On, Wisconsin!

"On, Wisconsin!" is the fight song of the Wisconsin Badgers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With modified lyrics, it is also the official state song of Wisconsin.

"On, Wisconsin!" was also the cry that Arthur MacArthur, Jr. used in the Battle of Chattanooga at Missionary Ridge, in the Civil War.

History of the song

The tune was composed in 1909 by William T. Purdy as "Minnesota, Minnesota," with the intention of entering it into a competition for a new fight song at the University of Minnesota.

Carl Beck, a former Wisconsin student, convinced him to withdraw it from the contest at the last minute and allow his alma mater to use it instead. Beck then wrote the original, football-oriented lyrics, changing the words "Minnesota, Minnesota" to "On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!"^[1] (The eventual winner of the competition became known as the Minnesota Rouser.)

The lyrics were rewritten for the state song in 1913 by Judge Charles D. Rosa and J. S. Hubbard. The song was widely recognized as the state song at that time, but was never officially designated. Finally in 1959, "On, Wisconsin!" was codified in Chapter 170, Laws of 1959, and is incorporated in Section 1.10 of the statutes.

"On, Wisconsin!" was regarded by John Philip Sousa as "the finest of college marching songs".^[2]^[3] It has become one of the most popular fight songs in the country, with some 2,500 schools using some variation of it as their school song.^[4] Although there are persistent rumors that the rights to the song are owned by Paul McCartney or Michael Jackson, which has even been reported by the Christian Science Monitor,^[5] this applies solely to the international rights; the song is actually in the public domain in the United States.^[6]

Battle Cry

"On, Wisconsin!" was the cry that Arthur MacArthur, Jr. used in the Battle of Chattanooga at Missionary Ridge during the American Civil War. He seized the regimental colors, and rallied his regiment with "On, Wisconsin!", for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

University of Wisconsin lyrics

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Plunge right through that line!
* Run the ball clear down the field,
* (originally "Run the ball clear 'round Chicago")
A touchdown sure this time. (U rah rah)
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Fight on for her fame
Fight! Fellows! - fight, fight, fight!
We'll win this game.

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Stand up, Badgers, sing!
"Forward" is our driving spirit,
Loyal voices ring.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Raise her glowing flame
Stand, Fellows, let us now
Salute her name!

* Sometimes these lyrics are altered to say "Run the ball clear down the field, boys--touchdown sure this time!"^[7]

State song lyrics

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Grand old Badger State!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters,
Hail thee, good and great.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Champion of the right,
"Forward", our motto,
God will give thee might!^[8]

References

↑ The Minnesota Rouser : Minnesota Marching Band : U of M
↑ McGrath, Hazel (March 1948). "Songs to thee, Wisconsin!". Wisconsin alumnus 49 (6): 16–17. Retrieved January 5, 2009.
↑ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1999). "Wisconsin State Symbols". State of Wisconsin Blue Book (1999-2000) (PDF). Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. p. 935. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
↑ "Tradition: School Songs". Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
↑ When Is Art Free? | csmonitor.com
↑ The University of Wisconsin Marching Band - University of Wisconsin Marching Band
↑ UWBadgers.com Mobile
↑ Chapter 1, Section 9, Wisconsin State Statutes

External links

MP3 file of "On, Wisconsin!" played by the University of Wisconsin Marching Band
On Wisconsin!. Original sheet music maintained at UW Mills Music Library Special Collections and presented online as part of the Wisconsin Sheet Music Database.
One Hundred Years of "On, Wisconsin!"

University of Wisconsin–Madison (Images)

Athletics	Bucky Basketball (M W) Camp Randall Crew Field House Football Grateful Red Heartland Trophy Ice hockey (M W) Kohl Center LaBahn Arena Paul Bunyan's Axe Soccer (M W) University Ridge Golf Course Volleyball Wisconsin Badgers

Campus	Agriculture Hall Allen Centennial Gardens Arboretum Bascom Hill Chazen Museum of Art Dairy Barn DeLuca Biochemistry Building Geology Museum Lake Mendota Lakeshore Nature Preserve Lathrop Hall Law Building Memorial Union North Hall Pine Bluff Observatory Red Gym Science Hall State Street Synchrotron Radiation Center Union South Washburn Observatory Weinert Center Wisconsin Union Theater

Colleges and schools	Agricultural & Life Sciences Business Education Engineering Human Ecology International Studies Journalism & Mass Communication Law Letters & Science Library & Information Studies Medicine & Public Health Music Nursing Pharmacy Public Affairs Social Work Veterinary Medicine

History	Alan Ameche Charles R. Van Hise Experimental College Past Chancellors Sifting and winnowing Single-grain experiment Slab of Bacon Sterling Hall bombing Teaching Assistants Association University of Wisconsin Experimental College Wisconsin Idea Wisconsin Idea Theatre

Media and publications	The Badger Herald The Daily Cardinal The Madison Misnomer Scandinavian Studies Tandem Press UW Press Wisconsin Law Review WSUM

People	Barry Alvarez Paul Chryst Rebecca Blank Mike Eaves Michael Leckrone Mark Johnson Pro Arte Quartet Bo Ryan Bobbie Kelsey Helen C. White John D. Wiley

Research	Carbone Cancer Center Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Helically Symmetric Experiment IceCube Neutrino Observatory Law in Action Madison Symmetric Torus McArdle Laboratory Morgridge Institute for Research Pegasus Toroidal Experiment UW Hospital & Clinics University Research Park WIYN Consortium WiCell Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation WISCAPE Wisconsin Energy Institute Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery

Student life	Forensics Fundamentally Sound Grateful Red Hoofers Humorology Iron Cross Jump Around MadHatters Marching Band On, Wisconsin! Pro Arte Quartet Undergraduate Projects Lab Varsity Wisconsin Film Festival Wisconsin Union

Wisconsin Badgers football

Venues	Camp Randall Stadium (1917–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Iowa (Heartland Trophy) Minnesota (Slab of Bacon, 1930–1943; Paul Bunyan's Axe, 1948–present) Nebraska (Freedom Trophy)

Culture & lore	Bucky Badger "On, Wisconsin!" University of Wisconsin Marching Band "Jump Around" Tall Grass Game

People	Head coaches Players in the NFL Draft

Seasons	1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball

Venues	Red Gym (1904–1930) Wisconsin Field House (1930–1998) Kohl Center (1998–present)

Culture & lore	History Bucky Badger "On, Wisconsin!" Grateful Red

People	Head coaches All-Americans

Seasons	1898–99 1899–00 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15

Helms and NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

Official fight songs of the Big Ten Conference

Illinois Loyalty and Oskee Wow-Wow (Illinois)
Indiana, Our Indiana (Indiana)
Iowa Fight Song (Iowa)
Maryland Fight Song and Maryland Victory (Maryland)
The Victors (Michigan)
Michigan State University Fight Song (Michigan State)
Minnesota Rouser (Minnesota)
Hail Varsity and Dear Old Nebraska U (There Is No Place Like Nebraska) (Nebraska)
Go U Northwestern (Northwestern)
Across the Field and Buckeye Battle Cry (Ohio State)
Fight On, State (Penn State)
Hail Purdue! (Purdue)
The Bells Must Ring (Rutgers)
On, Wisconsin! (Wisconsin)