Victory for MSU

"Victory for MSU" is the official fight song of Michigan State University, USA. MSU's fight song was created in early 1915 (and copyrighted in 1919), when MSU was known as Michigan Agricultural College (M.A.C.). An MSU cheerleader, Francis Irving Lankey, along with lyricist Arthur Sayles,[1] created the song. With several changes noted below, the school has used the same song ever since. The MSU Fight Song is played at all university sporting events and is frequently sung by students and alumni. Upon the song's 100th anniversary, it was officially renamed from the "MSU Fight Song" to "Victory for MSU".[2]

It has been ranked as the #6 best college fight song by the BleacherReport[3] and called one of the NCAA's best fight songs by ESPN.[4]

Lyrics

Lankey's original lyrics reflected the school's role as an agricultural college. The lyrics have since been changed several times. The lyrics had to be modified when the school changed its nickname from the "Aggies" to the Spartans. In addition, whereas the original lyrics referred specifically to an American football game against the University of Michigan ("line of blue" refers to the Wolverine defensive line), the modern lyrics can be used for any opponent in any sport (although many hockey fans like to change the word "ball" to "hockey").

The modern lyrics:[5]

On the banks of the Red Cedar,

There's a school that's known to all

Its specialty is winning

And those Spartans play goodball;

Spartan teams are never beaten,

All through the game they fight;

Fight for the only colors:

Green and White.

Go right through for MSU,

Watch the points keep growing,

Spartan teams are bound to win,

They're fighting with a vim!

Rah! Rah! Rah!

See their team is weakening,

We're going to win this game,

Fight! Fight! Rah! Team, Fight!

Victory for MSU!

Breakstrain

Even though the breakstrain[6] is rarely sung, the band still plays it in transition.

Versions

Two arrangements of the fight song are played.

Notes

  1. MSU Alumni Association Magazine, Winter 2006, p. 5.
  2. "Michigan State changes fight song title". Detroit Free Press. September 30, 2015.
  3. Ranking the Top 50 College Fight Songs
  4. The stories behind NCAA's best fight songs - ESPN
  5. "Michigan State Official Athletic Site". www.msuspartans.com. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  6. "Breakstrain lyrics". MSU. Archived from the original on 2007-07-06. Retrieved 2011-05-02.

External links

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