Ok, so it’s possible – if you get your news from such godless rags as the National Inquirer or the London Review of Books – that you might have heard that I like college fight songs. A lot. And Dixieland jazz. A whole lot. So you can imagine that, when I found out that some enterprising jazz genius who shares one of my longest-held nicknames in life made an entire album of Dixieland jazz versions of college fight songs, I was a little excited.
Me, a little excited.
I know, I know, it isn’t football season, but I mean come on. What puts you in a happier mood than a jazzified version of a song celebrating a game that most closely approximates the culturally acceptable physical mauling of a human being in combat? I know. Nothing. Nothing puts you in a happier mood.
Here are the fight songs in order:
- Illinois Loyalty
- Written by T. H. Guild
- 0:00
- Notre Dame Victory March [Note to Dad: You’re welcome.]
- Written by John F. Shea, Rev. Michael J. Shea
- 2:37
- As The Backs Go Tearing By
- Written by C. W. Blaisdell, Charles J. Roberts
- 5:28
- The Victors
- Arranged by Bill Stegmeyer
- 7:34
- The U. Of M. Rouser
- Arranged by Bill Stegmeyer
- 10:12
- Across The Field
- Written by William A. Dougherty, Jr.
- 12:22
- Down The Field
- Written by C. W. O’Conner, Stanleigh P. Friedman
- 14:31
- Iowa Corn Song
- Written by Riley, Botsford, Hamilton, Lockard
- 17:05
- Fight On For U.S.C.
- Written by Glen Grant, Milo Sweet
- 19:12
- Our Director
- Arranged by Bill Stegmeyer
- 21:50
- The Princeton Cannon Song
- Written by A. H. Osborn, J. F. Hewitt
- 24:42
- On Wisconsin
- Written by Carl Beck, W. T. Purdy
- 27:53
The Daily Tune-Up 
If only there was a way to skip USC and Notre Dame and retroactively include “Mighty Oregon” in this album… Then I might be able to listen to today’s Tune-Up.
I will hear no besmirchment of mighty Notre Dame. But yeah I could do without USC. And would it have killed them to add the mighty Columbia Lions? What’s that? We don’t have a fight song because we suck? Oh yeah.
Because I adore your father, and because this is YOUR sacred web space, I’ll give you Notre Dame. But only under those conditions.
That’s very big of you. Brings a tear to my eye, really, is what it does.
On the plus side, my high school fight song is in here disguised as “The U. Of M. Rouser.” So at least there’s that.
PHEW. I’m glad I didn’t accidentally ruin your day. Though let me know if you have any particular hatred for a certain country now so I don’t post a piece from them tomorrow on Worldly Wednesday.