Sons of Westwood
Encyclopedia
Sons of Westwood is the official fight song
of the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA). The tune comes from "Big C
", a school fight song for the University of California, Berkeley
and UC Davis.
Unlike most primary fight songs, Sons of Westwood isn't played after a Bruin touchdown; that distinction goes to The Mighty Bruins.
" was composed in 1913 by Harold P. Williams, with lyrics by Norman Loyall McLaren. It was written to commemorate the construction of the large concrete "C" in 1905 on the "rugged Eastern foothills" of the Berkeley campus. The song was the winning entry in the Daily Californian school song competition in 1913.
wrote an arrangement of "Big C" for a halftime show performed by the combined marching bands from UCLA, UC Davis, and Cal. Afterwards, UCLA continued using James' arrangement of "Big C" as its fight song, adding their own lyrics and renaming it "Sons of Westwood". It was soon adopted as UCLA's fight song.
that "Big C" had never been copyrighted, and therefore was in the public domain
. However, whenever Cal plays UCLA and "Sons of Westwood" is played, Cal fans sing a parody ending, "but damn you, it's 'Big C.'" Likewise, whenever Cal plays "Big C" UCLA plays their signature "tag" at the end, which is a part of "Sons of Westwood" but not "Big C".
Residents of Cal's Bowles Hall dormitory have co-opted one of UCLA's fight songs, By The Old Pacific's Rolling Waters, and titled it Bowles Hall Drinking Song. The Cal band plays this song in front of Bowles Hall during the parade from Memorial Stadium after the game. http://www.calband.berkeley.edu/calband/media/calsongs/bowles.html
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
of the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
(UCLA). The tune comes from "Big C
Big C (fight song)
"Big C" is a fight song of the University of California, Berkeley. It was composed in 1913 by Harold P. Williams, with lyrics by Norman Loyall McLaren. It was written to commemorate the construction of the large concrete "C" in 1905 on the "rugged Eastern foothills" of the Berkeley campus. The song...
", a school fight song for the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and UC Davis.
Unlike most primary fight songs, Sons of Westwood isn't played after a Bruin touchdown; that distinction goes to The Mighty Bruins.
"Big C"
"Big CBig C (fight song)
"Big C" is a fight song of the University of California, Berkeley. It was composed in 1913 by Harold P. Williams, with lyrics by Norman Loyall McLaren. It was written to commemorate the construction of the large concrete "C" in 1905 on the "rugged Eastern foothills" of the Berkeley campus. The song...
" was composed in 1913 by Harold P. Williams, with lyrics by Norman Loyall McLaren. It was written to commemorate the construction of the large concrete "C" in 1905 on the "rugged Eastern foothills" of the Berkeley campus. The song was the winning entry in the Daily Californian school song competition in 1913.
Adoption by UCLA
From the late 1940s until the 1960s UCLA and Cal alternatively hosted a college football doubleheader game as part of the "All University Weekend". The first game featured UC Davis vs. UCSB. In one of the last "All U Weekends", Kelley James, then Associate Director of the UCLA Marching Band and alumnus of the Cal BandCal Band
The University of California Marching Band, usually shortened to Cal Band, is the marching band for the University of California, Berkeley. While the Cal Band is student-run, it is administered under the auspices of the university and represents Cal at sporting events and social gatherings...
wrote an arrangement of "Big C" for a halftime show performed by the combined marching bands from UCLA, UC Davis, and Cal. Afterwards, UCLA continued using James' arrangement of "Big C" as its fight song, adding their own lyrics and renaming it "Sons of Westwood". It was soon adopted as UCLA's fight song.
Controversy
Many Cal fans, most notably Cal Band director James Berdahl, were enraged over what they saw as James' theft of their song. A bitter exchange ensued between Berdahl and James for the next several years concerning the legal and ethical grounds for James' adaptation of the song. Finally, on February 18, 1969, UCLA lawyers were told by the Copyright Office of the Library of CongressLibrary of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
that "Big C" had never been copyrighted, and therefore was in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. However, whenever Cal plays UCLA and "Sons of Westwood" is played, Cal fans sing a parody ending, "but damn you, it's 'Big C.'" Likewise, whenever Cal plays "Big C" UCLA plays their signature "tag" at the end, which is a part of "Sons of Westwood" but not "Big C".
Residents of Cal's Bowles Hall dormitory have co-opted one of UCLA's fight songs, By The Old Pacific's Rolling Waters, and titled it Bowles Hall Drinking Song. The Cal band plays this song in front of Bowles Hall during the parade from Memorial Stadium after the game. http://www.calband.berkeley.edu/calband/media/calsongs/bowles.html
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 - Rover (song)Rover (song)"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...
- UCLA Victory 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