Fight Song words question

[Sonny]

That was the way I learned it with "old Montana" but I also still learned "she'll shoot" so i'm way in the minority.

 

[chris]

wow, this is crazy. Seems that someone was playing that preschool telephone game and somewhere along the way something got messed up.

I wonder if we will ever solve this problem!

 

[Sonny]

Well, gang, the debate will continue. It seems as if it may be like the "old Griz colors" and by that I mean the colors before they were changed to copper, silver, gold.

Talked to 3 old Grizzlies today and by old I mean before they changed colors to copper silver and gold who agreed to the letter that they learned the words as

And now it's up with Montana, boys,
Down with the foe,
Old Montana's out for the victory
She'll shoot her backs around the foeman's line,
A hot time is coming oh brother of mine.
Up with Montana boys
Down with the foe
Good old Grizzlies triumph today
And the squeal of the pig will float on the air
From the tummy of the Grizzly Be-e--e-ar!

Doesn't matter --still a damn fine song.

 

[SactoHornetFan]

Well, as far as the tummy of the Grizzly bear, this is of course in reference in the original song "Stanford Jonah" from the Cal Band where they say "In the tummy of our Golden Bear."

Good tune...just wish Montana would credit the University of California for the song.

 

[oGriz]

Montana Lyrics

I don't see any controversy at all here, as far as what the UM fight song lyrics are. Those that think the lyrics are "Old Montana's out for the victory" are simply wrong. They're probably thinking of the Emmylou Harris song with lyrics "You're calling me back to old Montana . . ."

Just do a quoted search on Google and you will find nothing. (See the lyric links below.)

Not So Original?

Of the history of the song, there is some controversy. The music supposedly came from Georgia Tech's secondary fight song (said to have been written in 1908, but references to that date seem to be with the confusion between White and Gold and Rambling Wreck, which was written in 1908). The song's earliest date I could find was 1921 (http://www.library.gatech.edu/archives/finding-aids/display/xsl/UA318), though some references state 1929, and the lyrics written in Montana in 1914.

Cal, which once was in the same conference as Montana, uses a similar fight song (see links below.) They imply that Georgia Tech is using their music. The Griz song was credited by the Missoulian as written by Richard Howell in 1914 (http://www.missoulian.com/specials/UM-MSU100/G20-23.html). Cal's band history pages says they wrote it in 1913. Navy has a song too, but credits UM.

BTW, when Montana was in the PCC, the UCLA Grizzlies wanted to join the conference. Since UM already had the name Grizzlies, UCLA was forced to adopt "Bruins."

Squeal of the Pig

There is a Montanan article that mentions this (http://www2.umt.edu/comm/f04/artifacts.shtml). "In a program for the 1921 Homecoming, the full text of the original song is printed. The Griz at this point, are still referring to the Bobcats as farmers. . . . Could the line about the pig squealing refer to the farmer’s pig? Another interpretation is that the pig is the football pigskin. Take your pick."


History

Montanan
http://www.umt.edu/comm/s07/artifacts.shtml

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stanford_Jonah

Cal Band History
http://www.calband.berkeley.edu/calband/cbaa/historybook/chap07.html

Cal Band History II
http://www.calband.berkeley.edu/calband/media/calsongs/jonah.html

Cal Band History III
http://www.calband.berkeley.edu/calband/cbaa/historybook1993/07/

UCLA Grizzlies
http://www.uclahistoryproject.ucla.edu/Fun/ThisMonth_OctHailBruins.asp

Montana Fight Song Lyrics

Lyrics On Demand
http://www.lyricsondemand.com/miscellaneouslyrics/fightsongslyrics/montanafightsonglyrics.html

Lyrics to College Fight Songs
http://www.1122productions.com/fightsongs/m.html#Montana

Fight Song Lyrics
http://www.fightsonglyrics.com/M/page_3/Montana_Grizzlies.html

Similar Fight Songs

Up With Navy
http://www.fightmusic.com/ind.html (click "Up With Navy")
or http://www.usna.edu/USNAband/groups/marchingband.htm

White and Gold
http://www.fightmusic.com/acc.html (click "White and Gold")

Copyrighted in 1931 (http://www.coa.gatech.edu/music/about_us/history.htm)

(Played after touchdowns)
So then it's up with the White and Gold
Down with the Red and the Black
Georgia Tech is out for a victory
We'll drop our battle axe on Georgia's head, CHOP!
When we meet her our team will surely beat her
Down on the old farm there'll be no sound
Till our bow wows rip through the air
When the battle is over Georgia's team will be found
With the Yellow Jackets swarming around.

Cal's Stanford Jonah

So...then... it's...
Up with the Blue and Gold,
Down with the Red;
California's out for a victory.
We'll drop our battle-axe on
Stanford's head, Chop!
When we meet her, our team will surely beat her.
Down on the Stanford Farm there'll be no sound,
When our Oski rips through the air.
Like our friend Mister Jonah,
Stanford's team will be found
In the tummy of the Golden Bear!

 

[grizavsfan]

Montana Lyrics

I don't see any controversy at all here, as far as what the UM fight song lyrics are. Those that think the lyrics are "Old Montana's out for the victory" are simply wrong. They're probably thinking of the Emmylou Harris song with lyrics "You're calling me back to old Montana . . ."

Well...I beg to differ, just because it's not on the internet, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I went to the music scores here at the campus library and the1929 ASUM Campus song book has "Up With Montana", by Dick Howell and the accompanying words are listed as:

Up with Montana, boys,
Down with the foe,
Old Montana's out for a victory;
She'll shoot her backs a-round the foe-men's line,
A hot time is coming now, oh brother mine.
Up with Montana, boys,
Down with the foe,
Good Old Grizzly'll triumph today;
And the squeal of the pig will float on the air,
From the Tummy of the Grizzly bear.

* * * *

Now tie that with the fact that I learned the OTHER version in the 80's when I was in the Band, I think it makes everyone right depending on when they learned it.

Frankly, I'd sing it however it makes you happiest. 20,000 people singing the same song, well, you can mumble and still get the point across. :twocents:

 

[oGriz]

Good points, grizavsfan.

I've seen several cases of songs that have slightly different versions. This looks like one of them perhaps.

Different Version
(not found yet on the Internet)
Old Montana's out for the victory
She'll shoot her backs . . .

Official Version
http://www.montanagrizzlies.com/downloads/default.htm

Good ol' Grizzlies out for a victory;
We'll shoot our backs . . .

I'll go with the "official" version. In a large crowd, the tiny number singing "Old Montana " etc. won't make a difference.

But sing, however you like.

 

[elkmcc]

Good research and great information. Much appreciated. :clap: