How longs it been?

At the moment the sweet refrains of the Georgetown Fight Song, as sung by the Chimes, drifts up through the open window. At our floor meeting last Wednesday my dorm's Hall Director, he is new to Georgetown, said his goal is to learn the fight song by the end of the month. It reminds me of learning the fight song one night during my NSO as we toured the Washington monuments by bus. Boy it seems so long ago, but one thing I know is I feel a sense of pride and belonging when I hear that song, and I don't know any other songs for which that is the case.

As is tradition if anyone shouts out "How longs it been?," whoever is present must break out into the fight song, which begins "Its been so long since last we met,..."

The song is actually a conglomoration of 3 different songs: "Here goes old Georgetown" comes from the 1913's "the Touchdown Song," Also included in their entirelty are "Cheer for Victory," written in 1915, and "The Hoya Song," written in 1930. One other unique element of our Fight Song is that we mention and make reference to the contemporary fight songs of Georgetown's arch-rivals in the mid to early 20th century.

The fight song is definately part of the Georgetown Tradition. In 2006 (my Freshman Year), Georgetown Students produced a film called Georgetown Forever, which not only documented many traditions at Georgetown, but brought the fight song to life. The plot of the film was pretty much the Ivy League Schools (Ivys) kidnap the Georgetown Student body president when the University refuses to join the Ivy Legue and the school through a fictional character Nash, must unite Georgetown to save it, you can watch the trailer here.

To hear the song for yourself, it can be heard here. It takes a moment for the song to load. Youcan follow along with the lyrics below.

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... rebound,
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 (who?)
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.

HOYA! (SAXA!)
HOYA! (SAXA!)
HOYA! (SAXA!)