"Down the Field" is the title of two different

fight songs 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 ...

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

. One is used by

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

; the other is used by

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

. Yale’s “Down the Field” was written in 1904 by Yale undergraduate Stanleigh P. Friedman, the manager of Yale’s orchestra (music); and Yale law student Caleb W. O’Conner (lyrics). According to Yale Bands, the song is "played at the end of every Yale athletic event, win or lose." The Yale fight song was adapted with new lyrics by Robert Clayton “Red” Matthews, an engineering professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Matthews’ version became the official fight song of the university. However, "

Rocky Top "Rocky Top" is an American country and bluegrass song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant in 1967 and first recorded by the Osborne Brothers later that same year. The song, which is a city dweller's lamentation over the loss of a simpler a ...

" is frequently played at the university, making it the unofficial fight song, and is a favorite among fans. Whenever the

Volunteers Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

score a touchdown, "Down the Field" is played first, followed by "Rocky Top". “Down the Field” is also the title of the official fight song for

, a private research university located in

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. However, this is an entirely different song, written in 1914. The words were written by Ralph Murphy, Class of 1916; the music was composed by C. Harold Lewis, Class of 1915.

References

External links

Yale College fight songs, lyrics and audio
Yale College Band
University of Tennessee fight songs, lyrics and audio

Syracuse University fight song, lyrics and audio
Yale University University of Tennessee Syracuse University American college songs College fight songs in the United States Atlantic Coast Conference fight songs 1914 songs {{1910s-song-stub