On, Wisconsin!

"On, Wisconsin!" is the fight song of the Wisconsin Badgers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With modified lyrics, it is also the official state song of Wisconsin.

"On, Wisconsin!" was also the cry that Arthur MacArthur, Jr. used in the Battle of Chattanooga at Missionary Ridge, in the Civil War.

History of the song

The tune was composed in 1909 by William T. Purdy, with the intention of entering it into a competition for a new fight song at the University of Minnesota.

Carl Beck, a former University of Wisconsin–Madison student, convinced him to withdraw it from the contest at the last minute and allow his alma mater to use it instead. Beck then wrote the original, football-oriented lyrics, changing the words "Minnesota, Minnesota" to "On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!"^[1] (The eventual winner of the competition became known as the Minnesota Rouser).

The lyrics were rewritten for the state song in 1913 by Judge Charles D. Rosa and J. S. Hubbard. The song was widely recognized as the state song at that time, but was never officially designated. Finally in 1959, "On, Wisconsin!" was codified in Chapter 170, Laws of 1959, and is incorporated in Section 1.10 of the statutes.

"On, Wisconsin!" was regarded by John Philip Sousa as "the finest of college marching songs".^[2][3] It has become one of the most popular fight songs in the country, with some 2,500 schools using some variation of it as their school song.^[4] Although there are persistent rumors that the rights to the song are owned by Paul McCartney or Michael Jackson, which has even been reported by the Christian Science Monitor,^[5] this applies solely to the international rights; the song is actually in the public domain in the United States.^[6]

Battle Cry

"On, Wisconsin!" was the cry that Arthur MacArthur, Jr. used in the Battle of Chattanooga at Missionary Ridge during the American Civil War. He seized the regimental colors, and rallied his regiment with "On, Wisconsin!", for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

University of Wisconsin lyrics

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Plunge right through that line!
* Run the ball clear down the field,
* (originally "Run the ball clear 'round Chicago")
A touchdown sure this time. (U rah rah)
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Fight on for her fame
Fight! Fellows! - fight, fight, fight!
We'll win this game.

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Stand up, Badgers, sing!
"Forward" is our driving spirit,
Loyal voices ring.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Raise her glowing flame
Stand, Fellows, let us now
Salute her name!

* Sometimes these lyrics are altered to say "Run the ball clear down the field, boys--touchdown sure this time!"^[7]

State song lyrics

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Grand old Badger State!
We, your loyal sons and daughters,
Hail thee, good and great.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Champion of the right,
"Forward", our motto,
God will give thee might!^[8]

In popular culture

• The tune was adapted by bandleader Dal Richards as a fight song for the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders, appearing on the 1968 album "Canadian Football Songs." [1] It is also widely used by high schools and other colleges.
• The fight song is used by McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, located on Missionary Ridge at almost the exact site of MacArthur's charge where the battle cry "On Wisconsin" was first heard.
• An instrumental version of the song was used in the 1973 Disney animated film Robin Hood. During the fight scene where the music is played, Friar Tuck (portrayed as a badger) is cheering loudly.
• The first four bars of the song can be heard in the Beach Boys 1963 hit song "Be True to Your School," about 1:05 minutes in.
• The song can be heard in an episode of the USA Network TV series In Plain Sight
• In an O.R. scene from an episode of M*A*S*H, the staff hum various songs and guess the song's identity; Father Mulcahy hums "Oh Shepherd, Guide Thy Flock", that Trapper mistakens for "On, Wisconsin!". Later in that scene, Mulcahy attempts to lead the staff into a sing-along, beginning with "Oh shepherd," as Hawkeye and Trapper continue with, "On, Wisconsin! Fight right through that line!"

See also

• "Varsity" - the alma mater song of the University of Wisconsin-Madison

References

1. ^ The Minnesota Rouser : Minnesota Marching Band : U of M
2. ^ McGrath, Hazel (March 1948). "Songs to thee, Wisconsin!". Wisconsin alumnus 49 (6): 16–17. http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/UW/UW-idx?type=turn&entity=UW.v49i6.p0017&isize=M. Retrieved January 5, 2009. 
3. ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (1999). "Wisconsin State Symbols". State of Wisconsin Blue Book (1999-2000). Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. pp. 935. http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/bb/99bb/ch11.pdf. Retrieved 2010-03-23. 
4. ^ "Tradition: School Songs". Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. 2010. http://www.uwbadgers.com/trads/school-songs.html. Retrieved 15 March 2010. 
5. ^ When Is Art Free? | csmonitor.com
6. ^ The University of Wisconsin Marching Band - University of Wisconsin Marching Band
7. ^ UWBadgers.com Mobile
8. ^ Chapter 1, Section 9, Wisconsin State Statutes

External links

• Wisconsin State Song, from Wisconsin.gov
• History of song from University of Wisconsin Marching Band website
• MP3 file of "On, Wisconsin!" played by the University of Wisconsin Marching Band
• On Wisconsin!. Original sheet music maintained at UW Mills Music Library Special Collections and presented online as part of the Wisconsin Sheet Music Database.
• One Hundred Years of "On, Wisconsin!"