"California Drinking Song" is a spirit song from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. The first appearances of this song are traced to 1939. Both the

UC Men's Octet The UC Men's Octet, sometimes termed the ''Cal Men’s Octet'' or the ''UC Berkeley Men’s Octet'', is an eight-member male a cappella group at the University of California, Berkeley. Founded in 1948 as a member of the UC Choral Ensembles, the ...

and the

University of California Marching Band The University of California Marching Band, usually shortened to Cal Band, is the marching band for the University of California, Berkeley. While it is administered under the auspices of the university, the Cal Band is student-run and represents C ...

perform it as part of their repertoire. It is a blend of other songs, including " The Goddamned Dutch".

"The core element of “California Drinking Song” is “Rambled,” otherwise known as “California.” The tune is based on the song “ Oh, Didn’t He Ramble,” by Cole and Johnson (copyright 1906). The words were changed to what we know as “For California, for California, The hills send back the cry, We’re out to do or die,” and first appeared in printed form in 1906." ..."Titled “One More Drink for the Four of Us,” this part of “California Drinking Song” is a traditional song of conviviality, sung throughout the United States (for example, Ohio State University has its own version of this song)."

In 1940,

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

Daily Bruin The ''Daily Bruin'' is the student newspaper at the University of California, Los Angeles. It began publishing in 1919, the year UCLA was founded. The ''Daily Bruin'' distributes about 6,000 copies across campus each school day. It also publis ...

'' editor Richard Pryne acceded to a request by

Earle Raymond Hedrick Earle Raymond Hedrick (September 27, 1876 – February 3, 1943), was an American mathematician and a vice-president of the University of California. Education and career Hedrick was born in Union City, Indiana. After undergraduate work at ...

, provost of the school, to stop printing the words to the song ("Oh, they hadda carry Harry to the ferry . . .") in the student newspaper because a branch of the

Women's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...

had complained about it.

References

External links

"California Drinking Song"
University of California Marching Band
"California Drinking Song"
- Bear Insider * Roschelle Zella Paul
"Song tradition of the University of California at Berkeley"
1945 American college songs University of California, Berkeley Drinking songs 1939 songs {{1930s-song-stub