School Spirits:

Music for the University of Michigan

MHM 408/508 Listening Guide
Listening Tape #2: Side B (LRC 8100)
Length: approx. 17 mins.

Mark Clague
12/97, rev. 9/98

Introduction

Other than teaching you the words to your alma mater and showing you that "The Victors" is three-times longer than you've thought, the purpose of this tape is to focus on hos music has ben used to represent and refine the image of the university. Many of these songs fall into an "Associative" category -- that is, that they serve as repositories of memory. Yet these memories are hardly passive, but help to shape the university's identity. Note particularly, the songs which follow and proceed world wars and reflect America's confidence and hope in and for itself. Do these songs seem to represent the U of M as you have experienced it? If so, which lyrics seem particularly apt? If not, which lyrics seem particularly inaccurate?

#1 "Laudes Atque Carmina" (1878) by Charles M. Gayley

0:56

All examples on this listening tape are performed by the University of Michigan's Men's Glee Club, under the direction of Jerry Blackstone, Howard Watkins, piano.

TEXT:

Laudes atque carmina,
Nec hodie nec cras,
Sed omnia per tempora,
Dum locum habeas.

Tibi sint dulcissima,
O Universitas,
At hostes, Pol, perniciter
Eant eis korakas.

O Gloria, Victoria,
O Decus omnium,
O salve Universitas, Michiganensium,
Michiganensium.

#2 "Michigan Medley"

1:54

'Tis of Michigan We Sing
--anonymous

'Tis of Michigan we sing,
With a merry, merry ring,

As we gaily march along
We will sing a jolly song

Of Ann Arbor and her chimes,
And the merry, merry times,

Yes, a joyous song we'll raise
To Ann Arbor and her praise

Yes, a joyous song we'll raise
To Ann Arbor and her praise.

A Toast to Michigan (1903)
--by Richard R. Kirk

Fill your tankards deep with wine,
Drink a health to Michigan!

In this sparkling flood divine,
Drink a health to Michigan!

To the cornflow'r and the maize
Autumn skies and opal haze,
Of the Indian Summer days.

Fill your tankards, Fill your tankards,
Fill your tankards deep;
Drink a health to Michigan!

I Want to Go Back to Michigan
-- anonymous

I want to go back to Michigan,
To dear Ann Arbor town,
Back to Joe's and the Orient
And back to some of the money I spent.

I want to go back to Michigan,
To dear Ann Arbor town,
I want to go back, I want to go back
To Michigan.

Oh! Father and mother pay all the bills
And we have all the fun
In the friendly rivalry of college life,
Hooray!

And we have to figure a hell of a lot
To tell what we have done
With the coin we blew
At dear old Michigan.

#3 "I'll Ne'er Forget My College Days"

1:21

  by Donald A. Kahn
  from the 1909 Michigan Union Opera, Koanzaland

I'll ne'er forget my college days,
Those dear sincere old college days,
I'll ne'er forget my Michigan,
'Twas there long friendships first began,

At Michigan all hearts are true,
All loyal to the Maize and Blue.
There e'er will be a golden haze,
Around those dear old college days.

#4 "Go Blue"

1:39

  Philip A. Duey

In old Ann Arbor town
There are men of great renown,
They are ever out to fight and win the game
On the court or on the field,
There's a will to never yield,
And to bring our Alma Mater ev'ry fame.

Here's a University
Whose name will ever be
The greatest and the fairest in the land.

And we praise her far and near
With our voices strong and clear
For we know wherever we go, that none with her may stand.

(Chorus)
Go Blue! Let's go, Blue!
We're here to cheer for you.
Go Blue! Let's go, Blue!
No matter what the others have got,
They'll never come up to you.

Go Blue! Let's go, Blue!
We're here to see you through.
(chanting) M-I-C-H-I-G-A-N
Michigan! Go Blue!

#5 "The Hymn" (1911)

2:42

  J. Fred Lawton

All seeing and hearing God, great heav'nly voice, divine
We pray our voices, raised as one, may be attuned to thine.
As we sing out a century of song with joyful air
And sing another cent'ry in, this is our humble prayer:
Dear Father, bless America, Oh keep her strong and good.
May her brave song fly 'round theworld on wings of brotherhood.
Inspireour song of loyalty, and may thy blessing be
On Michigan, dear Michigan, our University.

Inspire our songs of loyalty, and may thy blessings be
On Michigan, dear Michigan, our university.

#6 "The University" (1950)

2:19

Hazen J. Schumacher

Founded in the wilderness,
in eighteen-seventeen;
In excellence and strength it grew
Nourished by a dream

Chorus
The University of Michigan;
The people said, "Be free to teach, to serve,
To probe the unknown;"
Our University.

Other verses
Her children come from 'round the world,
To drink from freedom's spring,
Where art, where science, where truth's revealed
To those whose minds would sing.
(chorus)

She looks beyond today's pale light,
She seeks in fields diverse.
New knowledge found within her halls
Has changed the universe.
(chorus)

#7 "Memories of Michigan" (1993)

1:35

David S. Cortright

While looking back these four years
Seem like a dream now.
The things we left undone will only be
What could have beens now.
But although these days are ending,
The memories remain
And we, who once were children
Leave as men that we became.

Though our time here is fleeting,
Our lives have just begun.
In the end, I found a friend,
At Michigan.

#8 "Varsity" (1911)

1:24

  J. Fred Lawton

Men of Michigan on to victroy, ev'ry man in ev'ry play;
Michigan expects her varsity to win today
Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Win for michigan!
(Chorus)
Varsity, down on the field, never yield, raise high our shield.
March on to victory for Michigan, and the Maize and Blue
Oh Varsity, we're here for you, to cheer for you,

We have no fear for you, Oh Varsity!

#9 "The Victors" (1889)

2:19

Louis Elbel


Now for a cheer they are here triumphant!
Here they come with banners flying,
In stalwart step they're nighing,
With shouts of vict'ry crying,
We hurrah, hurrah, we greet you now, Hail!

For we their praises sing,
For the glory and fame they've bro't us,
Loud let the bells them ring,
For here they come with banners flying.

For we their praises tell,
For the glory and fame they've bro't us,
Loud let the bells them ring,
For here they come with banners flying,

Here they come, Hurrah!

Chorus
Hail! To the victors valiant,
Hail! To the conqu'ring heroes,
Hail! Hail! To Michigan
The leaders and best,

Hail! To the victors valiant,
Hail! To the conqu'ring heroes,
Hail! Hail! To Michigan
The champions of the West!

We cheer them again, we cheer, we cheer again
For Michigan, we cheer for Michigan,
We cheer with might (with might and main (and main)
We cheer, we cheer, we cheer with might and main we cheer!
(repeat chorues)

#10 "The Yellow and Blue" (1878)

0:53

  Charles M. Gayley
This song is the U of M alma mater.

Sing to the colors that float in the light;
Hurrah for the Yellow and Blue!
Yellow the stars as they ride thro' the night,
And reel in a rollocking crew;
Yellow the fields where ripens the grain,
And yellow the moon on the harvest wain; Hail!
Hail to the colors that float in the light;
Hurrah for the Yellow and Blue!