(POLL) Current Fight Song Lyrics Need To Be Fixed? (POLL)

[RedWolf]

At this point, you might be right. Just treat the new name and new team for what it is: an expansion team. Instead of fighting it, embrace it.

I dunno man. I'm torn and confused and pulled in different directions.

Exactly. Embrace the change

 

[Primus Porcus]

Play the song with no lyrics, let the fans sing whatever they want to sing.

Many colleges have iconic songs that nobody that isn't an alum knows the words to, or cares. It's recognizable none the less. Maintain the connection with the past, let fans pass down the fight song however they choose.

 

[Commander PK]

Play the song with no lyrics, let the fans sing whatever they want to sing.

Many colleges have iconic songs that nobody that isn't an alum knows the words to, or cares. It's recognizable none the less. Maintain the connection with the past, let fans pass down the fight song however they choose.

There could be something to this as well. My high school’s fight song was the Minnesota Rouser. The band just played the tune…our mascot was the Cougars. Never sang the lyrics for obvious reasons, and nobody created new ones for our version.

 

[Primus Porcus]

And play the song in the true form... LIVE BAND. Not some piped in attempt that we've seen the team do under previous ownership.

 

[Faithful Fan]

New song required.

Our Redskins history is gone. Face it

I would like to hold on to the little bit of history they’ve left us. This would be worse without the colors and the fight song.

 

[RedWolf]

I would like to hold on to the little bit of history they’ve left us. This would be worse without the colors and the fight song.

Colors yes IMO

 

[hail2skins]

And even if you play the song instrumentally at the stadium, half the fans will say Commanders and half will say Redskins. It'll be an abomination like the seating bowl in the club level, where you have a mishmash of red and yellow seats.

I'm one who will still wear Redskins stuff and won't buy Commanders gear, and while I appreciate the "history" sentiment, I still think holding onto Hail anything is so half asses. Hail belongs with Redskins. Per Josh Harris, we are no longer them.

 

[scruffylookin]

This isn’t an “expansion team”.

There is a clear line from our origins as the Boston Braves in 1932 to today as the Washington Commanders in 2025. To simply call this franchise now something akin to an expansion team is wrong.

Just because the name was forcibly changed does not mean we have to throw away our history, our colors or our fight song. We just need to remove the amateurs (wife of the owner designing uniforms as an example) who were charged with our “rebrand” and get competent people in those positions who understand our history and connect to it.

As Mark has already shown, the Native American wording in the original version of the song were removed a long time before the name change. I remember singing the song for the first time as part of a junior high pep rally for the Redskins before Super Bowl 17 and still have the lyric sheet we were given and no “scalp’em” or “heap more”. Really the only line that needs changing (and unfortunately it’s a great line admittedly) is “Braves on the warpath”. That’s it.

Fix the lyrics to get the song pace back to the way it’s meant to be instead of the funeral durge it’s current arraignment is and you’re fine.

 

[Mark The Homer]

I agree with a lot of the posts here — even contradictory posts. Everybody has a good point and a good reason to say what they say. TTV says "The best solution is to just sing the original song." He might be right. FF says, "I'd like to hold on to a little bit of history." Yeah, me too. I think it's fascinating. But that's just my opinion. I agree with scruffy and some others that basically say "Fix the lyrics to get the song pace back to the way it's meant to be..." Seems to me we can try to do that at the very least. If the fight song is going to die, then it's going to die regardless of what we try to do. And when I say "die,", I don't necessarily mean die due to the front office - the fight song could die because the fans simply don't care anymore. Meanwhile, the front office has other priorities. But if the majority of the fans don't care, then it doesn't matter. As RW says, "New song required. Our Redskins history is gone. Face it." It's a shame though. You know how much fun it is to walk through an opposing city's airport in full gear singing Hail To The Redskins? Or do same at an opposing team's stadium lot? Or in our own lot? It brings the fans together. It solidifies unity. It greatly promotes fan camaraderie. You need a fight song to do that. You need lyrics that don't sound stupid. I think part of the problem is the younger fans who have no connection to the past, and have known nothing but losing their entire life. They have nothing to fondly look back upon. So history means nothing to them. And also, I think, many of them have never attended a game.

Another problem is fan attendance vs television fans. One can consider himself a huge fan and yet never have attended a game in his life. So in that case, as a huge fan, he wouldn't give a hoot about the fight song.

I'm thinking maybe I'll do a poll next week with lots of options and we'll see what the membership says. But still, even then. the problem is, if most of the respondents are from out of town and have never been to a game, they wouldn't understand the importance of the fight song. So, the results would be unfairly skewed.

I'll figure it out and make a poll. HTTR

 

[Riggo44]

The rebrand was the equivalent of the guy with a Donovan McNabb #5 jersey that they put duct tape over the name and wrote "Daniels"

Maybe hire Gojira to pen our new anthem!

 

[CrimsonHide1970]

The rebrand was the equivalent of the guy with a Donovan McNabb #5 jersey that they put duct tape over the name and wrote "Daniels"

Maybe hire Gojira to pen our new anthem!

You mean this guy?

https://preview.redd.it/minus-one-could-be-the-lightning-in-a-bottle-we-might-not-v0-o33hbjdg9l4c1.png?auto=webp&s=5c03aabbc6c9b723d9feedae0d775e5df87bc369

 

[Discobob]

The best solution is to just sing the original song. I thought that was what everyone has been doing in the stadium anyways

Seems like the easiest solution. Not sure if they post the lyrics, if the NFL won't allow that, just play the song without lyrics, all the fans will sing the original...

 

[SkinsFTW]

Stupid name=Stupid song.

I say double down and let the BK guy write and sing it. Like this one

 

[Riggotoni]

Hail to the Commies
Hail KGB
Brave Proletariat
Fight the Bourgeoisie

We used to have the best logo
Now it's a taco holder
What the hell did you expect
Lord Farquaad was our owner

Hail to the Commies
Hail KGB
Brave Proletariat
Fight the Bourgeoisie

 

[Ashburn Dave]

And even if you play the song instrumentally at the stadium, half the fans will say Commanders and half will say Redskins. It'll be an abomination like the seating bowl in the club level, where you have a mishmash of red and yellow seats.

I'm one who will still wear Redskins stuff and won't buy Commanders gear, and while I appreciate the "history" sentiment, I still think holding onto Hail anything is so half asses. Hail belongs with Redskins. Per Josh Harris, we are no longer them.

But.............but...............but.........................you are hail2skins.

 

[Boone]

New song required.

Our Redskins history is gone. Face it

'History' by it's literal definition is never 'gone'. History is history brother. Wanting to wipe it out because it is painful, or irritating , or wanting to move on, or whatever.... that's just not how life works.

As far as a team song goes, you don't just write a new one. It has to have meaning and currency and be embraced. I think most fans would say, there is no replacing this franchise's team song.

The whole challenge with how the 'franchise' has handled this transition has been, they were afraid to just blow it up, to relegate all things 'Redskins' to the history bin, and start over as a brand new franchise. In a lot of ways, that would've been smarter and maybe a lot easier. Instead, they removed major pillars of the former franchise (the name, the logo, the identity) but tried to maintain 'ties' to the past (the colors, the 'hail to the _____', the hogs symbology, etc...). They tried to co-opt the song, but no one is interested. The song only means anything to former fans, and changing the lyrics and subbing in 'Commanders' for 'Redskins' with a bunch of lyric substitutions is an awkward affront. Does anyone sing the new lyrics? I seriously doubt it. It's just an epic fail.

Sometimes, we just have to let things happen organically. I think that as long as the team *has* a song, it will be 'Hail to the Redskins'. I don't know who mentioned it, but maybe that's the one thing the new owners can't change. Maybe Commanders fans will sing 'Hail to the Redskins' forever. It could be a nod to the past, a subtle 'eff you' to those that made us change, and a proud tradition that fans refuse to give up. I'd vote for that.

 

[Mark The Homer]

I 100% agree with the above post. I'll put a poll up in a few days and see what the membership thinks. I'll try to cover everybody's POV's.

HTTR

 

[Mark The Homer]

Just throwing this out there since it's kind of related to the thread.

I don't know if they still do this, but up to ten years ago, through at least 2015, the Redskins Marching Band would gather in a particular area on the lower concourse after the game. It was an endzone area. There was sort of a bar area very close by. So, we'd gather there. And it would take them a good 20 mins, maybe even 30 mins after the game to assemble down there. Meanwhile, we fans were already down there patiently waiting for them.

And then they'd finally arrive. And they'd form a circle. And then they'd play various tunes, including of course, Hail To The Redskins. This wasn't advertised anywhere that I know of, it was just a kind of special treat for us regulars who were in the know. Especially fun if you had your kid with you. So they'd be in a circle and play just for us, and we, unprompted, would sing along.

It was just natural.

When you hear the music to Hail to the Redskins, you sing "Hail To The Redskins." You just do. Because that's how you were brought up. You can't help it. You can't stop yourself. It's almost instinctive. And it was fun.

And people would throw cash money on the ground in the middle of the circle. It was a good way for the band to get donations.

But this was just one of the things that made the Redskins special. It provided a local flavor that I think most NFL team's fans don't get to enjoy.

 

[hail2skins]

Msrk, I didnt go to a lot of games at RFK, but the first three years of Landover I think the band sat in a section close to the field. And jammed during the game and it was definitely a great part of the energy.

Then in 2000 Snyder really started to change things, removing PA guy Phil Hochberg with a carnival barker, moving the band to the club level, and creating the whole Jock Jams atmosphere.

 

[Ashburn Dave]

Just throwing this out there since it's kind of related to the thread.

I don't know if they still do this, but up to ten years ago, through at least 2015, the Redskins Marching Band would gather in a particular area on the lower concourse after the game. It was an endzone area. There was sort of a bar area very close by. So, we'd gather there. And it would take them a good 20 mins, maybe even 30 mins after the game to assemble down there. Meanwhile, we fans were already down there patiently waiting for them.

And then they'd finally arrive. And they'd form a circle. And then they'd play various tunes, including of course, Hail To The Redskins. This wasn't advertised anywhere that I know of, it was just a kind of special treat for us regulars who were in the know. Especially fun if you had your kid with you. So they'd be in a circle and play just for us, and we, unprompted, would sing along.

It was just natural.

When you hear the music to Hail to the Redskins, you sing "Hail To The Redskins." You just do. Because that's how you were brought up. You can't help it. You can't stop yourself. It's almost instinctive. And it was fun.

And people would throw cash money on the ground in the middle of the circle. It was a good way for the band to get donations.

But this was just one of the things that made the Redskins special. It provided a local flavor that I think most NFL team's fans don't get to enjoy.

I wish I had known this. We were always rushing out after the game to beat the traffic, but I would have loved to hang around for this at least once.