"Victory" is an old fight song

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 Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...

. It is most often sung by the Penn State Glee Club and performed by the Penn State Blue Band

Penn State Blue Band

The Penn State University Marching Blue Band, known generally as the Blue Band, is the marching band of Pennsylvania State University. Founded in 1899, it is the largest recognized student organization at the University Park campus of Penn State, presently with over 300 active student members...

.

While a Penn State student and Glee Club member in 1913, James Leyden began singing a song he had just created at the athletic Track House. His roommate, Albert A. Hansen, published the song in the fall semester of 1913. The Blue Band played an arrangement of the song as early as 1915. During a Penn State Nittany Lions football

Penn State Nittany Lions football

The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...

 game at Beaver Field against Lehigh University

Lehigh University

Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...

, students held aloft blue and white streamers and alternated the colors with the beats of the song; the novel cheering method became popular with the spectators in the crowd.

Leyden would later compose The Nittany Lion

The Nittany Lion (song)

"The Nittany Lion" is a traditional fight song played by the Penn State Blue Band at football games and other sporting events. During the pre-game show of home football games at Beaver Stadium, it is part of the traditional Lion Fanfare and Downfield...

in the 1920s.

Lyrics

The song's lyrics are:

Come now Classmen, let us sing,

Loyally support our team,

We're here today with our colors gay,

Ready to win the fray.

Whether it be Pitt

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

 or Penn

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

,

Harvard

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 or Cornell

Cornell University

Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...

,

Play the game, every man, and we will win again!

Fight, Fight, Fight, for the Blue and White,

Victory will our slogan be;

Dear Alma Mater, fairest of all,

Thy loyal sons will obey thy call

To fight, fight, fight, with all their might,

Ever the goal to gain,

Into the game for Penn State's fame

Fight on to Victory!

External links

• Mp3 of "Victory", performed by the Penn State Glee Club