Nobody spends the time to write school songs nowadays. The same can be said for non-genre patriotic or state songs. Maybe because there is no money in it, but perhaps Tom Lehrer's Fight Fiercely Harvard made a mockery of the endeavor.
Here are the lyrics to some RPI songs, most from the first half of the twentieth century.
A Son of Old R.P.I.
Words by R. Shermerhorn, Jr. '95
(To the tune of “A Son of a Gambolier”)
Listen: mp3
Upon a hillside in a town
There stands a college old-
A college famed in history,
From hosts of stories told,
To teach the young idea to shoot,
It's worth its weight in gold,
It gathers from lands far and near
Its children to the fold.
Chorus:
Come join my humble ditty,
From Troy town I steer,
Like every honest fellow,
I drink my lager beer.
Like every honest fellow,
I never will go dry,
I'm a student from the Institute,
A son of old R.P.I.
A son of, a son of, a son of, a son of,
A son of old R.P.I.
A son of, a son of, a son of, a son of,
A son of old R.P.I.
Like every honest fellow,
I drink my whiskey clear,
I'm a moral wreck from the Polytech
And a hell of an engineer.
We students of the R.P.I.,
Are of a jolly kind,
And though we study hard at times
To cultivate the mind,
You'll always find us in for fun,
We're never left behind,
A happier crowd of fellows o'er
This earth you'll never find.
Chorus
The maidens sweet all smile on us,
As boys we pass them by,
The “cops” along the street all nod
And wink the other eye,
The people turn to look at us
And say: “Oh me! Oh my!”
There go those wicked college boys
From that bad R.P.I.
Chorus
The faculty at R.P.I.
Are, yea, a noble band;
For brains and intellectual worth
They're noted through the land.
The students honor all of them-
We trust them heart and hand-
They credit dear old Rensselaer,
Our alma mater grand.
Chorus
Come then, and let us all unite,
Lift all your glasses high,
And drink a toast to her we love,
Whose glories never die.
Then bring the “Cherry and the White”
And wave it to the cry-
The old Rah! Rah! Rensselaer,
Three cheers for R.P.I.
Chorus
Ah! Me!
Ah! Me! My poor Freshie,
Ah! Me! My poor Freshie,
What will thy mother say to thee,
When thou goest home with N.S.E.
Thy mother she will say to thee,
Thy mother she will say to thee,
My darling boy, I greatly fear,
That you've been drinking lager beer - “Amen.”
Alma Mater
Music by Edmund Fales '97
Listen: mp3
Here's to old R.P.I., her fame may never die.
Here's to old Rensselaer, she stands today without a peer.
Here's to those olden days,
Here's to those golden days,
Here's to the friends we made at dear old R.P.I.
At Rensselaer
Paul Grossman '37
Chorus:
We've got the spirit at Rensselaer,
We've got the will at Rensselaer;
The spirit to fight for all that is right
You'll find it at Rensselaer;
We've got the key to all success,
Nurtured in knowledge and thoroughness,
To do mighty deeds, is every man's creed
At Rensselaer.
Verse:
When in after years we think of thee,
And our hearts grow warm in memory,
We'll return to fill the stands again,
And we'll shout for victory;
There will be a hearty welcome
As we pass beneath the gate,
And with good old friends around us
We will burst into this song.
Bingo
Here's to Rensselaer, drink it down, drink it down.
Here's to Rensselaer, drink it down, drink it down.
Drink it down, drink it down, drink it down, drink it down,
Balm of Gilead, Gilead, balm of Gilead, Gilead
Balm of Gilead, way down on the Bingo farm,
We won't go there any more, we won't go there any more,
We won't go there any more, way down on the Bingo farm.
B-I-N-G-O go Bingo,
B-I-N-G-O go Bingo,
B-I-N-G-O go Bingo, way down on the Bingo farm.
Can You Spell Rensselaer?
E. M. Frost '11
Can you spell Rensselaer? R-E-N-S-S,
If not, you're no Engineer E-L-A-E-R;
Come on, boys, now, boys,
Come gather round, boys,
We'll sing a Rensselaer song;
Then we'll give a yell,
In which we tell to everyone who's near
That R-E-N-S-S-E-L-A-E-R spells Rensselaer.
Fight Fight for Rensselaer
Fight, fight for Rensselaer,
The sons of Rensselaer are out for glory,
On to the fray,
We'll tell to the Union the same old story,
The cry is “On, on they come,”
We'll raise the Cherry and White triumphant,
Smash! Bang! We'll rip old Union,
Whoop it up for Rensselaer.
Fight for Rensselaer
A. Olin Niles
Fight, Fight! for Rens-se-laer,
We must surely win this game.
Shout! Shout! for Rens-se- laer,
For our college and its fame.
Cheer! Cheer! for Rens-se-laer,
For the fighting engineers.
Fight! for your Alma Mater,
Rens-se-laer!
Fighting Engineers of Rensselaer
Fred Waring & Charles Gaynor
Drink to the Cherry and the White, men,
Symbols we hold so dear.
Drink to her, for whom we'll always fight, men,
Drink to the honor of Rensselaer.
Hail to the men of R.P.I.
Famed in song and story.
Fighting men of R.P.I.
Lead the way to glory,
In song we'll celebrate 'em,
To the sky we'll elevate 'em,
The fighting engineers of Rensselaer!
Chorus:
If you want to meet a ball of fire
A man who sets 'em all afire,
Acclaimed in everything; he'll do or die,
Step up my friends and meet him,
But be careful how you greet him,
He's a fighting engineer from R.P.I.
When he fights he's got ferocity,
He runs with such velocity
No bird you've ever heard of hopes to fly;
Opponents always pale before,
They tremble and they quail before
A fighting engineer of R.P.I.
Where's the man called Superman?
That super dooper man you'll find is but a boy!
Anyone with common sense'll hear
That here in Rensselaer we've got the real McCoy!
For his dear old Alma Mater,
He'll get hot and then get hotter,
'Till the foe will know 'tis woe even to try.
The Cherry and the White will win
The very hottest fight they're in
Because that ball o' fires an engineer;
A fighting engineer from Rensselaer.
Chorus
Football Song
Words and Music by Samuel H. Cheney '23
The Cherry and the White is out to win.
Rise up ye men and cheer,
We'll back the team through all the din,
The teams of Rensselaer.
We'll show those men how we can fight,
We Engineers,
How we can fight and rush them down the field,
So let us sing this song:
Fight your way right down the field,
Through Williams line,
Show them that you'll never yield,
Fight, boys, all the time,
We will back you up with cheers
Till it rends the air;
Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight, do your best,
It's for Rensselaer.
From the Glorious Heights
(Adapted to the music of the Marines' Hymn)
From the glorious heights of Prospect Park, to the mud flats of Cohoes,
We will study hard, get drunk weekends, and the rest, Lord only knows.
We will drink to Troy's fair maidens, we will drink to Troy's good beer,
And without a doubt someone will shout, “Let us drink to Rensselaer.”
And when after four or five long years, we have finally cribbed our way,
We will all get drunk down at the port, just to celebrate the day.
And when Houston hands the sheepskins out, we will all let out a cheer,
For we're going out of college, and “To Hell with Rensselaer!”
Hail Alma Mater
Words and Music by Charles S. Root '34
Arranged by H. Townsend Helster
Hail Alma Mater, Old R.P.I.
Hail Alma Mater, Old R.P.I.
For Alma Mater, we'll do or die!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Old Alma Mater, as the years roll by
Friends so true we've made at Rensselaer
Happy days we'll ever hold so dear,
Memories that linger thru the years
For Alma Mater give a rousing cheer
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Chorus:
Hail Alma Mater, Old R.P.I.
For Alma Mater, we'll do or die!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Old Alma Mater, as the years roll by
Hail Alma Mater, Old R.P.I.
Hail Alma Mater, praises we bring
Hail Alma Mater, praises we bring
For Alma Mater, we'll always sing!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Old Alma Mater, ever held so dear
Hail Alma Mater, old Rensselaer.
Son of old we hear your challenge ring
From her hills we still can hear you sing
To her walls our hearts will ever cling
For Alma Mater give a rousing cheer
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Chorus
Hail, Dear Old Rensselaer
Words and Music by Charles S. Root '34
Listen: mp3
Hail, dear old Rensselaer, the college of our heart.
For dear old Rensselaer, each man must do his part.
True sons of Rensselaer, we'll always strive to be.
Now, dear old Rensselaer, hail to thee.
Hear the tramp, tramp, tramp of marching feet.
Hear the rat-tat-tat of drums that beat.
Hear the voices ringing loud and sweet.
Hear that mighty shout of…
Hail, dear old Rensselaer, the college of our heart.
For dear old Rensselaer, each man must do his part.
True sons of Rensselaer, we'll always strive to be.
Now, dear old Rensselaer, hail to thee.
High O'er Hudson's Noble River
High o'er Hudson's noble river, stand thy walls proclaiming ever
Mighty science; bold endeavor, Old Rensselaer.
To the hand that guiding, nature's laws confiding,
Taught us how both then as now, to struggle with the problem, aye, and solve it.
Alma Mater, sponsor dear, lov'd by all who gather here.
Thus we greet thee with a cheer,
All hail! Rensselaer.
Once again with gladsome faces; pride that stirs and cheer that praises.
We are met to sound thy praises, Old Rensselaer.
We, thy sons do hail thee. Ne'er a one shall fail thee.
Striving on with course strong to victors and honor still to lead thee,
Loyal hearts and willing hands, brains that answer
Thy demands, guard thy banner where it stands,
Old Rensselaer.
Loyal to Rensselaer
Words and Music by Leroy W. Clark '06
Old Williams has her loyal sons and Colgate men are true;
Some prefer the Crimson, while others choose the Blue,
But there is a fairer college, whose colors float on high,
Where the Cherry and the White proclaim our dear old R.P.I.
Once again to thee our Alma Mater, raise we our song of praise;
Loyal 'neath thy banner, shouts of triumph forever raise,
Pressing forward to the conflict, thy sons can know no fear,
For they fight for the fame of the Cherry and the White,
And the glory of Rensselaer.
Now and Forever
Words by C. H. Jarrett
Lift up our light 'tis the torch that was passed to us;
Down thro' the years it has come at the last of us,
Steady our hand must be, high our endeavor.
Sing we to Rensselaer, now and forever.
Old R.P.I
(Adapted to the tune of the Auld Lang Syne)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And the days of R.P.I.
When we as boys, were at the “Tute”
In the days so long gone by.
Chorus:
Old R.P.I., Old R.P.I., Old R.P.I.,
We sing
Old R.P.I., Old R.P.I., Old R.P.I.,
We'll make the welking ring.
Come gather 'round the festive board;
Ye sons of Rensselaer,
And drink her health with a right good will,
A “Tute” without favor or fear.
Chorus
We may forget our Calculus,
And Analytics too,
But ne'er shall we forget, forsooth,
Out friendships tried and true.
Chorus
Those jolly days, those jolly days,
Those days of all our life,
When we were at the Institute,
With all its toil and strife.
Chorus
Old Rensselaer
Words by Mrs. E. S. Jarrett
(To the tune of Ar Hyd Y Nos [Old Welsh Air])
Dedicated to the Class of '89
Thou hast sent us forth to labor, Old Rensselaer.
We have wrought to win thy favor year after year.
Steel to weld and stone to shiver,
Sink the mine and span the river,
For thine honor tolling ever, Old Rensselaer.
When thy sons are met together from far and near,
Scarred with service, worn with weather, Old Rensselaer.
Proud they lay their deeds before thee,
Done to show the love they bore thee,
Stronger grown as years pass o'er thee, Old Rensselaer.
When they write our nation's story, splendid and clear,
Surely great shall by thy glory, Old Rensselaer.
In their works thy sons enshrined thee,
Mighty works to leave behind thee,
Mother land, let these remind thee, of Old Rensselaer.
Rah! Rah! For Rensselaer
Words and Music by Fred Graue, Jr. '12
Rah Rah for Renss-ler,
Rah Rah for Renss-ler,
For we've a team that's loyal and true.
Then cheer for Renss-ler,
Then cheer for Renss-ler,
For she surely will win for you.
Come give a cheer boys,
Come give a cheer boys,
And raise you voice so all can hear.
Let each man stand up and yell,
So that every one can tell,
That we cheer for old Rensselaer.
Rensselaer Beer Song
(Adapted to the tune of Garry Owen)
In place of water we'll drink ale
Either by glass or by the pail.
We live to drink; we drink to die,
For we are the men of old R.P.I.
We come from far, we come from near
To go to school at Rensselaer.
We like the girls; we like our beer
And no one can drink like an engineer.
And when we die we go to hell.
We kick the door; we ring the bell.
The Devil says, “you can't stay here.
I want no men from Rensselaer.”
“Although your souls are black with sin,
I'm sorry, boys, you can't come in.
For if you mingle with the mob
I'll have to hunt myself a job.”
Rensselaer Cheer Song
Written by Benny Davis
Root, root, root, cheer, cheer, cheer for Rensselaer,
Fight, fight, fight with all your might, you fighting engineer,
Block that kick, hold that line, victory is near,
Do or die for R.P.I., for RENSSELAER.
Win, win, win, don't give in, win for Rensselaer,
Show your zeal, you men of steel, show that you know no fear,
March on, on and on, keep your colors high,
Rise or fall, we're one and all, for R.P.I.
Rensselaer Forever
Words by J. McGiffert
Music by Mrs. J. McGiffert
We're loyal sons of R.P.I., of good old Rensselaer;
On Troy's most lofty hillside our campus doth appear;
There Carnegie and Pittsburgh and Russell Sage and all
Loom up in mighty grandeur and we obey their call.
Chorus:
Rensselaer Forever!
Her ties we'll never sever,
So let us cheer together
For good old Rensselaer.
Through many, many decades our famous Rensselaer
Has led all Schools of Science, and now we have no fear,
To sing aloud her praises and herald wide her fame,
For oh, there's glory in her, there's power in her name.
Chorus
And now, our Alma Mater, to thee we'll e'er be true,
And when we've left thy portals, our youth we shall renew,
By joining the Alumni, we meet both far and near,
In cheering, loudly cheering, for good old Rensselaer.
Chorus
Song of the Classes
J. J. Cotsworth '37
For we are the freshmen as green as the trees;
We believe all we're told and expect N.S.E.'s.
We were nursed on a bottle before we came here,
And soon we'll be bounced out of old Rensselaer.
Chorus:
For its A, B, and C, D, we all fall in line,
To the tune of our Profs we must always keep time:
Yes - but we stick together, all foes we defy
In this grand institution, this school - R.P.I.
For we are the Sophomores with debonaire look,
Our vile Freshman manners we now have forsook.
Oh! - We sport 'round the town with the boys of our age,
And make frequent calls on the girls down at Sage.
Chorus
For we are the Juniors a'smokin' our pipe,
We passed our C Physics and all other tripe;
Oh, we frighten old ladies, all fun we do kill,
For we've not been a'wasting our time on the hill.
Chorus
For we are the Seniors a'takin' our ease,
We write a few theses whenever we please;
Oh, we've learned how to soak up our whiskey and beer,
For soon we'll be leaving this school - Rensselaer.
Chorus
Stephen van Rensselaer
Edward M. Frost '11
In eighteen hundred and twenty-four, lived a man of great repute;
This good man founded the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
His aim was to furnish his country with men
Who could build better bridges than those they had then,
Now a thousand or two such men pass in review,
And we'll give all the honor due
To Stephen Van Rensselaer,
A noble man with a grand career:
An A.B. from Harvard and an LL.D. from Yale
He saw the need of such an institution
So he straightway proceeded to establish a good one.
And its world-wide fame will perpetuate the name
Of Old Stephen van Rensselaer.
The Fighting Engineers
Words and Melody by Neal D. Howard '23
Music by Pete Gerwig '23
Fight! Fight! Fight for R.P.I.
We're out to win this game today.
There is no line that can hold our warriors bold,
So smash thru and break away,
Every loyal son's behind you with heart, and hand, and cheers;
So give your best, and then the rest,
For you're the “Fighting Engineers.”
We're here to fight for you,
We're here with might for you,
So under the cherry and white,
Our cry is fight! Fight! Fight!
For the glory of Rensselaer.
Toast to Rensselaer
Fred Graue, Jr. '12 & Weaver '11
Come all ye classes
With plenty of glasses
And fill them up with a cheer.
We'll drink to Rensselaer,
The college we hold dear.
Then gather 'round
In a merry throng
And we'll sing the whole night long.
We'll drink, drink the damn town dry
And never heave a sigh,
While we gather from far and near
Just to drink to old Rensselaer.
When the Evening Shades Are Falling
Words by Thomas H. Messer '12
Music by Strickland L. Kneass '80 & C. Stewart Ferguson '18
Listen: mp3
When the evening shades are falling, o'er the mountains clear and grey,
And the breezes slightly rustling, sound so very far away.
When you dare not break the silence, and the air is sweet and clear,
Then there comes in hallowed mem'ries thoughts of Dear Old Rensselaer,
Thoughts of Dear Old Rensselaer.
When the moon in golden splendor, liquid light pours out and down,
And our daily count we render, to ourselves and jot it down.
When the stars shine out before us, silent pale, and still and clear,
Then there mingles with out thoughts again thoughts of Dear Old Rensselaer,
Thoughts of Dear Old Rensselaer.
When the skies their floods are pouring, and the night is black and drear,
And the angry winds are roaring 'til the stars shrink back in fear,
Yet we know our faith is holding, holding back the floods and fear,
And we send our thanks back homeward, back to Dear Old Rensselaer,
Back to Dear Old Rensselaer.