I googled and realized that I actually knew the first two lines of Illinois' fight song (the original one):

We're loyal to you, Illinois
We're Orange and Blue, Illinois

(What the heck does that mean?)

The rest (from wikipedia):

We'll back you to stand
Gainst the best in the land,
For we know you have sand, Illinois,
Rah! Rah!
So crack out that ball Illinois,
We're backing you all Illinois;
Our team is our fame protector,
On! boys, for we expect a vict'ry from you Illinois!
Che-he! Che-ha! Che-ha-ha-ha!
Go Illini go!
Che-he! Che-ha! Che-ha-ha-ha!
Go Illini go!
Illinois! Illinois! Illinois!
Fling out that dear old flag of Orange and Blue,
Lead on your sons and daughters, fighting for you;
Like men of old, on giants placing reliance, shouting defiance
Oskee wow-wow!
Amid the broad green plains that nourish our land,
For honest Labor and for Learning we stand,
And unto thee we pledge our heart and hand,
Dear Alma Mater Illinois.

And it is so long that they wrote another shorter one called, "Oskee Wow-Wow" - which I didn't know at all. Possibly because I never went to a game. You can see the lyrics here.

I know we had a song but I don't even know if the band knew it

the alma mater = school song is primarily american, and because many of the songs contained the words "alma mater"

Okay, so I feel better about it, and also I'm going to forget it shortly.

I'm having a freakout because the trackpad on my Macbook just stopped working. The mouse pointer only wants to be in one place. It was doing so well! Okay, it needs to be constantly plugged into power, and there are some bright spots on the display, but it was workable.

Now, not workable. Unless I find space for an external mouse. Which bugs.

eta: OH GOOD. It was nothing.

Late to the discussion, but I swear by Gardenburger's tomato basil veggie burgers.

No idea if either my high school or my college even HAD songs. Probably. Don't remember.

I was so lacking in school spirit in high school, I was famous for it. This one time? When everyone else was out making a float for some parade? The headmaster said anyone who didn't want to work on the float could sit in the library, so of course I was the only one in there. And the biology teacher, Mrs. Smith? she came and put her hand on my shoulder all affectionate-like and said, "We're just going to have to get you interested in sports!" And I said, "No, I don't think so," and kept on reading. She got this funny look on her face and walked off. And it wasn't like she meant, we need a way to work some of that lard off your tushie, girl! because I was really thin back then. I never got it. So some people aren't interested in sports, big deal. Nobody ever said to the athletes, "We're just going to have to get you interested in science!" No, that would have been WEIRD.

I'm freezing. I have a bunch of stuff to do today, and I haven't even showered yet. I wanna go back to bed.

Man, I found a third Illinois song. So crazy. Illinois songs make me think of that 1930s college football mileau where they (at least the two earlier ones) originated. Here is the short and ridiculous 3rd song:

Hail to the Orange,
Hail to the Blue,
Hail Alma Mater,
Ever so true!
We love no other
So let our motto be
Victory, Illinois! Varsity!

I meant to say earlier how happy I am that JZ's new job seems to involve nice people. It's so hard to dread going to work every day.

Vanderbilt had a fight song. I think it began "Dy-no-mite, dy-no-mite when Vandy takes the field." I completely avoided college sports, except for a baseball game or two and one unpleasant football game, so I didn't hear it sung enough to learn it. We sang the alma mater pretty often, but I have the impression that's not the norm. It's possible I just went to more official functions than most students, since I covered many of them.

"Awww, where's your school spirit, Mudhead?"

"Over there in the rumble seat. Want a snort?"

t /Firesign Theater

I was in the Marquette pep band, so I could play both the fight song and alma mater at the drop of the director's baton. Heck, I could probably still dredge up the fight song out of the depths of my brain even now, 23 years later. I never did learn all the words to the alma mater, though.

I can also play "Beer Barrel Polka" by heart, because we played that at the end of every basketball game--it was our final song of the evening, played after just about everyone had left the stadium and right before we packed up our stuff. It was played not long after the announcer finished reading off the stats on the speakers and then told everyone good night. The band would all shout back, "Good night, [whatever his name was]!" and he'd respond, "Good night, band!"

What did you play, Kathy?

Oddly, our high school football band played the Notre Dame Victory March when we won. We also played the theme from Rocky as the football players took the field.