I just want to say to all of the supports of the North Dakota (arrogant effete) Sioux, just defeated by the (noble scholar athlete) Gophers, a big “thanks” and “neener neener”.
The Golden Gophers are in the Final!
Justin Holl unleashed euphoric reactions across the entire state of Minnesota by scoring an unlikely shorthanded goal with less than a second remaining [!!!] in Thursday night’s Frozen Four semifinal against long-time rival North Dakota to give Minnesota a 2-1 victory and a berth in the National Championship game, the 12th in program history.
And now we shall have a SING ALONG!
Here is the Minnesota March, written by John Philip Sousa. I’ll bet your school doesn’t have a march written by Sousa (there are a few).
The words for the interactive part…. EVERYBODY!
RAH! RAH! SKI-U-MAH! RAH! RAH! RAH! [SKI is pronounced like “sky”. It just is. Don’t question me.]
March on, march on to victory!
Loyal sons of the varsity.
Fight on, fight on for Minnesota
For the glory of the old maroon and gold.March on, march on to win the game,
DOWN THE FIELD! [Or “down the ice”] Fighting every play.
We’re with you, team, fighting team,
Hear our song, we cheer along
To help you win a victory!
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I went to “school” at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. We have a couple of Souza Marches.
Just Sayin’. ;-)
Okay, Gunny, I’ll give you that one. ‘Rah.
Condolences, Father, that your Gophers will have come this far only to be disappointed after my alma mater triumphs at long last…
Ode to Old Union
(AIR — “Sparkling and Bright.”)
Let the Grecian dream of his sacred stream,
And sing of the brave adorning,
That Phoebus weaves from his laurel leaves
At the golden gates of Morning;
But the brook that bounds through Union’s grounds
Gleams bright as the Delphic water,
And a prize as fair as a god may wear,
Is a dip from our Alma Mater!
CHORUS:
Then here’s to thee, the brave and free,
Old Union smiling o’er us;
And for many a day, as thy walls grow gray,
May they ring with thy children’s chorus.
Could our praises throng on the waves of song,
Like an Orient fleet gem-bringing,
We would bear to thee the argosy,
And crown thee with pearls of singing;
But thy smile beams down beneath a crown
Whose glory asks no other;
We gather it not from the green sea-grot —
‘Tis the love we bear our mother!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8weVA_yrx64
[Hmmm… maybe on your planet that compares in some way with the splendid and superior MN March. Ite, Rodentes!]
I thought the Minnesota Rouser was the fight song for Minnesota. It’s true that you learn something new every day.
[It’s my blog and today I like the Minnesota March.]
Neigh. The University of Michigan who unfortunately was not in the Hockey tournament does not have a fight song written by John Philip Souza.
However… [And now the errors begin….]
“The Victors” is the fight song of the University of Michigan (UM). [Sorry, but the only UM or U of M permitted in my combox is the University of Minnesota. You must find some other abbreviation, I’m afraid.] It was composed by UM student Louis Elbel in 1898 following the last-minute football victory over the University of Chicago that clinched a league championship. John Philip Sousa is quoted as saying The Victors is “the greatest college fight song ever written.” [And yes this seems to be incorrect. See the comment of another commentator!]
So the composer of your fight song admits that “The Victors” is better than any march he might have written for any school. So there’s that. [Well… not quite that, as it turns out.]
Of course this year wasn’t completely dry for Wolverines on the ice. Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the Gold medal in ice dancing. [HA! If you watch that sort of thing.]
U of M [as I said] also recently hosted a weekend with Msgr. Gallagher [He is a Benedictine monk and can’t be a Monsignor. Then again, it seems I can’t be either.] and Fr. Foster, but I think this is enough for one comment. [Wrong again… far too much! o{];¬) ]
We in ND will say Congratulations, and you may have won this particular battle, but watch out, we will be back. and you won’t get off so easy.
I’m surprised that Sousa would have put such a terrible lyric such as your victory song to music, Father. [If you wish, I’ll explain what it means.] I think if the best you can muster is a chant which intended for football, your team named after underground creatures which live in holes and wreak havoc on suburban lawns and golf greens is in for a much greater day of woe than I anticipate. Cf Caddyshack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfCLtfLmowY
[The “Gopher” is actually Ictidomys tridecemlineatus, as everyone knows.]
I forget sometimes that I actually am an alumnus of the University of Minnesota, but I never forget that it is always good to beat North Dakota…
Which college fight song did Sousa himself call ‘the best college song’ he had ever heard?*
On Wisconsin! of course. Which he did not write.
*http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/99bb/ch11.pdf, page 935
[Sorry… not listening.]
I would put a small caveat about being so proud of a Sousa march. Remember that the Washington Post has one, too. But congratulations and good luck, all the same. My grandmother came from Morehead.
And here I thought only those on the Canadian prairies know what a gopher is. [We are actually talking about the Thirteen-stripped Ground Squirrel.]
My schools never had a matching band. :( Though, I did get to play trumpet in a community marching band, but we never got to play any real matches like Sousa. :( We did however get to play Achy Breaky Heart and stop mid song to break out into a line dance. Fortunately I was under 8 yrs old so I just looked cute rather than dorky.
Congratulations Gophers! My youngest got her BFA from Minnesota. Since she spent long hours on the West side of campus, in Rarig, we didnt really get into the sports aspect of the school very much. [I, too, have a BFA from the U of M, and I spent my time at Rarig to get it.] But she was still proudly defended Goldie, even when her high school friends made fun of gophers. And I still have my nice heavy maroon hoodie, a necessity up there. How did you kids ever make it through that cold? I know Chicago is bad, but nothing beats that wind whipping over the Mississippi as you go back and forth between campuses across the bridge. Kudos to any marching band that survives the Minnesota winters!
Congratulations to the fine hockey team of the University of Minnesota, may your curlers fare just as well! [Bless you.]
Of course, since I am a sinful man and in need of much grace, it seems much more interesting to consider which college march/fight song/post-goal-entertainment is the most embarrassing, rather than the best. That could be because in the South we are much more skilled at playing embarrassing fight songs than we are at hockey.
But I suppose that would be a rabbit, or perhaps a gopher hole.
In Christ,
Our humble Dutchmen lack all the power and glory of your school, Father Z., and I for one find it ennobling to root for this underdog. Up from modesty:
2014-04-10/sports/49035216_1_union-college-shayne-gostisbehere-union-coach-rick-bennett
My sincere apologies, Father for the poor link above. You see we alum of the one of the first colleges in the country are simple craftsman who rely on the labor of our hands and sweat of brow to eke out our existence. Thus I was compelled to fashion an internet link for your combox out of twine and grass clippings. Please forgive my meager offering not according to your hockey scholarship and great ice hockey stadium and Sousa composed our fight song standards…
http://articles.philly.com/2014-04-10/sports/49035216_1_union-college-shayne-gostisbehere-union-coach-rick-bennett
Notre Dame’s “Victory March” is the best fight song of all time, AND it’s composer later became a Priest. [I am not sure that that is a plus.]
Does this include all our squirrel friends, then, in saying “Ite, Rodentes?”
[C’mon. Try to keep up? It refers – in a positive sense – only to the scholar athletes of the UofM’s mens hockey team. Otherwise, the Latin applies: “Get lost, vermin!”, is one way to put it when not applied the BIG GAME on Sunday.]
Ha! I’m pretty happy to hear this. Miami University actually beat North Dakota in the NCHC tournament, but couldn’t get past Denver. Sigh. But Kudos to Minnesota! Added bonus that Boston College was beaten as well. [Music to my ears.] So, in deference to Fr. Z, go Gophers!
I went to Navy. I’ll see your Sousa march (I’ve heard enough of them to last 15 lifetimes) and raise you one hymn (The Navy Hymn). Oh, we also have the best alma mater — Navy Blue and Gold! Beat Army!
@jeanne, that’s because “we’re rough and tough it’s true, but we’re sportsmen through and through…”
I’m surprised that nobody mentioned where ski-u-mah came from…they needed something to rhyme with rah rah rah.
Rough loss for Boston College. Can’t say I’m proud of our Catholic identity, but our hockey team is fantastic and they had a great season.
Our fight song is pretty damned impressive too. Not a Sousa but it was the first fight song. Original lyrics “men are men” not “all are one” “sons” not “heirs” are to be preferred at all times, naturally.