Fight for California

"Fight for California" is the official fight song of the University of California, Berkeley. The tune is a march and is from the "trio" or final strain of the Lights Out March written by 1906 Earl Elleson McCoy.

Lyrics

"Fight for California"

"Our sturdy Golden Bear" "Is watching from the skies;" "Looks down upon our colors fair," "And guards us from his lair." "Our banner gold and blue," "The symbol on it too," "Means fight! for California," "For California through and through!"

"Stalwarts girded for the fray" "Will strive for victory;" "Their all at Mater's feet will lay" "That brain and brawn will win the day." "Our mighty sons and true" "Will strive for us anew." "And pivot! for California," "For California through and through!"

History

The lyrics were written by Robert N. Fitch of the class of 1909 and is played whenever a Californian athlete enters the playing field at the beginning (or after halftime) of an athletic competition, or after a touchdown is scored in football. In football games, it is the final song played during the band's pre-game show, at which time the Cal Band marches from a concentric square formation into the script Cal.

The Cal Band typically plays the complete Lights Out March at the ending of the football post-game concert.

Trivia

*In 1987, during a shuttle mission to repair a communications satellite, NASA mission control woke up the shuttle crew (several of whom were California graduates) with Fight for California.

External links

* [http://fightmusic.com/mp3/pac10/California__Fight_For_California.mp3 MP3 of "Fight for California" from http://www.fightmusic.com]
* [http://www.calband.berkeley.edu/calband/media/calsongs/fight.html Cal Marching Band page with link to an MP3 file of "Fight for California"]