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

[Mark The Homer]

Revamped ‘Fight for Our Commanders' Fight Song Unveiled at Preseason Opener

The Washington Commanders revealed their revamped fight song Saturday with “Fight for the Commanders” named the winner and played at preseason opener.

www.nbcwashington.com

I am not a musician. I cannot write music. I can't read notes. I can't play the piano. I can't play the flute. But I know enough to know that the current fight song isn't right.

Previous lyrics (1938-1971):

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS,
Hail Vic-to-ry,
Braves on the warpath,
Fight for old D.C.

Scalp 'em, Swamp 'em.
We will take-em big score
Read 'em, Weep 'em. Touchdown
We want heap more!

Fight on. Fight on till you have won.
Sons of Wash-ing-ton (Rah! Rah! Rah!)

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS,
Hail Vic-to-ry.
Braves on the warpath.
Fight for old D.C. *


*Source: 1948 Media Guide per this site


Revised (1972-2020) version:

Hail to the Redskins
Hail Vic-to-ry
Braves on the warpath
Fight for old D.C.

Run or pass and score —
We want a lot more
Beat 'em, Swamp 'em, Touchdown —
Let the points soar

Fight on, Fight on
Till you have won,
Sons of Wash-ing-ton (Rah! Rah! Rah!)

Hail to the Redskins
Hail Vic-to-ry
Braves on the warpath
Fight for old D.C. **


**Source: 1978 Media Guide per this site



Great fight song! It served the team well for almost a century, even as the lyrics were changed just a bit in 1972. And "Dixie" was swapped in and out for "D.C." mid-20th century.

New Lyrics (2022-present):

Hail to the Commanders!
Hail Victory!
Fight for Our Commanders!
Fight for Old D.C.!

Run or pass or score --
We want a lot more!
Beat 'em, swamp 'em
Touchdown! -- Let the points soar!

Fight on! Fight on! Til you have won!
All of Wash-ing-ton! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Hail to the Commanders!
Hail Victory!
Fight for Our Commanders!
Fight for Old D.C.! ***


***Source: NBC link at the top of this post

There is host of problems with these lyrics.

As already discussed in another thread, the rhythm is wrong. In the old song, with lyrics spanning nearly a century, each syllable in the lyrics matched a musical note, and vice versa. The new version doesn't work because Snyder forced Commanders, a 3-syllable word, into what had been Redskins, a two-syllable word. You can't force three-syllable Commanders into two musical notes without it sounding awkward and stupid and amateurish. It cannot be sung comfortably.

Also, the third line is stupid. "Fight for our Commanders." Who should fight for our Commanders? It sounds like the lyrics are directing somebody - us, the fans, apparently - to come down from the bleachers and take to the field and fight for our team. I guess the team needs help? Maybe they're tired and need a break. It doesn't make any sense.

The fifth line - Snyder changed it for a reason not understood. The original line read "Run or pass and score." But Snyder, apparently, didn't like it that way, so he changed it to read "Run or pass or score." Why? Swapping out "and" for "or" is stupid. It could have been a sort of lazy mental typo which makes more sense. But this is just more evidence that Snyder simply didn't give the lyrics the attention they deserved, which is typical of the Snyder era.

Similar problem with the 10th line. "All of Washington!"

Fight on, fight on. Til you have won!
All of Washington!

But all of Washington is not fighting. The players are fighting. The team is fighting. The fans are cheering. All of Washington is cheering.

And btw, why was "Sons of Washington" removed in the first place? Another PC problem? I don't understand. Why would Snyder deliberately create a problem where none exists? Why can't Snyder have a modicum of respect for history and just leave the line alone? "Sons of Washington" has historic significance going back to 1938 and should remain in the lyrics.

Line 9 can be improved. Change it from

Fight on! Fight on! Till you have won!

to

Fight on! Fight on! Till we have won!

Because the majority of true Washington fans identify with the team and typically use "we" when referring to the team (e.g. We won!).


Note that all the above problems are Snyder's doing. Josh Harris is innocent.

If we're going to have to live with Commanders, why can't they do it like this <take your time and sing this in your head as you read> :


Hail the Commanders!
Hail Victory!
Fight on, Commanders!
Fight for Old D.C.!

Run or pass and score --
We want a lot more!
Beat 'em, swamp 'em
Touchdown! -- Let the points soar!

Fight on! Fight on! Till we have won!
Sons of Wash-ing-ton! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Hail the Commanders!
Hail Victory!
Fight on, Commanders!
Fight for Old D.C.!


It flows just like the original 1938 version.


Here's another example of a fix from member HurQlez - a slight change in the music corrects the error in rhythm - and the lyrics cleverly include the word "brave" - a word which was in the original version before Snyder removed it:

credits:

Barnee Breeskin for original music 1937
Corinne Griffith for original lyrics 1938

 

[Faithful Fan]

Great topic, the fight song is very important to me, and one of my biggest problems with the rebrand is the mess they made of it.

Hail the Commanders!
Hail Victory!
Fight on, Commanders!
Fight for Old D.C.!

Run or pass and score --
We want a lot more!
Beat 'em, swamp 'em
Touchdown! -- Let the points soar!

Fight on! Fight on! 'Til you have won!
Sons of Wash-ing-ton! Rah! Rah! Rah!

Hail the Commanders!
Hail Victory!
Fight on, Commanders!
Fight for Old D.C.!


It flows just like the original version.



credit:

Barnee Breeskin for original music
Corinne Griffith for original lyrics

This would be a big improvement. How can we make it happen? Do we still think Josh Harris cares about such things?

 

[burgold]

Yeah, I really dislike HTTC. Beyond being a mockery of the original it just feels icky.

 

[Mark The Homer]

Great topic, the fight song is very important to me, and one of my biggest problems with the rebrand is the mess they made of it.



This would be a big improvement. How can we make it happen? Do we still think Josh Harris cares about such things?

Thank-you. First I'll fix the wiki page, then I'll add my version to the talk section. Then I'll send a USPS business letter to the team, contigent on comments/complaints/suggestions from the membership here.

 

[DC Lovin San Francisco]

Yeah, agree with you MTH — I like "Hail the Commanders." It's about as syllabically appropriate as we're going to get without a full rewrite.

 

[TTViper]

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

 

[AngryChuckT]

Great topic, the fight song is very important to me, and one of my biggest problems with the rebrand is the mess they made of it.



This would be a big improvement. How can we make it happen? Do we still think Josh Harris cares about such things?

Yep. It is what happens when persons with no history or personal connections are allowed to make major decisions for a beloved, iconic, and deeply rooted brand. To them it was just a task in their most recent job. To us it is part of our personal history.

 

[scruffylookin]

Nothing more to add. You nailed it and your revised lyrics do fix the issues with the song.

Harris group, make it so.

 

[Mark The Homer]

Yeah, agree with you MTH — I like "Hail the Commanders." It's about as syllabically appropriate as we're going to get without a full rewrite.

Syllabically. My new word for the day. Plus, you got that em dash thing goin' on. Without a space between them. You might be the first person on this board to use that. Those are some kinda super magical powers you got.

 

[burgold]

We Heil, Heil right in the Fuhrer's face

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I agree the new song is an abomination, but what I find funny about it is how they kept the tune so there is that Native American sound to it. I don’t think the people who wrote the new lyrics were smart enough to have left that in as a tribute to the past either. It was just laziness and trying to pretend nothing changed.

 

[Mark The Homer]

I'm not sure what you mean by "native American sound to it." But there is no doubt that the new lyrics are a result of laziness and ineptness. This was done by Snyder and his henchmen, after all. And he had to be considering dumping the team anyway at that point. There is nothing about the new lyrics that suggests any consideration about anything.

 

[RedWolf]

New song required.

Our Redskins history is gone. Face it

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I'm not sure what you mean by "native American sound to it." But there is no doubt that the new lyrics are a result of laziness and ineptness. This was done by Snyder and his henchmen. And he had to be considering dumping the team anyway at that point. There is nothing about the new lyrics that suggests any consideration about anything.

The run or pass or score we want a lot more. Beat ‘em swamp touchdown let the points soar. It has always sounded like that Native American Indian sound at that part.

 

[Commander PK]

I like this version, flows perfectly.

 

[Mark The Homer]

That's hilarious.

 

[Commander PK]

All joking aside, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to just let it go. Maybe create a new Fight song in the style of a Sousa March or something.

 

[Mark The Homer]

The run or pass or score we want a lot more. Beat ‘em swamp touchdown let the points soar. It has always sounded like that Native American Indian sound at that part.

Yeah, okay, I gotcha. I thought you meant the music rather than the lyrics. But I see what you mean, and I always thought the same. "Beat 'em, swamp 'em," that seems to be a play on native Americans, and not in a good way. Excellent point. Maybe I should try to fix that in this new version in the OP? If I can. Or maybe I should leave it for historical reasons. That's how the 1938 version went. "Scalp 'em, swamp 'em,".

 

[Mark The Homer]

All joking aside, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to just let it go. Maybe create a new Fight song in the style of a Sousa March or something.

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.

 

[tomwvr]

Yes it is

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