities I've been associated with over the years (Purdue, Princeton, Harvard, and Northwestern), Purdue has the best fight song. "Hail, Purdue" is up there with the best. (I was never a student at Purdue, unless you count the vector calculus and linear algebra classes I took while I was still in high school. But having spent seventeen years growing up in West Lafayette, I became a Boilermaker fan, which is what I remain today.)

Harvard has the best mock fight song (Tom Lehrer's "Fight Fiercely, Harvard"):

FIght fiercely, Harvard,
Fight, fight, fight,
Demonstrate to them our skill
Albeit they possess the might,
Nonetheless we have the will
How shall we celebrate our victory,
We shall invite the whole team up for tea, how jolly!
Hurl that spheroid down the field,
And fight, fight, fight!

Princeton, which lacks any single fight song in the traditional sense of the word, has the oddest non-fight-song music tradition: after every game, win or lose, the student body stands up and sings the alma mater. (This is also done after every official university function, every Triangle show, and at assorted other random times.) There's even a hand gesture you have to make at one point (it's a hat wave, which you do whether or not you're wearing a hat). Mass unison singing builds a sense of community, or something. Anyway, it's either quaintly or frighteningly "old-school-tie" the first time you encounter it.

I have nothing to say about Northwestern. I was in graduate school. I went from my department's building to the library and back, and that's about it. Lovely people, and a lovely campus. But I think I maybe heard "Go, U Northwestern" maybe once the whole time I was there.

--M.

2

I earned my undergraduate degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and while I went there for four years, my ex graduated from there, both my children go there, I must admit I have no idea what their fight song is. What's really bad about that is I'm a sports fan and attended many games of all kinds (still do when I get back on campus to visit the kids).

So, as much as this pains me I'd have to vote for Michigan as well. I don't think there is a more recognized college fight song anywhere.

3

UCLA stole their song from CAL. Just attend a CAL game and they'll let you know.

The Victors by Michigan is best heard at Penn State as they do their own rendition of it.

Life's what you make it!

4

It was the original melody that U.C.L.A. stole from Cal and they re-titled it "Sons of Westwood", but this was never the # 1 fight song of Cal. The original Cal version is still played at Cal games, however.

The # 1 Fight Song for Cal has been and still is "Fight For California" which is played after every Cal score.

5

By the way, the Cal Bears have moved up to # 10 in the AP Poll.

6

Cal? USC? UCLA? A Pac 10 fan, I'm guessing.

Oklahoma and Wisconsin should be included among the candidates, and I'd argue Texas' slap-happy anthem is pretty distinctive too.

7

I hate the University of Oklahoma fight song that they play after every score.

I grew up in L.A. and was a UCLA fan, then I went to college at Cal Berkeley, but live in L.A. again, so there's your answer.