FSU Hymns

The following are the alma mater, hymn, and fight song of Florida State University.

Alma Mater - "High O'er Towering Pines"

In 1947, The Florida Flambeau held a contest for a song to become the school’s alma mater; “High O’er the Towering Pines” was written by Johnny Lawrence and submitted to the competition. The song was announced as the winner of the competition on November 21, 1947, but was not officially made the alma mater until 1949.

Lyrics

"High o'er the towering pines our voices swell,

Praising these gothic spires, we love so well!

Here sons and daughters stand,

faithful and true,

Praising our Alma Mater, F-S-U."[1]

"Hymn To the Garnet and Gold"

"The Hymn to the Garnet and the Gold" was originally written by J. Dayton Smith for chorus and was first premiered by the Collegians at the 1950 Homecoming. In 1958, Charlie Carter arranged the piece for the Marching Chiefs and it was performed as the closer to the Homecoming show, cementing it as a Homecoming tradition at Florida State.[2]

Lyrics

"Here's a hymn to the garnet and the gold, ringing to the sky.

Here's a song for the men and women bold, sing with heads held high.

Striving e'er to seek to know, fight for victory.

Alma mater, this our song to you echoes F. S. U."

"FSU Fight Song"

The 1950 Homecoming half-time show included a dedication ceremony naming the stadium in honor of university President Doak Campbell. There was also a special performance by the band, christening it the Marching Chiefs and premiering the "FSU Fight Song." Student Doug Alley wrote the lyrics to the fight song as a poem which first appeared in the Florida Flambeau. Professor of music Thomas Wright saw the poem in the newspaper and wrote a melody to it as he was inspired by the surge of school spirit.[3]

Thomas Wright grants rights to the song in exchange for two season tickets every year.[4][5]

Fifty years later, the FSU Fight Song is one of the most widely recognized college tunes in the country. Mission Control used the Fight Song to awaken alumnus and current professor Norm Thagard one morning in 1983 while he was aboard the Challenger spacecraft.[6]

Lyrics

"You've got to fight, fight, fight, for FSU!

You've got to scalp 'em Seminoles!

You've got to win, win, win, win, win this game,

and roll on down and make those goals!


For FSU is on the warpath now,

And at the battle's end she's great!

So fight, fight, fight, fight to victory!,

Our Seminoles from Florida State!


(Say and YELL) F-L-O-R-I-D-A S-T-A-T-E

Florida State, Florida State, Florida State!

Whooooooo!"[7]

See also

References
  1. "FSU Song Lyrics". Florida State University. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  2. Davis, Hannah. "What's in a song? The many melodies of FSU". Illuminations. Heritage Protocol & University Archives. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  3. "Florida State University: A History of Traditions – Page 26". The FSU Fight Song. FSU Student Government Association. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  4. "Florida State University - Fight Song (lyrics by Doug Alley, music by Thomas Wright)'". Archived from the original on 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  5. "The History of the War Chant". Archived from the original on 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2007-05-28.
  6. "FSU 150th Anniversary - History || Co-Education Returns || Fight Song". Archived from the original on 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  7. "FSU Fight Song (Florida State University)". Lyrics Translate. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
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