Rover (song)
Encyclopedia
"Rover" is a song traditionally sung at the end of athletic contest victories by fans of the University of California Los Angeles. It is a parody
of the song I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover. The UCLA Band
arrangement opens with There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight. Following the opening, the band then plays the chorus to I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover. The band and students sing the lyrics, then the band plays the chorus again.
was popularized in 1948 by Art Mooney
. It was written in 1927 with words by Mort Dixon
, and music by Harry M. Woods
. There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
was written in 1886 with original lyrics by Joe Hayden and music by Theodore Metz, band leader of the McIntyre and Heath Minstrels. The UCLA Band arrangement is titled Stanford Game (1954), implying that it was originally played during the halftime of that football game by the UCLA Band.
The current song originated in the late 1960s, when a band
student wrote the parody lyrics to the tune of "I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" during a football
game. The UCLA song was retitled simply, "Rover."
At the height of the legendary John Wooden
era (1948–1975), "Rover" was played only after lopsided basketball victories, which were virtually every game. Now, "Rover" is played after all UCLA Athletics victories immediately following the alma mater. The lyric "...scattered all over the court..." is changed to "...scattered all over the field..." when at a football or soccer match. Also, after the band sings the lyric "...and in his head there's a great big dent..." they jump off their seats or benches simultaneously and continue singing.
We’re looking over our dead dog, Rover,
That we overran tonight (all right!)
One leg is broken, the other is bent,
And in his head, there’s a great big dent.
No need explaining the parts remaining
Are scattered all over the court[field](next page).
We’re looking over our dead dog, Rover,
That we overran tonight!
U! (3 claps)
C! (3 claps)
L! (3 claps)
A! (3 claps)
U-C-L-A! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the song I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover. The UCLA Band
UCLA Band
The 270 member UCLA Bruin Marching Band, known as The Solid Gold Sound, represents the University at major athletic and extracurricular events. During the fall marching season, the Band performs at the Rose Bowl for UCLA Bruin home football games...
arrangement opens with There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight. Following the opening, the band then plays the chorus to I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover. The band and students sing the lyrics, then the band plays the chorus again.
History
The song I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf CloverI'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover
"I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" is a song from 1927, written by Mort Dixon with music by Harry M. Woods. It was a hit for Art Mooney & His Orchestra in 1948 and was largely popularized by him. In modern times the song is perhaps most associated with Merrie Melodies cartoons, as it appeared in...
was popularized in 1948 by Art Mooney
Art Mooney
Art Mooney was an American popular bandleader. His biggest hits were "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" and "Baby Face" in 1948 and "Nuttin' For Christmas," with Barry Gordon, in 1955...
. It was written in 1927 with words by Mort Dixon
Mort Dixon
-Biography:Born in New York, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M...
, and music by Harry M. Woods
Harry M. Woods
Henry MacGregor Woods was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and pianist. Woods is sometimes credited as Harry Woods.-Early life:...
. There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight
"A Hot Time in the Old Town" is an American ragtime song, composed in 1896 by Theodore August Metz with lyrics by Joe Hayden. Metz was the band leader of the McIntyre and Heath Minstrels....
was written in 1886 with original lyrics by Joe Hayden and music by Theodore Metz, band leader of the McIntyre and Heath Minstrels. The UCLA Band arrangement is titled Stanford Game (1954), implying that it was originally played during the halftime of that football game by the UCLA Band.
The current song originated in the late 1960s, when a band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
student wrote the parody lyrics to the tune of "I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" during a football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game. The UCLA song was retitled simply, "Rover."
At the height of the legendary John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
era (1948–1975), "Rover" was played only after lopsided basketball victories, which were virtually every game. Now, "Rover" is played after all UCLA Athletics victories immediately following the alma mater. The lyric "...scattered all over the court..." is changed to "...scattered all over the field..." when at a football or soccer match. Also, after the band sings the lyric "...and in his head there's a great big dent..." they jump off their seats or benches simultaneously and continue singing.
Lyrics
The lyrics to the song are as follows:We’re looking over our dead dog, Rover,
That we overran tonight (all right!)
One leg is broken, the other is bent,
And in his head, there’s a great big dent.
No need explaining the parts remaining
Are scattered all over the court[field](next page).
We’re looking over our dead dog, Rover,
That we overran tonight!
U! (3 claps)
C! (3 claps)
L! (3 claps)
A! (3 claps)
U-C-L-A! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Song notes
- The words "all right" and "next page" in parentheses above originate from the days in the 1960s and 1970s when the UCLA student spirit organization, Rally Committee, wrote the words in markers on cards borrowed from the card stunts performed at football games. In card-stunt style, only the cards with the current and next line of lyrics were shown to the crowd; the other cards were reversed, with a half-dozen Rally Committee members standing in front of the crowd each with a card and turning them at the proper time. The words "(All Right!)" (parentheses included) appeared at the bottom of the card with the line "that we overran tonight", and the words "(Next Page)" (also parentheses included) followed the lyrics "are scattered all over the court". As a joke, the students sang the words in parentheses, and they eventually became part of the tradition.
- During the annual game against traditional rival USCUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, the lyrics are changed slightly, changing the word "dog" to "horse," as a parody of the Torjan's horse mascot, Traveler.
- Following "And in his head, there's a great big dent", singers jump on the bleachers to make the "crashing" sound.
- During the run of NCAA Basketball championships, the UCLA Band reserved an arrangement of the Hallelujah Chorus to be played only after a victory in the championship game.
- Other arrangements have been recorded including
- My Dead Dog Rover by Hank Stu Dave and Hank (Hank Landsberg & Dave Whited) from 1977, which appears on the Dr. DementoDr. DementoBarret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
25th Anniversary Collection - I’m Lookin’ Over My Dead Dog Rover by Kevin Gershon from 1973 and played on KMET FM in Los Angeles
- My Dead Dog Rover by Hank Stu Dave and Hank (Hank Landsberg & Dave Whited) from 1977, which appears on the Dr. Demento
Other UCLA School songs
- Mighty BruinsMighty Bruins"Mighty Bruins" is a fight song of University of California, Los Angeles sports teams. Composed by Academy Award-winning composer Bill Conti , the song was commissioned by the UCLA Alumni Association on its fiftieth anniversary...
- UCLA Fight song from 1984 - Hail to the Hills of WestwoodHail to the Hills of WestwoodHail to the Hills of Westwood is the school song or alma mater of the University of California, Los Angeles. It was written by Jeane Emerson, a 1929 graduate of UCLA, and adopted by the school in 1960. The current arrangement performed by the UCLA Marching Band was written by band member Dwayne S...
- UCLA Alma Mater song - Strike Up The Band (song)Strike Up the Band (song)"Strike Up the Band" is a 1927 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was written for the 1927 musical Strike Up the Band, where it formed part of a satire on war and militaristic music...
- UCLA official song - Sons of WestwoodSons of WestwoodSons of Westwood is the official fight song of the University of California, Los Angeles . The tune comes from "Big C", a school fight song for the University of California, Berkeley and UC Davis....