Pitt Victory Song

The "Pitt Victory Song" is one of the most popular and widely used fight songs of the University of Pittsburgh. It is often played in conjunction with "Hail to Pitt" and the "Panther Song". The first portion of the song, until the chorus, is rarely heard and relatively unknown. Lyrics were by G. Norman Reis (Col. 1916) [ [http://digital.library.pitt.edu:80/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittcommence;cc=pittcommence;q1=Reis;rgn=full%20text;idno=1916e49956;didno=1916e49956;view=image;seq=0004 1916 Commencement Program] ] and Louis M. Fushan (Econ. 1923) [ [http://digital.library.pitt.edu:80/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittcommence;cc=pittcommence;q1=Fushan;rgn=full%20text;idno=1923e49956;didno=1923e49956;view=image;seq=0014 1923 Commencement Program] ] . Music was by Benjamin Levant (Col. 1919). [ [http://digital.library.pitt.edu:80/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittcommence;cc=pittcommence;q1=Levant;rgn=full%20text;idno=1920e49956;didno=1920e49956;view=image;seq=0003 1920 Commencement Program] ] [cite web | url=http://cgi.ebay.com/UNIVERSITY-OF-PITTSBURGH-Song-c1938-Pitt-Victory-Song_W0QQitemZ120179028557QQihZ002QQcategoryZ39726QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem | title = Ebay auction by The Irish Wake: University of Pittsburgh Song c1938 "Pitt Victory Song" (1938 printing)| date=2008-03-04 | accessdate = 2008-03-04 ]

Lyrics

Verse:
Let's go Pitt! We're set for victory,
So lend a hand, strike up the band!
Let's go Pitt, we're making history
We'll never yield out on the field.
The whistle blows, we're on our toes
The ball is IN the air.
It may be rough the going tough
But always fighting fair so...

Chorus:
Fight on for dear old Pittsburgh
And for the glory of the game
Show our worthy foe that the Panther's on the go
Pitt must win today! Rah! Rah! Rah!
Cheer loyal sons of Pittsburgh
Cheer on to victory and fame
For the Blue and Gold shall conquer as of old
So fight, Pitt, fight!

Bridge:
Da da da da da-da Fight, Pitt, fight!
Da da da da da-da Fight, Pitt, fight!
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

(repeat Chorus) [http://www.pittband.com/schoolsongs.php] [http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2006/05/12/NewStudentGuide/Pitt-Victory.Song-1984618.shtml]

Alternative lyrics and controversy

Some printings of the lyrics ascribe the lyrics as "It may be tough, The going rough, But always fighting fair" which reverses the order of the words "rough" and "tough" seen in the currently used lyrics above. []

For most of the history of Pittsburgh Panthers athletic programs, a major rivalry has been the Penn State Nittany Lions, especially in football. During the 1970s and 1980s, the rivalry was especially intense, with the two school's football teams often competing for the national championship along with state supremacy. During this period, words to the final portion of the song containing the bridge were substituted by students with the following lyrics:

Da da da da da-da Penn State Sucks!
Da da da da da-da Penn State Sucks!
P-E-N-N-S-T-Sucks!

The popularity of the use of these alternative lyrics carried over to when the fight song was used even during contests when Penn State was not the opponent, including other sporting events such as basketball. However some administrators at the university, including athletic director Steve Pederson, thought that the language was undignified, especially in light of the fact that many of the athletic contests where the chant could be heard were broadcast on regional and national television. Beginning for the 2001-2002 school year, the university administration, without announcement, mandated to the Pitt Band to stop playing the portion of the song with the objectionable student-substituted lyrics. The elimination of the verse was intended to clean up the sportsmanship of the song, especially in light of controversial suspension of the football series, and to center cheers strictly on Pitt, but it was not met without controversy. [ [http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2001/10/10-17-01tdc/10-17-01dnews-9.asp Pitt removes 'Penn State sucks' cheer from repetoire ] ] [ [http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2001/11/01/Sports/Time-To.ReEstablish.Tradition.At.Pitt-1794275.shtml Time to re-establish tradition at Pitt - Sports ] ] [ [http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2002/09/13/Opinions/Letters.To.The.Editor-1796158.shtml Letters to the editor - Opinions ] ] The altered version without the final bridge remains the version played by the Pitt Band to this day. However, the bridge is sometimes played as part of the "Victory Chorale". [ [http://media.www.pittnews.com/media/storage/paper879/news/2006/05/12/NewStudentGuide/Pitt-Victory.Song-1984618.shtml Pitt Victory Song - New Student Guide ] ]

A 1938 printing of a song book containing college songs shows a slight variation in verse from "So lend a hand,..." that is described above to "So give a hand,..." [cite web | url=http://cgi.ebay.com/UNIVERSITY-OF-PITTSBURGH-Song-c1938-Pitt-Victory-Song_W0QQitemZ120179028557QQihZ002QQcategoryZ39726QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem | title = Ebay auction by The Irish Wake: University of Pittsburgh Song c1938 "Pitt Victory Song" (1938 printing)| date=2008-03-04 | accessdate = 2008-03-04 ]

ee also

*Hail to Pitt
*Pitt Band
*Pitt Athletics
*Pitt football
*Pitt basketball
*University of Pittsburgh

External links

* [http://www.pittband.com/music/04%20Pitt%20Victory%20Song.mp3 MP3 of the "Pitt Victory Song"]
* [http://www.pittband.com/ Pitt Band]

References