View source for There Goes Old Georgetown

{{Short description|Georgetown University fight song}}
<!--{{Wikisourcehas|lyrics to this song at}}-->
[[File:Georgetown University Hoyas Cheerleaders.jpg|thumb|upright|Hoya cheerleaders at an NCAA basketball game]]

"'''There Goes Old Georgetown'''" ([http://www.georgetownchimes.org/music/clips/1975/15.mp3 Listen]) is the unofficial name of the [[Georgetown University]] [[Georgetown Hoyas|sports teams']] [[fight song]]. It is also known as simply "'''Georgetown Fight Song'''".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://alumni.georgetown.edu/alumniassoc/alumniassoc_32.html |title= Fight Song and Alma Mater |year= 2011 |work= Georgetown University Alumni Association |access-date= January 11, 2011}}</ref> It is actually an amalgamation of three songs, only the oldest of which, 1913's "The Touchdown Song", contains the lyric "here goes old Georgetown".  Onto a version of this was added "Cheer for Victory", written in 1915, and "The Hoya Song", written in 1930, both of which are included in their entirety.<ref name=hs>{{cite web |url= http://www.hoyasaxa.com/sports/songs.htm |title= Georgetown Traditions: The Songs |work= HoyaSaxa.com]|access-date= March 4, 2007}}</ref> The authors of these songs, and of the combined version, are unknown.<ref>{{harvnb|Studwell|Schueneman|1998|p=8}}</ref> Although some effort has been taken to change the song, no serious proposal has come forth.<ref name=alt>{{cite news |url= http://www.thegeorgetownindependent.com/2.14588/hoya-hoya-saxa-1.2081828 |title= Hoya Hoya Saxa |first= Michael |last= Bayer |work= The Georgetown Independent |date= October 22, 2003 |access-date= May 28, 2011 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110807130306/http://www.thegeorgetownindependent.com/2.14588/hoya-hoya-saxa-1.2081828 |archive-date= August 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.thegeorgetownindependent.com/2.14588/hoya-hoya-suxa-1.2081834 |title= Hoya Hoya Suxa |first= Danny |last= Colligan |work= The Georgetown Independent |date= October 22, 2003 |access-date= May 28, 2011 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110927174258/http://www.thegeorgetownindependent.com/2.14588/hoya-hoya-suxa-1.2081834 |archive-date= September 27, 2011 }}</ref>

==Music==
Georgetown's fight song is rare among U.S. university fight songs for mentioning other colleges by name, generally rivals of Georgetown in the early to mid-20th century.<ref>{{harvnb|Stewart|Zeysing|2010|p=35}}</ref> Specifically, it mentions [[Yale University]], [[Harvard University]], [[Princeton University]], [[College of the Holy Cross]], the [[United States Naval Academy]], and [[Cornell University]], and mocks their fight songs. In the late 20th and early 21st century, the Hoyas only played Cornell and Holy Cross regularly in football, and many of these schools no longer used the fight songs that Georgetown's song mocks.<ref>{{cite news|title=It's Been So Long … That We Might As Well Keep Singing the Fight Song|url=http://www.thehoya.com/its-been-so-long-that-we-might-as-well-keep-singing-the-fight-song/|access-date=4 May 2015|work=Newspaper|publisher=[[The Hoya]]|date=24 August 2001}}</ref> By 2015, [[rowing (sport)|rowing]] was the only sport in which Georgetown athletes competed against all colleges named in the fight song. The song lacks references to [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]] rivals, such as [[Villanova University|Villanova]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/pretzel/2008/02/villanovageorgetown_pregame.html |title= Villanova-Georgetown pregame |work= Philly.com|date= February 11, 2008 |access-date= February 4, 2009 |first= Jonathan |last= Tannenwald |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120707022601/http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/pretzel/2008/02/villanovageorgetown_pregame.html |archive-date= July 7, 2012 }}</ref>

During men's and women's basketball games, the line "Straight for a [[touchdown]]" is typically changed to "Straight for a [[Rebound (basketball)|rebound]]," which allows the rhyme to continue.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.thehoya.com/homecoming-tradition-is-indispensible-at-gu/ |title= Homecoming Tradition is Indispensible{{sic |nolink=yes}} at GU |first= Jeff |last= Planchard |date= October 27, 2006 |access-date= February 5, 2009 |work= [[The Hoya]]}}</ref> In some editions, both the football and basketball versions are sung back to back, while others repeat the first two verses.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://guhoyas.cstv.com/genrel/090905aaa.html |title= Georgetown Fight Song |work= Georgetown University Athletics Site |year= 2007 |access-date= March 4, 2007}}</ref> The final verse is usually followed by a [[call and response]] of the school cheer, "[[Hoya Saxa]]." Anyone can start the Georgetown fight song by asking a large group of Hoyas, "How long's it been?"  The group will reply with the fight song. With a properly motivated Hoya crowd, starting and holding the long low base note of "It's…" will also work.{{or|date=May 2018}}

==Usage==
The song is typically performed at athletics events by the Georgetown University Pep Band, but is also used at other large university occasions.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://studentorgs.georgetown.edu/hoyablue/?Action=About |title= About Us |work= Hoya Blue |year= 2009 |access-date= February 5, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://guhoyas.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/040207aaa.html |title= Georgetown University Students, Faculty, Staff & Fans Honors Men's Basketball Team During Afternoon Celebration on Campus |date= April 2, 2007 |work= Georgetown University Athletics |access-date= February 4, 2009}}</ref> Campus music groups such as The Georgetown Chimes use the song regularly in their performances.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://georgetownvoice.com/2010/02/11/chiming-in-when-youre-a-chime-youre-a-chime-all-the-way/ |title= Chiming in: When you're a Chime, you're a Chime all the way |first= Tim |last= Shine |date= February 11, 2010 |work= [[The Georgetown Voice]] |access-date= May 28, 2011}}</ref> In 2006, Georgetown students produced a film, ''Georgetown Forever'', which brings to life different elements of the fight song.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://georgetownforever.com/main/story.htm |title= Story |work= Georgetown Forever |date= April 22, 2006 |access-date= February 4, 2009 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080925051803/http://www.georgetownforever.com/main/story.htm |archive-date= September 25, 2008 }}</ref> The fight song has also been parodied by campus groups such as the Georgetown Solidarity Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.georgetownsolidarity.org/fightsong |title= Living Wage Fight Song! |work= Georgetown Solidarity Committee |year= 2009 |first= Sarah David |last= Heydemann |access-date= May 28, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090228141053/http://www.georgetownsolidarity.org/fightsong |archive-date= February 28, 2009}}</ref> Though freshmen often memorize the lyrics as part their first week's activities,<ref>{{harvnb|Malliet|Richmond|Wilson|2011|p=98}}</ref> the song is notoriously difficult to learn,<ref name=alt/> and accurate performance of the fight song is required for membership in certain spirit groups, such as Hoya Blue and the [[Jack the Bulldog|Jack Crew]].<ref>{{cite news |url= https://thehoya.com/whats-a-hoya-who-knows-who-cares/ |title= What's a Hoya? Who Knows? Who Cares? |date= January 19, 2007 |first= Jamie |last= Leader |work= [[The Hoya]] |access-date= February 5, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/29/AR2007032902362.html |title= Hoyas' Mascot Laps Up The Love |first= Susan |last= Kinzie |newspaper= [[The Washington Post]] |date= March 30, 2007 |access-date= July 17, 2008}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Hoya Saxa]]
*[[Georgetown University Alma Mater]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=iFMzXP14o_MC&pg=PT98 |title= Georgetown University 2012: Off the Record |first1= Christina |last1= Malliet |first2= Derek |last2= Richmond |first3= Andrew |last3= Wilson |publisher= [[College Prowler]] |year= 2011 |isbn= 978-1-4274-0435-0 |location= Pittsburgh}}
*{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=dg3aj3Bk7E8C&pg=PA35 |title= The Georgetown Hoyas |first1= Mark |last1= Stewart |first2= Matt |last2= Zeysing |publisher= Norwood House Press |year= 2010 |isbn= 978-1-59953-364-3 |location= Chicago}}
*{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FWH2cWtlJNkC&pg=PA8 |title= College Fight Songs |first1= William Emmett |last1= Studwell |first2=Bruce R. |last2 = Schueneman  |publisher= [[Haworth Press]] |isbn= 0-7890-0665-0 |year= 1998 |location= Binghamton, NY}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.guhoyas.com/genrel/090905aaa.html Official page] on Georgetown Hoyas athletics
*{{YouTube|snf_EDoHh-8|Georgetown Fight Song}}

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[[Category:Georgetown Hoyas]]
[[Category:Big East Conference fight songs]]
[[Category:Songs with unknown songwriters]]