Skol, Vikings

"Skol, Vikings" is the fight song of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. It was introduced around the time the team was founded in 1961. The words and music are attributed to Red McCloud, a composer from Edina, Minnesota.

The old recording is usually played whenever the team scores, accompanied by cheerleaders carrying flags that spell out the team's name, as per the lyrics. The spelling out of the team name echoes the style of the older song, "Minnesota Rouser", long used by the University of Minnesota teams.

Meaning

"Skol" (written skål in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, and sometimes "Skoal" in English) is the Danish/Norwegian/Swedish word for a salute or a toast, as to an admired person or group. The meaning of the Scandinavian skalli/skalle: skal means simply "shell" and skál/skål "bowl". There is a popular misconception that the toast comes from the mythical habit of Vikings to drink from cups made from the skulls of their defeated enemies.

Lyrics

Skol Vikings! Let's win this game
Skol Vikings! Honor your name
Go get that first down
Then get a touchdown
Rock 'em, sock 'em, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! FIGHT!
Go Vikings, run out the score, you'll hear us yell for more!
V-I-K-I-N-G-S
Skol Vikings, let's go!