Guilford Campus Song

This old song, sung by students in the early days of the 20th Century, seems to have been a campus favorite and may have functioned as an early "Alma Mater" song. Again, this one seems to live only in print.

The Guilford Campus Song

When the shades of evening gather,
Guilford students hied.
To the soft green-swarded campus,
For a time our books laid by.
And the parting rifts of sunlight,
As they linger soft and long.
Shed a hal-low'd gleam of gladness,
On our merriment and song.

Now the songs of dear Old Guilford,
Peal across the downy green.
From Archdale to Memorial,
Span the distance far between;
And the walls of dear old Founders,
The reverberations fling.
From Cox Hall to New Garden,
As our voices gaily ring.

Then across to fair Arcadia,
The chimings wing their flight.
Till across the the far-flung hill-tops,
They kiss heaven's dame of light;
Then as if they rued their boldness,
Back they come in echos gay,
And thus end the winged praises,
Of the Crimson and the Gray.





Guilford College "Yell"

The "Guilford College Yell" dates from 1892, coinciding with the formation of the football program. It's a nonsensical, interesting tongue-twister and one can imagine a sweater-clad group of cheerleaders roaming the sidelines with megaphones, urging students and spectators to chime in. The old "yell" is definitely not part of the current cheerleading squad's repertoire. (Some modern cheers use the last stanza, spelling out the school name, followed by three final shouts of "Guilford!")


Cheerleaders, circa 1927. Photo by Guilford College.


Guilford Yell

Icky-icky-I-ky!
Micky-micky-me-my!
Hory, gory, allegory,
Guilford.

Polly-go-wax-go-wax-go-wax!
Polly-go-wax-go-wax-go-wee!
Rah! rah! rah!
Quack! quack! quack!
Who are we? Guilford!


Cheerleaders, circa 1935. Photo courtesy of Guilford College.
Rah! Rah! Quaker!
G.C. Taker!
Quaker! Taker!
Quaker! Taker!
Whoo-rah! Whoo-rah!
Quaker! Taker!
Thee, Thou, Rah!

Boom la yo!
Boom la yo!
Guilford! Guilford!
Ho! ho! ho!

Os-che-wow-wow!
Scitie-wow-wow! wow-wow!
Guilford!

G-U-I-L-F-O-R-D!
Guilford! Guilford! Guilford!


There's also a shorter version of the "yell," which was less of a mouth-full and easier to remember...and get others to join in.



Cheerleaders, circa 1937. Photo by Guilford College.
(*) They're the men!
They're the men!
Who make a touchdown 
now and then!

Polly-go wax, 
go wax, go wax, 
Polly-go wax, 
go wax, go wee!
Rah, Rah, Rah,
Quack! Quack! Quack!

                                  Who are we?
                                       Who are we?
                                       Guilford!




(* From the Guilford Yells 1895-1896, courtesy of Guilford College.)






"Seniors of Old G.C." Song

Another one from the annals of the past, in particular, The Quaker annual of 1914. I have no idea how long it was around or when it vanished from memory, but here's another cool old Guilford song that appears to have been popular in the past...at least with the senior class.


The Guilford College class of 1892. Photo courtesy of Guilford College.

Seniors of Old G.C.

We've been here for a time together,
We seniors of old G.C.
Through bright and rainy weather,
Four years at old G.C.

We've laughed and played together,
We seniors of old G.C.
We've bowed our heads together,
Many times at old G.C.

We've felt the sting of defeat,
We seniors of old G.C.
Our hearts with triumph have beat,
A few times at old G.C.

We're bidding you farewell forever,
School days of old G.C.
May the golden ties ne're sever,
Which bind our hearts to thee.

As we leave you all together,
Dear days at old G.C.
We drink to your health forever,
Memories of dear G.C.








"Dear Old Guilford" Song

While perusing old yearbooks I noticed a song that was sung often in the early 1900s, called simply, "Dear Old Guilford." The song seems to have been "given" to the school as one of its class gifts by the seniors of 1911.  I have no idea what the tune is, nor when it vanished from tradition.



Dear Old Guilford

In the North State, at its center,
Stands a college old and fine;
We all love it, 'tis our Guilford
'Round it, ivy doth entwine.

(chorus)  Dear old Guilford, dear old Guilford,
How we love thee more each year;
When we're gone from thee forever,
Still thy name we will revere.

At the first, poor timid Freshmen,
How we longed at ease to be;
How we toiled, how we toiled o'er,
Physics and Geometry.

Dear old Guilford, dear old Guilford,
How we love thee more each year;
When we're gone from thee forever,
Still thy name we will revere.

But we wiser grew as Soph'mores.
Said such digging did not pay;
And the way we bluffed our teachers,
No one ever knew but they.

(chorus)

Onward we advanced as Juniors,
Cast aside our childish ways;
Found that honest toil and pleasure,
Best could fill our college days.

(chorus)

Then, with Senior years advancing,
Alma Mater ope's the door;
To larger tasks and broader visions,
Which the future has in store.

(chorus)

Then let all who love our college,
Love her heart, and soul and mind;
Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores, Freshmen,
Sing with voices here combined.

(chorus)


(END)