title request: a 'fight song' melody

Subject: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: clueless don
Date: 21 May 21 - 02:10 PM

When I was in Junior High School (anybody else remember "Junior High School" in the USA?), we had not one, but two, school songs. Both of these songs were of the "fight song" genre (as opposed to the "Hail, Dear Alma Mater" genre.)

One of these songs was sung to the tune of "On, Wisconsin!", but I have never heard the melody of the other song anywhere else. It is theoretically possible that someone from the school, or someone associated with the school, wrote an original tune for the song, but it seems more likely that they borrowed an existing melody. This is my attempt to render this song tune in abc notation:

X:1
T: unknown fight song melody
K:C
L:1/8
M:C|
G A B |c2 B2|A2 B2|A ^G =G2-|G
G A B |c2 B2|A2 _B2|B _B =B2-|
B B|c ^c d2|c2 B2|A2 A ^G|G2-G B|
c ^c d2|^c2 d2|_e2 =e c|
B A G G|A B c2|B2 A2|B2 A ^G|
G2-G G A B|c2 B2|c2 ^c2|d2 A A|d2 A A A|
d2 c2|B2 A2|c A G2|c A G G|
A3 A|B B2 B| c4|

I have not been completely successful in capturing the tune (the "d2 A A|d2 A A" sequence sounds wrong), but I haven't figured out how to improve it. Also, I do not recall what key it was typically played in, so I have chosen a key arbitrarily.

There are websites that enable one to enter abc notation and get musical notation and midi playback. One such website is here .

Does anyone know the name of this tune?

Don

Subject: RE: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 May 21 - 02:47 PM

You did a good job of transcription, Don, but I can't identify the tune. I just knew that as a generic fight song melody.
'
You might want to try http://footballfightmusic.com/, but it doesn't have songs I grew up with in the Midwest.

I grew up with "On Wisconsin," "The Notre Dame Fight Song, and "Hail to the Victors" (Michigan).

You might try:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDsi8x-ylc0 (Top 25 College Football Fight Songs

Send some sucker in for gin.....


Gee, the USC Trojans march from the University of California sounds like Sir William Walton's "Crown Imperial March"

---

ABC Converter: https://www.mandolintab.net/abcconverter.php

Subject: RE: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 22 May 21 - 11:55 PM

Well it's a Girl Scout song in one incarnation "She wears a G for good old glory, she wears an I for interest too, she wears an R for real sportsmanship, she wears an L for loyalty, for loyalty.....you can bet she's a real Girl Scout"

Subject: RE: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: GUEST,#
Date: 23 May 21 - 10:45 AM

I tried to make the thingy that cd posted and I can't make it work. Is there anyway to hear the midi playback??

Subject: RE: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: GUEST,pattyClink
Date: 23 May 21 - 10:56 AM

Highlight the block of abc text, 'copy' it using Ctrl C, click on the blue site link, when you get there paste it in using Ctrl V, choose the option to hear it as an mp3. Maybe you already did that and there was still a snag, but posting it for others who might want to try.

Subject: RE: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: GUEST,#
Date: 23 May 21 - 11:26 AM

Worked slicker 'n goose grease. Here's the mp3, with thanks to pattyClink.

https://colinhume.com/temp/unknown_fight_song_melody.mp3

https://colinhume.com/temp/unknown_fight_song_melody.mp3

Subject: RE: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: GUEST,Cnd
Date: 23 May 21 - 12:14 PM

Hi Don, the song is the Washington & Lee Swing.

As for custom songs, it's always possible. My high school, founded in 1950, had its own Alma Mater and Fight Song, both of which had rather interesting tunes, though its certainly not common.

Subject: RE: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: Helen
Date: 23 May 21 - 05:42 PM

It sounded familiar to me but I'm in Oz so I wouldn't have heard it in the usual school or university context. It made me think of old swing tunes so I'm happy to read the wiki paragraph 2 below. That would explain why I've heard it because I love swing music and especially Louis Armstrong.

Louis Armstrong - 03. WASHINGTON AND LEE SWING - Louis and the Dukes of Dixieland


"'Washington and Lee Swing' is the official fight song of Washington and Lee University. It was written in 1910 by Mark W. Sheafe, Clarence A. (Tod) Robbins, and Thornton W. Allen. It is widely used as the primary school song by other universities and high schools within the United States, with varying degrees of attribution to the original.[1]

"The song is also used as a standard in swing music, dixieland, and bluegrass repertoire. Artists such as Glenn Miller, Tex Beneke, Louis Armstrong, Kay Kyser, Hal Kemp and the Dukes of Dixieland have recorded popular versions of the song.

"It was featured in movies such as The Five Pennies and You've Got Mail.[2]

"'Washington and Lee Swing'" may have been influenced by "Zacatecas March" an earlier Mexican march written in 1891 by Genaro Codina.[citation needed]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_and_Lee_Swing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrJlZG6dh6s

Subject: RE: title request: a 'fight song' melody
From: clueless don
Date: 24 May 21 - 07:05 AM

Thank you! Thank you!

I graduated from Junior High in 1964, and at last I know the name of the tune.

Don