View source for Bow Down to Washington

{{Short description|Fight song for University of Washington}}
{{Italic title}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox musical composition
| name              = Bow Down to Washington
| written           = Lester J. Wilson
| client            = [[The Daily of the University of Washington|The Daily]]
| image             = 
| key               = 
| catalogue         = 
| year              = 1915
| genre             = [[Fight song]]
| scoring           = 
| composed          = 
| performed         = November 6, 1915
| published         = November 13, 1915
| misc                = {{Audio sample
 | type        = song
 | header      = Recordings
 | file        = File:Bow Down to Washington — Vic Meyers and His Hotel Butler Orchestra.flac
 | description = [[Victor Aloysius Meyers|Vic Meyers]] and His Hotel Butler Orchestra (1928)
}}
}}

'''''Bow Down to Washington''''' is the official [[fight song]] of the [[University of Washington]].<ref name="Columns2001"/><ref name="Columns2014"/><ref name="Athletic2018"/> It was written by Lester J. Wilson in 1915 while partaking in a competition requesting a new song for the university.<ref name="Columns2001"/><ref name="Columns2014"/> The competition was sponsored by the campus newspaper, ''[[The Daily of the University of Washington|The Daily]]'', and had a grand prize of [[USD|US$]]25 (the equivalent of $655 in 2021).

"Bow Down to Washington" was first used as a fight song at the [[1915 Washington football team|Washington]]-[[1915 California Golden Bears football team|California]] football game on November 6, 1915, in a 72–0 away victory.<ref name="SpecialCollectionsBowDown"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9LnC5JuQrk  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/I9LnC5JuQrk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live| title= Bow Down to Washington | publisher=UWTV | access-date=2015-09-26}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The lyrics were first published one week later in the home program for the November 13, 1915 contest at [[Denny Field (Washington)|Denny Field]], again versus California.<ref name="FirstPrinting1915Program"/> The original lyrics refer frequently to California and snaring the Golden Bear, but later versions of the song dropped these lines.<ref name="Athletic2018"/><ref name="SpecialCollectionsBowDown"/>

The song is typically played and sung at all University of Washington sporting events at which the [[University of Washington Husky Marching Band]] is present, including all [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], and [[volleyball]] games.

==Lyrics==
{{quote|<poem>Bow Down to Washington, Bow Down to Washington.
Mighty are the men who wear the Purple and the Gold,
Joyfully we welcome them within the Victor's fold.
We will carve our name in the Hall of Fame,
To preserve the memory of our Devotion.

So, heaven help the foes of Washington,
They're trembling at the feet of mighty Washington.
Our boys are there with bells, their fighting blood excels,
It's harder to push them over the lines than pass the Dardanelles.
So Victory's the cry of Washington
Our leather lungs together with a Rah! Rah! Rah!
And o'er the land, the loyal band
Will sing the glory of Washington forever!<ref name="SpecialCollectionsBowDown"/></poem>}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="SpecialCollectionsBowDown">{{cite web |title=Bow Down to Washington — UW Music Library Special Collections |publisher=[[University of Washington Libraries]] |url=https://www.lib.washington.edu/music/specialcollections/bow-down-to-washington |access-date=December 5, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="FirstPrinting1915Program">{{cite magazine |magazine=University of Washington Football Programs |title=Souvenir program, football game : University of Washington vs. University of California, Saturday, November 13, 1915, Denny Field, Seattle, Washington |publisher=University of Washington Associated Students |url=https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/pioneerlife/id/5519/rec/ |date=November 13, 1915 |access-date=January 24, 2022 |location=[[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]] |page=26}}</ref>
<ref name="Columns2001">{{cite news |last=Marmor |first=Jon |date=September 2001 |title=A contest and a whim inspired UW’s fight song |url=https://magazine.washington.edu/a-contest-and-a-whim-inspired-uws-fight-song/ |work=Columns |access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="Columns2014">{{cite news |last=Borland |first=Lynn |date=December 2014 |title=The birth of ‘Bow Down to Washington’ — One of the best fight songs of all time turns 100 in 2015. |url=https://magazine.washington.edu/feature/the-birth-of-bow-down-to-washington/ |work=Columns |access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref>
<ref name="Athletic2018">{{cite news |last=Caple |first=Jim |date=October 24, 2018 |title='It’s harder to push them over the line than pass the Dardanelles': The history behind 'Bow Down to Washington' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/609213/2018/10/24/its-harder-to-push-them-over-the-line-than-pass-the-dardanelles-the-history-behind-bow-down-to-washington/ |work=[[The Athletic]] |access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref>
}}

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[[Category:Big Ten Conference fight songs]]
[[Category:University of Washington]]
[[Category:1915 songs]]


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