More Evidence that "The Victors" is the Best Fight Song

Submitted by Chiwolve on August 30th, 2019 at 2:30 PM

538* posted an article breaking down the fight songs of all power 5 schools + Notre Dame.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/college-fight-song-lyrics/

While "The Victors" is categorized as 'Slow and Long' based on it's length and beats per minute, it is found to have ZERO fight song cliches (such as using nonsense syllables, using opponent names, referencing school colors or using common fight song words - fight, win, rah).

Cheers to Louis Elbel and his genius in creating a song that still represents the best in college athletics over 120 years after it was written!

 

*For the uninitiated - 538 is a blog featuring statistical analysis on sports, politics and other topics

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Hail to the Victors

Craptain Crunch

August 30th, 2019 at 2:41 PM ^

I don't think we should use the term "Fight" song anymore. Kids these days will get triggered and then we'll have to create a safe MGOBLOG space for those to go chill out in. And considering all the issues MGOBLOG 3.0 has had, a new safe site could easily cause those who go there to de-triggered only to get triggered again when they realize the safe site isn't working as they had hoped. So, can we just use a more apropos term like "Encouragement" Song? I think many will sleep better at night if we can all just do that. Thanks for taking the time to hear me out as we embark on a new football season where we hope that Michigan will be kind to its opponent and let them score to make them feel good about themselves. 

 

Pea(/s)e

Joined: 05/20/2016

MGoPoints: 1526

Chiwolve

August 30th, 2019 at 2:41 PM ^

For reference, complete list of number of cliches found in B1G fight songs:

 

Illinois: 6 (and just a terrible fight song)

Indiana: 3

Iowa: 3

Maryland: 3

Michigan: 0

Michigan State: 6 (Sparty No)

Minnesota: 3

Nebraska: 1

Northwestern: 4

Ohio State: 5

Penn State: 5

Purdue: 2

Rutger: 7 (LOL - can't even fight song good)

Wisconsin: 3

 

Bonus- Notre Dame: 6

Joined: 08/26/2011

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J.

August 30th, 2019 at 3:04 PM ^

Am I the only person who thinks of Across the Field as OSU's fight song?  (I can't be: my copy of Touchdown, USA, as conducted by William Revelli, clearly includes it).

I'm not sure it does much better on the cliché-meter, though. :)

Joined: 03/11/2012

MGoPoints: 13057

oriental andrew

August 30th, 2019 at 4:12 PM ^

I don't what Ohio State's fight song is, but I CAN tell you that "Buckeye Battle Cry" is the fight song for Ohio Stat. It's right there on their webpage and everything. 

Between Ohio Stat and Michigan Staee, we've surely got the titans of academia in our conference. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 56475

oriental andrew

August 30th, 2019 at 4:06 PM ^

most clichéd in the entire country, in fact. No other school has more than 6. 

Michigan, Tennessee, and BC are the only schools with none of the designated clichés. 

EDIT: 

Tennessee's is wrong. Their official fight song is Down the Field, which has the word "fight" in it. Rocky Top is NOT their official fight song. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 56475

joedafan

August 30th, 2019 at 2:44 PM ^

If you look at only the chorus (and don't count Hail as a cliche, which apparently they don't) then yes. But "with shouts of victory they're crying" includes the word victory. Also, "We hurrah, hurrah, we greet you now, hail!" has the non-sensy "hurrah."

Joined: 10/17/2008

MGoPoints: 1584

Chiwolve

August 30th, 2019 at 3:00 PM ^

Yea, you could nitpick on that, but victory describes the outcome of a game, where Victors is more of a nickname (I'm guessing hail to the valiant Wolverines wouldn't have the same ring).

Plus it's only a cliche if others are using it, and not a lot of other fight songs are talking about victors in any sense.

Joined: 08/26/2011

MGoPoints: 5795

stephenrjking

August 30th, 2019 at 3:05 PM ^

My evidence: the joy of playing it in the car as I drove my three girls down to Ann Arbor this morning. 

We’re going tomorrow. Their first trip. It’s going to be awesome. Hail. 

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20144031

J.

August 30th, 2019 at 3:08 PM ^

Shouldn't there be a special Fulmer U category for "encourages the murder of federal agents in the lyrics?"

(Although, admittedly, 538 appears to be using only the first verse; the one about the furry).

Joined: 03/11/2012

MGoPoints: 13057

MacMarauder

August 30th, 2019 at 3:32 PM ^

To be fair, the article isn't attempting to determine the best fight song.  It's just counting rather arbitrary "cliches" and giving you some things to click around with.  

Having said that, we do have the best fight song.

 

 

Joined: 01/22/2016

MGoPoints: 6251

salami

August 30th, 2019 at 4:04 PM ^

I just wish the newbies would stop with the ‘Go Blue’ at the end.  It’s not in the lyrics and doesn’t belong there.

Now, please step off my lawn.  

Joined: 10/11/2010

MGoPoints: 1127

Vasav

August 30th, 2019 at 4:19 PM ^

The other two songs that have no cliches are BC's "For Boston" and Tennessee's "Rocky Top." I actually hadn't realized "For Boston" wasn't a Dropkick Murphy's song, and I'm happy to admit that both of those songs are pretty good too. Just not as good as ours.

Joined: 12/13/2009

MGoPoints: 19428

Blue in St Lou

August 30th, 2019 at 7:22 PM ^

It’s the only fight song I know that, when my phone rings, causes people around me to call out, “Go Blue!” And “F*** Ohio State.”

And that’s 500 miles from the greatest campus in the world.

Joined: 09/21/2013

MGoPoints: 6718