Hail to Old OSU

"Hail to Old OSU" is the fight song of Oregon State University. It is extracted from a song written by Harold A. Wilkins in 1914 and is played mainly at sporting events like football and basketball games. The lyrics have been slightly altered since being written "to conform to a changing culture", changing to conform to new initials (O.A.C. became O.S.C., and later, O.S.U.), and the use of a more gender-neutral version.

First page of the score of Hail to Old OAC, from which the current Oregon State University fight song is extracted.

The music and lyrics were copyrighted in 1914 and are now public domain.

History

The original song

The OSU fight song is the chorus of a song penned by Harold A. Wilkins, "Hail to Old OAC: A Rooter's Song." Wilkins was himself a member of the Oregon Agricultural College's graduating class of 1907.

The original song contains two verses and a chorus. The original lyrics are as follows:

(1)

Here we come with a toast and a song for the college up on the hill,

We love its shady slopes and trees, its members cheer and thrill;

But fondest thought when the years have run

Will be our teams and the vict'ries won,

Each man a loyal son,

Hail to old OAC

(chorus)

OAC, our hats are off to you,

Beavers, Beavers, fighters thru and thru,

We'll cheer for ev'ry man,

We'll root for ev'ry stand

That's made for old OAC

[men—] Rah, Rah, Rah!

Watch our team go tearing down the field,

Men of iron, their strength will never yield.

Hail! Hail! Hail! Hail!

Hail to old OAC—

(2)

We'll root hard for the baseball star who can knock out a long home run,

And cheer the man who kicks the goal that means the game is won;

But mem'ries best in our Hall of Fame,

Are for the man who's always game,

Win, lose, fights just the same,

All for old OAC

Today's fight song

Oregon State's Fight Song is a modified version of the chorus from "Hail to Old OAC," followed by a chant ("O-S-U Fight B-E-A-V-E-R-S") backed by drums, and a repeat of the second half of the chorus. No verse is sung.

The Oregon State University Alumni Association, at the time owners of all rights to the song, modified the words of the Fight Song in the 1980s to be gender neutral.

The most commonly accepted lyrics today are:

OSU, our hats are off to you

Beavers, Beavers, fighters through and through

We'll root for every man,

We'll cheer for every stand

That's made for old OSU.

Watch our team go tearing down the field

Men of iron, their strength will never yield.

Hail, hail, hail, hail

Hail to old OSU.

External links

• MP3 of "Hail to Old OSU", as performed by Oregon State University Marching Band