"Roar, Lion, Roar" is the primary fight song of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. It was originally titled "Bold Buccaneers" and was written with different lyrics for the 1923

Varsity Show The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University and its oldest performing arts presentation. Founded in 1894 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Col ...

''Half Moon Inn'' by Columbia undergraduates

Corey Ford Corey Ford (April 29, 1902 – July 27, 1969) was an American humorist, writer, outdoorsman, and screenwriter. He was friendly with several members of the Algonquin Round Table in New York City and occasionally lunched there. Early years Ford was ...

and Morris W. Watkins, and alumnus Roy Webb. In order to compete in the Columbia Alumni Federation's contest to find a school fight song the same year, Ford wrote a new set of lyrics that would become "Roar, Lion, Roar". The title references Columbia's mascot, the Columbia Lion.

Lyrics

The original lyrics are: Today the song is almost always performed with only the second stanza.

"Bold Buccaneers"

The 1923 Varsity Show, ''Half Moon Inn'', was based on characters from ''

The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. ''The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.'', commonly referred to as ''The Sketch Book'', is a collection of 34 essays and short stories written by the American author Washington Irving. It was published serially throughout 1819 and 1820. The co ...

'' by

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

, including

Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls aslee ...

and Hendrick Hudson, the historical explorer for whom the

Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...

is named and who discovered

Hudson Strait Hudson Strait (french: Détroit d'Hudson) links the Atlantic Ocean and Labrador Sea to Hudson Bay in Canada. This strait lies between Baffin Island and Nunavik, with its eastern entrance marked by Cape Chidley in Newfoundland and Labrador ...

and Hudson Bay on his ship, the ''

Halve Maen ''Halve Maen'' (; en, Half Moon) was a Dutch East India Company '' vlieboot'' (similar to a carrack) that sailed into what is now New York Harbor in September 1609. She was commissioned by the VOC Chamber of Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic to ...

'' ("Half Moon"). The play followed the misadventures of the Columbia crew team, to whom the title "Bold Buccaneers" referred to. The lyrics for "Bold Buccaneers" are as follows:

Performers

* Johnny Long and his Orchestra – ''College Favorites (Volume 2)'' (1947)"Search results for 'roar lion roar"
at

WorldCat WorldCat is a union catalog that itemizes the collections of tens of thousands of institutions (mostly libraries), in many countries, that are current or past members of the OCLC global cooperative. It is operated by OCLC, Inc. Many of the O ...

. Retrieved May 9, 2020. * Lang-Worth Feature Programs (1950?) *

Walter Schumann Walter Schumann (October 8, 1913 – August 21, 1958) was an American composer for film, television, and the theater. His notable works include the score for '' The Night of the Hunter'' and the ''Dragnet'' Theme; the latter of which earned ...

– ''Songs of the Ivy League'' (1951) * Charles Henderson Band and Glee Club – ''Collegiana'' (1960)"Decca Debs Fall 'Rainbow' Release'
Decca 'Rainbow'
. ''The Billboard''. August 1, 1960. Retrieved May 9, 2020. *

The Kirby Stone Four The Kirby Stone Four were an American vocal ensemble popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. Kirby Stone founded the group in the years after World War II and began playing clubs in the New York area. They won slots on local television, including ''T ...

– ''Get That Ball'' (1962) * Annette Funicello (with The Wellingtons) – ''Annette on Campus'' (1963) * Norman Luboff Choir – ''Go, Team, Go!'' (1964) *

William Revelli William D. Revelli (February 12, 1902 – July 16, 1994) was an American music educator and conductor best known for his association with the University of Michigan, where he directed the university's bands including the Michigan Marching Ba ...

– ''Kick Off, U.S.A.'' (1964) * The Mormon Tabernacle Choir – ''Hail to the Victors!'' (1978)

References

External links

Lyrics to song
from the Columbia University Library Ivy League fight songs Columbia Lions Culture of Columbia University American college songs {{NewYork-sport-stub