Hail to the Commanders

Last updated
"Hail to the Commanders"
Song
Written1937
Genre Fight song
Composer(s) Barnee Breeskin
Lyricist(s) Corinne Griffith
Formerly known as "Hail to the Redskins"

"Hail to the Commanders" is the fight song of the Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL). At home games, the song is performed by the Washington Commanders Marching Band when the team scores a touchdown. Composed in 1937, the song was performed as "Hail to the Redskins!" until 2019, when the team retired the Redskins name.

Contents

The music was composed by Barnee Breeskin with lyrics written by Corinne Griffith, the wife of franchise founder George Preston Marshall. [1] The musical arrangement and lyrics have since gone through various revisions.

History

Hollywood film star Corinne Griffith, author of the original lyrics of "Hail to the Redskins!" Corinne-griffith.jpg
Hollywood film star Corinne Griffith, author of the original lyrics of "Hail to the Redskins!"

In 1937, Marshall moved the team from Boston to Washington, D.C. With this move and the introduction of his team to the nation's capital, Marshall commissioned a 110-member marching band to provide the new fans with the "pomp and circumstance" and "pageantry" of a public victory parade. Marshall said he wanted his team and their games to emulate the spectacle of gladiators at the Colosseum. He also wanted to incorporate elements of the college football experience into the pro game. He outfitted the band with $25,000 worth of uniforms and instruments and asked the band leader, Barnee Breeskin, to compose a fight song worthy of such a team of gladiators and warriors.

The original lyrics were written by Marshall's wife Corinne Griffith to reflect the Native American warrior imagery of the team as the "Redskins". The lyrics were later reworked to be less offensive to contemporary sensibilities, although the Redskins name became increasingly criticized as a racial slur. Washington began playing the song at home games for the 1938 season. "Hail to the Redskins" is the second oldest fight song for a professional American football team; the oldest fight song is "Go! You Packers! Go!", composed in 1931 for the Green Bay Packers.

The original fight song lyrics [2] are as follows:

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.

Revisions

The first revisions, in 1965, removed lyrical and musical references to Dixie. The song's original first stanza had evolved into the line "Fight for old Dixie", while early arrangements of the song closed to the opening of the southern folk song "Dixie" played as a countermelody.

The Redskins played south of the Mason-Dixon line, and as there were no established NFL teams in the region until the 1960s, Marshall aggressively marketed his franchise as "Team of the South". [3] He would recruit players from Southern schools, [4] refuse to employ black players (until 1962), [5] feature Southern bands at halftime, [6] and sign contracts to feature the team on Southern radio networks and television networks. [7] [8]

In July 1965, a black Washington fan wrote to the owner of the team, describing the racial unrest that "Dixie" caused and asking for it to be stopped. [9] According to an article in The Washington Afro-American of October 23, 1965, "Dixie" was no longer played as a countermelody starting that year. [10]

In 1972, the lyrics were altered after representatives of Native American groups raised concerns about lines that referred to the practice of scalping and used non-standard grammar in a stereotype of Native American speech.

Team president Edward Bennett Williams met with a delegation of Native Americans representatives, including Dennis Banks from the American Indian Movement; LaDonna Harris, president of Americans for Indian Opportunity; and Leon Cole, president of the National Congress of American Indians. They asked him to replace the team nickname, retire the female "Redskinette" dancers in pseudo-native dress, and change the lyrics to the fight song.

Williams listened to their concerns, but in the end he only changed the song lyrics, saying, "The 'swamp 'ems,' 'scalp 'ems,' and 'heap 'ems' is a mockery of dialect. We won’t use those lyrics anymore." [11] [12]

The modified third and fourth lines were:

Run or pass and score, We want a lot more!
Beat 'em, swamp 'em, Touchdown—let the points soar! [13]


Playing of "Hail to the Redskins!" was halted at home games in 2020 and 2021 when the franchise abandoned its controversial team nickname. [14] However, the song was restored in 2022 with the team's rebranding as the Commanders, with the phrase "Braves on the Warpath" replaced by "Fight for our Commanders" via an online fan vote. [15]

Dallas Cowboys incident

When the NFL began considering expansion to Texas, Marshall strongly opposed the move, as it would end his three-decade monopoly on pro football in the South. In 1958, potential owner Clint Murchison, who was trying to bring the NFL back to Dallas, bought the rights to "Hail to the Redskins" from a disgruntled Breeskin and threatened to prevent Marshall from playing it at games. Marshall agreed to back Murchison's bid, Murchison gave him back the rights to the song, and the Dallas Cowboys were founded. [16]

Other usage

The LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization use the song's melody in their own fight song. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dallas Cowboys</span> National Football League franchise in Arlington, Texas

The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and has played its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, since its opening in 2009. The stadium took its current name prior to the 2013 season, following the team's decision to sell the stadium's naming rights to telecommunications company AT&T. In January 2020, Mike McCarthy was hired as head coach of the Cowboys. He is the ninth in the team's history. McCarthy follows Jason Garrett, who coached the team from 2010 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXVI</span> 1992 edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1991 season. The Redskins defeated the Bills by a score of 37–24, becoming the fourth team after the Pittsburgh Steelers, the now Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers to win three Super Bowls. The Bills became the third team, after the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos to lose back-to-back Super Bowls. The game was played on January 26, 1992, at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first time the city played host to a Super Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Commanders</span> American football team based in the Washington, DC, area

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland; its headquarters and training facility are in Ashburn, Virginia. The team has played more than 1,000 games and is one of only five in the NFL with more than 600 total wins. Washington was among the first NFL franchises with a fight song: "Hail to the Commanders", played by their marching band after every touchdown scored by the team at home. The Commanders are owned by a group managed by Josh Harris, who acquired the team from Daniel Snyder in 2023 for $6.05 billion.

Details of the history of black players in professional American football depend on the professional football league considered, which includes the National Football League (NFL); the American Football League (AFL), a rival league from 1960 through 1969 which eventually merged with the NFL; and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), which existed from 1946 to 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Preston Marshall</span> American businessman and founder of the NFLs Washington Redskins (1896–1969)

George Preston Marshall was an American football executive who owned the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He founded the franchise as the Boston Braves in 1932 based on the remnants of the Newark Tornadoes, a defunct franchise which was sold back to the league in 1930. Marshall renamed the team "Redskins" in 1933 and relocated them to Washington, D.C. in 1937. He was its controlling owner until his death in 1969.

A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand, these songs are called the team anthem, team song, or games song. First associated with collegiate sports, fight songs are also used by secondary schools and in professional sports.

Wilber Buddyhia Marshall is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for five teams from 1984 until 1995. Marshall played college football for the Florida Gators, was twice recognized as a consensus All-American, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Michael Deanailo Westbrook is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Westbrook played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes, and was recognized as a consensus All-American in 1994. He was selected in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL. After retiring from football, he later competed as a mixed martial arts fighter in the heavyweight division.

The Commanders–Cowboys rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Washington Commanders, formerly known as the Redskins, and the Dallas Cowboys. In 2005, Sports Illustrated called it the top NFL rivalry of all time and "one of the greatest in sports." ESPN ranked it the best rivalry in the NFL. The Sportster has ranked it the 17th biggest rivalry in the world. During the tenure of this rivalry, the two franchises have won 32 combined division titles and eight combined Super Bowls. They are two of the wealthiest franchises in the NFL. The rivalry started in 1960 when the Cowboys joined the league as an expansion team. During that year they were in separate conferences, but played once during the season. In 1961, Dallas was placed in the same division as Washington, and from that point on, they have played each other twice in every regular season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Washington Commanders</span> Sports team history

The Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL), have also played as the Boston Braves, Boston Redskins, Washington Redskins, and Washington Football Team. Founded in 1932, the team has won five professional American football championships including two NFL Championships and three Super Bowls. Washington has also captured 15 NFL divisional titles and five NFC championships. The team played as the Washington Redskins from 1932 to 2019, as the Football Team in 2020 and 2021 before rebranding as the Commanders in 2022.

"The Eagles' Victory Song," popularly known as "Fly, Eagles Fly," is the fight song of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. The song is played following each Eagles touchdown during Eagles' home games at Lincoln Financial Field and as part of pre-game festivities before the playing of the national anthem.

Oskee-Wow-Wow is the official fight song of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The song was written in 1910 by two students, Harold Vater Hill, Class of 1911 (1889–1917), credited with the music, and Howard Ruggles Green, Class of 1912 (1890–1969), credited with the lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dixie Howell</span> American sports player and coach (1912–1971)

Millard Fleming "Dixie" Howell was an American football and baseball player and coach. He played college football as a halfback at the University of Alabama from 1932 to 1934 and with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) in 1937. Howell served as the head football coach at Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe, now Arizona State University, from 1938 to 1941 and at the University of Idaho from 1947 to 1950, compiling a career coaching record of 36–35–5 in college football. He also coached at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 1935. Howell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1970. He also played professional baseball in eight minor league seasons following college.

Edwin Bernard Kahn was an American football guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Boston and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of North Carolina.

The 1960 Dallas Cowboys season was the inaugural season for the franchise in the National Football League (NFL).

The 1940 NFL Championship Game, sometimes referred to simply as 73–0, was the eighth title game of the National Football League (NFL). It was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., on December 8, with a sellout capacity attendance of 36,034.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commanders–Giants rivalry</span> National Football League rivalry

The Commanders–Giants rivalry between the Washington Commanders, formerly known as the Redskins, and the New York Giants of the National Football League began in 1932 with the founding of Washington's predecessors, the Boston Braves, and is the oldest rivalry in the NFC East Division. This rivalry has seen periods of great competition such as the Giants and Redskins' competition for conference and division titles in the late 1930s, early 1940s and 1980s. Experts deem the 1980s as the most hotly contested period between these teams, as the Redskins under Joe Gibbs and the Giants under Bill Parcells competed for division titles and Super Bowls. During this span the two teams combined to win 7 NFC East Divisional Titles, 5 Super Bowls and competed in the 1986 NFC Championship Game with the Giants winning 17–0. This rivalry is storied and Wellington Mara, long time owner of the Giants, always said that he believed the Redskins were the Giants' truest rival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Quick</span> American football player (born 1989)

Brian Rumeal Quick is a former American football wide receiver that played in National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Appalachian State, and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the 1st pick in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Washington Redskins trademark dispute was a legal effort by Native Americans to define the term "redskin" to be an offensive and pejorative racial slur to deprive the owners of the NFL's Washington Redskins of the ability to maintain federal trademark protection for the name. These efforts had primarily been carried forward in two cases brought before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). While prevailing in the most recent case in which the trademarks were cancelled, petitioners withdrew for further litigation now that the legal issue has become moot due to a decision in another case which found the relevant portion of the trademark law to be an unconstitutional infringement on freedom of speech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Commanders Marching Band</span> Official marching band for the Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders Marching Band is the marching band for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). The group was established in September 1937 by a local milk company and quickly embraced by team owner George Preston Marshall as The Redskins Marching Band.

References

  1. ↑ Mooshil, Maria (2006-12-01). "10 more things to know about Bears fight song". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2013-04-09.
  2. ↑ "Hail to the Redskins!" in Redskins 1953: Official Press, Radio, and Television Guide. Washington, DC: The Redskins, 1953; p. 2.
  3. ↑ Denlinger, Ken (August 30, 1992). "USED TO BE, 'FIGHT FOR OLD DIXIE'". washingtonpost.org. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ Loverro, Thom (25 August 2006). Hail Victory: An Oral History of the Washington Redskins. John Wiley & Sons. p. 37. ISBN   9780471725107.
  5. ↑ Thomas G. Smith, "1962: The Year That Changed the Redskins," Washingtonian, Oct. 10, 2011.
  6. ↑ Richman, Michael (21 August 2009). The Redskins Encyclopedia. Temple University Press. p. 45. ISBN   9781592135448.
  7. ↑ Thomas, Evan (4 December 2012). The Man to See. Simon and Schuster. p. 168. ISBN   9781439127964.
  8. ↑ "Washington Redskins Team History | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com.
  9. ↑ "Dixie and the Washington Redskins". YouTube. Intersection Films. August 24, 2017.
  10. ↑ Garnett, Bernard (23 October 1965). "The Afro American - Google News Archive Search". The Afro American. p. 5.
  11. ↑ Baird, Jonathan P. (September 4, 2014). "My Turn: For the Washington Redskins and the NFL, there is no defense". concordmonitor.com. The Concord Monitor. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  12. ↑ Lantry, Lauren (July 3, 2020). "Washington Redskins to undergo 'thorough review' of team name". abcnews.go.com. ABC News. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  13. ↑ [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPVfFzbRuc4 "Hail to the Redskins!" lyrics video, YouTube.com, time: 0:27, May 10, 2011.
  14. ↑ Scott Allen, "Commanders' Revived Marching Band Will Have a New Look and Sound," Washington Post, May 11, 2022.
  15. ↑ Cadeaux, Ethan. "Revamped 'Fight for Our Commanders' Fight Song Unveiled at Preseason Opener". NBC Washington. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  16. ↑ Toomay, Pat. "A rivalry for a song ... and chicken feed". ESPN. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  17. ↑ "LG Twins Fight Song". YouTube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.