UH Manoa fight song lyrics updated

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Gregg Takayama, 956-9836
Communications Director
Posted: Dec 18, 2007



The last line of the "Fight Song" of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is being revised to make the inspirational tune fitting for both men and women athletes. The lyrics will be changed from "Here‘s to each valiant son" to "Here‘s to each valiant one."

The song, one of the staples of the band‘s repertory, is played at all UH Mānoa athletic events. "This word change in our Fight Song appropriately recognizes and celebrates the fact that our student athletes include both men and women," said Mānoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw.

The revision has been approved by the ASUH Senate and by the Mānoa Faculty Senate.

The melody to the "Fight Song comes from a march entitled "Co-Ed" by J.S. Zamecnik, originally published in 1914 with the cover declaration: "Respectfully Dedicated to the College Girls." The original lyrics, by J.R. Shannon, began: "Here‘s to the girl in college / And to her charming ways; / Here‘s to the girl of knowledge, / Pride of our student days."

No one can recall when the lyrics to the UHM version of the song were composed, but they may very well date back before 1972, the year of the beginning of UHM‘s women‘s athletics program. Women now constitute 45% of our intercollegiate athletes.

With the revision, the "Fight Song" will now be sung:

Here‘s to our dear Hawaiʻi,
Here‘s to our Green and White.
Here‘s to our Alma Mater;
Here‘s to the team with fight.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Here‘s to old warriors calling,
Here‘s to old battles won.
Here‘s to Hawaiʻi‘s victory,
Here‘s to each valiant one.

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