Phonemail

The Band, like most other student organizations, takes full advantage of the campus ROLMphone system, forwarding messages abbout practices, games, etc. We also have our own voicemail box at x4-3XXX. Needless to say, interesting messages pop up now and then.

Other stuff cluttering up our mailbox

Songs

We try to stay away from Sousa Marches or tributes to Billy Joel... Most of our songs are fun, and sometimes they're arranged and learned the week before a show in order to make a great punchline (i.e. Shaft, Diff'rent Strokes, Leaving on a Jet Plane). In the past two or three years, we've started entering our songs into computing machines such as the one you are using right now. We've got some neat programs that let us print out scores and individual parts and other stuff. They can also play the music, but it doesn't sound too good: midi isn't really a great file format to begin with (strike 1), these songs were typed in with the intent of sounding good when we play them, not when a computer does (strike 2), and not all of them have percussion (strike 3). When one computer beeps a song instead of an entire band playing it, a little excitement is lost. I almost fall asleep when the computer plays Beat It. But here they are, the ones we entered:

We also sing a ton of songs. However, most of them are dirty and we don't write them down. The only way to learn them is to hear the Band sing 'em. We can post the traditional Columbia songs, however, since they're all available from the University anyway .

Roar, Lion, Roar
The Columbia Fight Song

When the bold, teams of old
Wore the Blue and White,
Deeds of fame, made their name,
Here at old Columbia.
Nowadays we can praise
Fighting teams again.
Hear the lion roar in pride,
While the men of Morningside
Follow the Blue and White to Vict'ry...

Roar, Lion, Roar
And wake the echoes of the Hudson Valley!
Fight on to victory evermore,
While the sons of Knickerbocker rally round
Columbia! Columbia!
Shouting her name forever!
Roar, Lion, Roar
For Alma Mater on the Hudson Shore!

Who Owns New York?

Oh, who owns New York?
Oh, who owns New York?
Oh, who owns New York the people say.
Why, we own New York!
Why, we own New York!
C-O-L-U-M-B-I-A!

Sans Souci The Columbia College Alma Mater

What if tomorrow bring
Sorrow or anything
          Other than joy?
What if't be wintry chill
Rain, storm or summer’s thrill?
Tomorrow's the future still;
          This is today!
Tomorrow's the future still;
          This is today.

Out on life's stormy seas
All of us soon may be,
          Far, far away.
Still hold your glasses high,
Here's to youth while it’s nigh;
Though we tomorrow die,
          This is today!
Though we tomorrow die,
          This is today.

One last toast e'er we part,
Written on ev'ry heart,
          This motto stay
Long may Columbia stand,
Honored throughout the land,
Our Alma Mater grand,
          Now and for ay!
Our Alma Mater grand,
          Now and for ay.

Stand Up and Cheer!

Stand up and cheer!
Stand up and cheer for old Columbia!
For today we raise
The Blue and White above the rest.
Our boys are fighting
And they are bound to win the fray.
We’ve got the team!
We’ve got the steam!
For this is old Columbia’s day!

Yes, they all have alternate lyrics. Oh, i almost forgot: we play Run DMC's You Be Illin' a lot and sing along. Since those lyrics are included in the album, i'll post them, too:

You Be Illin'
The Columbia School of Gettin' Down Alma Mater

One day when i was chillin'
in Kentucky Fried Chicken,
just mindin' my business
eatin' food and finga lickin'
This dude ... walks ... in
lookin' strange and kinda funny
Went up to the front
with a menu and his money
He didn't walk straight,
kinda ... side to side
He ax this old lady
"Yo, yo, um...
is this Kentucky Fried?"
The lady said yeah,
smiled and he smiled back
He gave a quarter an' his order:
SMALL FRIES, BIG MAC!

You be illin' x4

Today you won a ticket
to see Docta J.
Front! row! seats! In FREE!;no pay
Ra-di-o in hand, snacks by feet
The game's about to start
you’re kickin' popcorn to-the-beat
You finally wake up
Doc's gone to town:
'round his back, through the hoop,
and you scream, "TOUCHDOWN!"

You be illin' x4

The other day around the way
I see you illin' at a party
Drunk as a skunk, you illin' punk
and in your left hand was Baccardi
You went up to this
fly girl and said,
"Yo, yo, can i get this dance?"
She smelled your breath
and then she left
you standin' in yo' illest stance

You be illin' x4

For dinner, you ate it,
there is none left
It was salty, with butta,
and it was def.
You proceeded to eat it
'cause you was in the mood
But Holmes, you did not read;
it was a can of DOG FOOD!

You be illin' x4