Buckeye Battle Cry

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Buckeye Battle Cry, composed by vaudeville performer and songwriter Frank Crumit, is one of two fight songs of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Every football game in Ohio Stadium begins with Ramp entrance by The Ohio State University Marching Band, performed to Buckeye Battle Cry. The tradition of Script Ohio ends with the singing of one chorus of the fight song by band members. The song is also played after every Buckeye score.

Planning for the construction of Ohio Stadium resulted in a contest in 1919 to create new school fight songs. Frank Crumit, an alumnus of Ohio University but a Buckeye fan, wrote Buckeye Battle Cry and submitted it to the contest.

It should be noted that some older versions of the lyrics show not COME ON OHIO!, but rather O-HI-O. While some fans opt to sing the latter (complete with arm motions), the former is much more common.

[edit] Lyrics

In old Ohio (Columbus) there's a team
That's known throughout the land
Eleven warriors brave and bold
Whose fame will ever stand
And when the ball goes over,
Our cheers will reach the sky
Ohio field will hear again
The Buckeye Battle Cry!

Chorus:

Drive, drive on down that field
Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Don't let them through that line
We've got to win this game today
COME ON OHIO!
Smash through to victory
We cheer you as you go
Our honor defend
So we'll (We will) fight to the end
For O-HI-O!

[edit] Second Verse

Crumit penned a second verse which was apparently lost until Nick Metrowsky (site linked below, Free content) recovered it from a 1924 recording:

We'll scatter to the east and west
When college days are done,
And memories will cling around
The dreams of everyone;
We'll play the game of living,
With head and shoulders high!
And where in wear the spirit of
The Buckeye Battle Cry!
(Repeat Chorus)

[edit] Sources