The Story of the Waving Song

[Verb]

Just for grins, I'm going to sticky this up for a few days. We need to make sure that everyone knows that our waving song is the real deal--a genuine OSU tradition that dates back to 1908, and has nothing to do with Kansas and its wheat! So here you go, straight from okstate.com:




Waving Song
Courtesy: okstate.com
Release: 07/26/2006




Victor Herbert was inadvertently responsible for a deeply entrenched facet of A&M athletic tradition, the waving song. His lyricist was speech instructor H.G. Seldy Seldombridge. In 1908, Seldombridge had gone to Columbia University to scout for a senior class play. While there, he heard In Old New York, the hit song from the operetta The Red Mill. Even New Yorkers were humming the song on city streets, and Seldombridge returned to Oklahoma humming it, too.
Shortly thereafter, he incorporated In Old New York into the closing number of a college follies show being rehearsed in Stillwater's Grand Opera House. But as he studied the stage decorated in orange and black for a campus scene, he realized that New York's praises were out of place for a southwestern college setting.

Suddenly OAMC flashed to my mind,? he explained in 1941. He asked the 30-voice choir to take a break, grabbed a piece of wrapping paper, hummed, and scribbled. In less than ten minutes he had the alternate lyrics that would enliven sports events long after opening night.

For that finale, a letterman representing each sport joined the chorus onstage. The students added their own memorable touch. They swayed and sang OAMC! OAMC! We'll sing your praise tonight, as they waved to the audience in unison.

It almost raised the roof off the old building, noted Seldombridge, who left the campus in 1910. Exhilarated, the crowd surged to its feet and returned the rhythmic wave. It took two encores before the campus and community gathering was willing to relinquish the emotion of the moment.

From that night on, you could frequently hear someone whistling the tune, he recalled, touched that OAMC's waving song was remembered as late as 1941.

The Waving Song

Oklahoma State! Oklahoma State!
We'll sing your praise tonight;
To let you know where e’re we go,
For the Orange and Black we'll fight
We'll sing your worth o’er all the Earth
And shout: Ki Yi! Ki Ye!
In books of fame we'll write your name,
Oklahoma State!

[bleedorange]

I love waving the wheat.




:biggrin:

[DCPokeFan]

When I learned it as a professors' kid going to games in the 60s, it was "for the black and the orange" which fits the music much better...guess the pressure of traditionally listing the colors in order "orange-black" was to strong.

GO POKES!!!

[Verb]

Remind me that next time I get to Oklahoma, I owe you a smack on the behind, Bleed. Maybe even with one of those Paddle People paddles.
:biggrin:

[OKState918]

When I learned it as a professors' kid going to games in the 60s, it was "for the black and the orange" which fits the music much better...guess the pressure of traditionally listing the colors in order "orange-black" was to strong.

GO POKES!!!

Not disputing the fact that you learned it as "for the black and orange we'll fight", but I'm wondering if you were taught wrong...

The only reason I say that is because I've heard several old Oklahoma A&M Glee Club recordings from the 30s and 40s (including one I sent Casdas that he has since uploaded to YouTube) that say "orange and black".

[DCPokeFan]

You're probably right! As a historian, I have to take archival evidence over memory every time! ;)

That's really cool, that there's archival recordings of the Glee Club singing it...could you post a link to the YouTube if you get a moment? Of course I'll go there and search for it but it would make a nice addition to my .mp3s of the band trilogy!

[bleedorange]

That's really cool, that there's archival recordings of the Glee Club singing it...could you post a link to the YouTube if you get a moment? Of course I'll go there and search for it but it would make a nice addition to my .mp3s of the band trilogy!

It was posted in this thread not too long ago:

http://www.ostatesports.com/community/showthread.php?t=5132

[GoPokes83]

How did I miss that thread! 2:49 Ag-He Ruf-Nex spirit club. Classic!

I wish they'd play the words to the waving song on the jumbotron like they do the fight song. Do they teach that history in Camp Cowboy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxC6hGDBr4A

[DCPokeFan]

Here's a little something since we're going down memory lane:

http://home.gwu.edu/~agnew/OAMCPoscard1908.JPG

Happens to be dated to 1908, which is about when the "Waving Song" tradition started.

GO POKES!!!

[OSUFan]

Just for grins, I'm going to sticky this up for a few days. We need to make sure that everyone knows that our waving song is the real deal--a genuine OSU tradition that dates back to 1908, and has nothing to do with Kansas and its wheat!

For the record, Oklahoma A&M/OSU has had a strong tradition of wheat production and research. I thought OSU's tradition was the "waving of the wheat" and thought that's what the song was about. I wasn't referencing KU. Thanks for correcting a failing memory.

[Verb]

Fan, I promise, I was NOT singling you out. In fact, your post reminded me that I'd been meaning to post the waving song history, not because of you but because there's a thread elsewhere on the internet in which people are claiming that "all our traditions are stolen from other schools."

I can't address ALL our traditions, but the waving song is 100% ours!

[Boss 24]

I prefer my wife's version of the idea behind the song.

My wife is a Kindergarten teacher. A few years back (after 38-28) she was approached after school by a parent picking up his kid. His comment was, "How come you dumb aggies always wave after every touchdown?" Without skipping a beat, she says,"That's us waiving goodbye to your chances for a National Championship.


He didn't have too much to say after that.:biggrin:

[Verb]

hahaha

[orangegal]

I wish they'd play the words to the waving song on the jumbotron like they do the fight song.


They post all the words to all the fights songs during pre-game, including the waving song.

Bev.

[osutuba]

Fan, I promise, I was NOT singling you out. In fact, your post reminded me that I'd been meaning to post the waving song history, not because of you but because there's a thread elsewhere on the internet in which people are claiming that "all our traditions are stolen from other schools."

I can't address ALL our traditions, but the waving song is 100% ours!
I'd love to know if our other fight songs are originals ...

[Verb]

I seem to recall that the fight song was chosen by a songwriting contest? Maybe I'm imagining that. I'll see what I can track down.

(Edit--that was the Alma Mater I was thinking of--it was chosen by a contest when the name of the school changed in 1957. I haven't tracked down the fight song yet.)

[legelegel]

I prefer my wife's version of the idea behind the song.

My wife is a Kindergarten teacher. A few years back (after 38-28) she was approached after school by a parent picking up his kid. His comment was, "How come you dumb aggies always wave after every touchdown?" Without skipping a beat, she says,"That's us waiving goodbye to your chances for a National Championship.

He didn't have too much to say after that.:biggrin:

The first time I read this I thought "his" was the kid. :biggrin:

Just another little smart ass five year old dressed in crimson and cream. :biggrin:

[OKState918]

I'd love to know if our other fight songs are originals ...

In speaking to Hiram Henry a few years back, he said he was always under the impression that Oklahoma A&M originally rotated through a few military marches for fight songs (OAMC had a sizeable ROTC band in its early days), and "Ride'em" was more of a glee club song that eventually took hold as the "Cowboys" name took hold through the mid-1920s. There was even an "OAMC March" which was written for the university. I've got a recording of that somewhere - I'll do some digging and see if I can find it.

The Chant was written introduced around 1957 when the university changed from OAMC to Oklahoma State. I believe, Verb, that it too was chosen by student vote, but Hiram said he didn't remember it being as hotly contested a choice as the Alma Mater, simply because OSU already had a primary fight song.

So anyway - in regard to your question, Tuba, all three songs in The Trilogy are unique to Oklahoma State.

[eddie4osu]

I remember reading that ou's second fight song "Ok,Oklahoma" (yes, they do have more than Boomer Sooner), was awarded to them back in the 50's by a songwriter after their students collected more cigarette packages than any other school.

[GoPokes83]

I too get tired of people saying we've stolen all our traditions from other schools when with just a little investigation you can see they're all ours.

Hook 'em Pokes! Rock Chalk Cowboys forever!!!

[OKState918]

I remember reading that ou's second fight song "Ok,Oklahoma" (yes, they do have more than Boomer Sooner), was awarded to them back in the 50's by a songwriter after their students collected more cigarette packages than any other school.

That's more or less correct.

The song was actually written for OU by Fred Waring (some people might remember that name) in 1939. Back then, he hosted a weekly radio show (sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes - hence the cigarette package contest) and he'd write a song for the winning school for each show.

Coincidentally, Waring is also responsible for the bastardized arrangement of "Oklahoma" that the OU marching band still plays.

Anyway. Don't ask me why I know that. If only I could get paid for my wealth of useless collegiate trivia.

[StratKat]

I too get tired of people saying we've stolen all our traditions from other schools when with just a little investigation you can see they're all ours.

You could make an arguement that everything is "stolen" from somewhere at some point throughout history I'm sure. However, I honestly don't recall, as long as an OSU fan as I've been...since early 70s as a kid.....the guns up sign being around until the last oh 5 to 8 years. I remember T Tech doing that before seeing any of us do it. But even so, I don't care. The guns up is appropriate for the Cowboys so I'll still do it and unless T Tech has a copyright or trademark on it, how would they enforce it over 40K + fans anyway? So up yours Red Raiders....whatever that is.

[Lewis the Pike]

welcome to the board street!

[StratKat]

thank you. longtime lurker first time poster. :)

[legelegel]

That's more or less correct.

The song was actually written for OU by Fred Waring (some people might remember that name) in 1939. Back then, he hosted a weekly radio show (sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes - hence the cigarette package contest) and he'd write a song for the winning school for each show.

Coincidentally, Waring is also responsible for the bastardized arrangement of "Oklahoma" that the OU marching band still plays.

Anyway. Don't ask me why I know that. If only I could get paid for my wealth of useless collegiate trivia.

The interlocking O and U was first seen in that band's departing field formation in the early 1950's. Before that the u was always before the o.

[eddie4osu]

If you want to hear the waving song as it was written, here is a youtube version of "the streets of New York". You can skip to :47 seconds.


http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=awq6Vd9zWu0

[OKState918]

If you want to hear the waving song as it was written, here is a youtube version of "the streets of New York". You can skip to :47 seconds.


http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=awq6Vd9zWu0

What a great find! I've got the sheet music for "In Old New York", but I've never heard a recording of it with its written lyrics.

[AnniePokely]

I'm bumping this thread for a few days. I removed it from sticky because i felt Wresting Junkie's thread should be the only one pinned at this time. Verb agreed.

I just wanted you to know why this thread is no longer tacked to the top.