The Good Old Song
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Good Old Song is the de facto alma mater of the University of Virginia. It is set to the music of Auld Lang Syne. The name of the song is also often given as the Good Ole Song. The song is often said to be the University's fight song, but the actual fight song is a very different piece (set to different music) called the Cavalier Song.
Various sources, including the Cavalier Marching Band, ascribe the authorship of the Good Old Song to Virginia Glee Club member[1] Edward A. Craighill on or about 1895,[2] even though Craighill's 1922 article on the song disclaims sole authorship.[3] The best documentary evidence to date indicates that the song's lyrics were more or less spontaneously composed by a group of students in 1893, and that by 1894 the song was already being documented in the student annual, Corks and Curls.[4]
[edit] Lyrics
| Verse 1 |
|---|
| That good old song of Wah-hoo-wah--we'll sing it o'er and o'er |
| It cheers our hearts and warms our blood to hear them shout and roar |
| We come from old Virginia, where all is bright and gay [5] |
| Let's all join hands and give a yell for dear old UVa. |
| Chant |
| Wah-hoo-wah, wah-hoo-wah! Uni-v, Virginia! |
| Hoo-rah-ray, hoo-rah-ray, ray, ray--U-Va! |
| Verse 2 [6] |
| What though the tide of years may roll, and drift us far apart |
| For alma mater still there'll be a place in every heart. |
| In college days we sing her praise, and so, when far away, |
| In memory we still shall be at the dear old U-Va. |
[edit] References
- ^ University of Virginia Glee Club Photo, February 11, 1893 (1893-02-11). Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
- ^ Cavalier Marching Band: Lyrics from UVA Songs. Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
- ^ Craighill, Edward (October 1922). "'The Good Old Song' in the Making". University of Virginia Magazine 73 (1): 1,3.
- ^ Meacham, Scott (2004). The Persistence of "Wa-hoo-wa," Dartmouth's "Indian Yell," at the University of Virginia (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
- ^ Occasionally, students yell "Not Gay!" after singing the line "where all is bright and gay," in protest of homosexuality. This is strongly opposed by U-Va's athletic department.
- ^ Verse 2 is not played at sporting events and is seldom heard at any U-Va functions.
[edit] External links
- Lyrics at Cavalier Marching Band site
- Virginia Pep Band version
- Virginia Glee Club, Virginia Women's Chorus, and University Singers version
- Virginiana: Good Old Songs (exhibit at the University of Virginia Library)
