There Goes Old Georgetown

"There Goes Old Georgetown" is the unofficial name of the Georgetown University sports teams' fight song. It is actually an amalgamation of three songs, only the oldest of which, 1913's "the Touchdown Song," contains the lyric "here goes old Georgetown." Onto a version of this are added "Cheer for Victory," written in 1915, and "The Hoya Song," written in 1930, both of which are included in their entirety. [cite web |url= http://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/songs.htm |title= Georgetown Traditions: The Songs |work= [http://www.hoyasaxa.com HoyaSaxa.com] |accessdate= 2007-03-04] Although some effort has been taken to change the song, no serious proposal has come forth. [cite news |url= http://www.thegeorgetownindependent.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=13f98cec-5719-45bf-b13a-3ae980f67a8c |title= Hoya Hoya Saxa |first= Michael |last= Bayer |work [http://www.thegeorgetownindependent.com The Georgetown Independent] |date= 2003-10-02 |accessdate= 2007-03-04]

Georgetown's fight song is rare among U.S. university fight songs (Illinois's "Oskee Wow-Wow," St. Olaf College's "Um Yah Yah", and Texas A&M's "Aggie War Hymn" being other prominent examples) for mentioning other colleges by name. Specifically, it mentions Yale University, Harvard University, Princeton University, College of the Holy Cross, the United States Naval Academy, and Cornell University, who were all rivals of Georgetown in the early-to-mid 20th century, and mocks their fight songs. In recent years the Hoyas only play Cornell and Holy Cross regularly (in football), and many of these schools no longer use the fight songs that Georgetown's song mocks.

The final verse is usually followed by a call and response of the school cheer, "Hoya Saxa." Anyone can start the Georgetown fight song by asking a large group of hoyas, "How long's it been?" The group will reply with the fight song. Or, if a properly motivated hoya crowd, starting and holding the long low base note of "IT'S..............." will also work. In 2006, Georgetown students produced a film, "Georgetown Forever", which brings to life different elements of the fight song.

Lyrics

It's been so long since last we met,
Lie down forever, lie down;
Or have you any money to bet,
Lie down forever, lie down.

There goes old... Georgetown,
Straight for a... touchdown,ref|bball| [a]
See how they... gain ground,
Lie down forever, lie down,
Lie down forever, lie down.

Rah! Rah! Rah!
Hurrah for Georgetown,
Cheer for victory today.
'Ere the sun has sunk to rest,
In the cradle of the West,
In the clouds will proudly float
The Blue and Gray.

We've heard those loyal fellows up at Yale
Brag and boast about their Boola-Boola.
We've heard the Navy yell,
We've listened to Cornell;
We've heard the sons of Harvard tell
How Crimson lines could hold them.
Choo Choo, Rah Rah, dear old Holy Cross;
The proud old Princeton tiger
Is never at a loss.
But the yell of all the yells,
The yell that wins the day,
Is the "HOYA, HOYA SAXA!"
For the dear old Blue and Gray. [cite web |url= http://guhoyas.cstv.com/genrel/090905aaa.html |title= Georgetown Fight Song |work= [http://guhoyas.cstv.com Georgetown University Athletics Site] |date= 2007 |accessdate= 2007-03-04]

Notes

During basketball games only, this line is changed to "Straight for a rebound," which allows the rhyme to continue.

References