Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Refuse to 'Bear Down'

I was watching last month's UA-Washington basketball game when a time-out was called. The Wildcat pep band, hoping to get the lackadaisical crowd back in the game, started playing the school's fight song.

The song, one I had heard 20 times that day, sounded like a bad jingle.

It was then that I came to the revelation that the fight song known as "Bear Down" is bad.

How bad? Like, written on a cocktail napkin bad.

Therefore, UA should rid itself of the song, "Bear Down, Arizona."

For those unaware students, Arizona boasts two legitimate fight songs - the older "Fight, Wildcats, Fight" and "Bear Down, Arizona."

Neither song can hold a candle to some of the more traditional fight songs in the country, including Southern Cal's, "Fight On," Michigan's, "Hail to the Victors," and Tennessee's, "Rocky Top."

But, of the two, "Fight, Wildcats, Fight" is far superior to the simplistic "Bear Down."

Just look at the lyrics.

"Bear Down," in its entirety, reads, "Bear Down , Arizona/ Bear Down, Red and Blue/ Bear Down, Arizona/ Hit 'em hard, let 'em know who's who. Bear Down, Arizona/ Bear Down, Red and Blue/ Go, Go, Wildcats Go/ Arizona, Bear Down."

Say what?

Now, I've been to some UA football games. Never seen them hit hard, much less hard enough to "let 'em know who's who." But that's beside the point.

"Fight, Wildcats, Fight" is well-written. An excerpt reads, "Hail Arizona Wildcats fighting for old UA/ A raging team of Wildcats/ Growling for the fray/ There's not a team can stop them/ When the ball goes into play ... Circle the ends and crash through center/ Hit hard and gain on every play/ Fight Wildcats! Fight! Fight! Fight!/ We'll win today!"

Now that's a real fight song.

Just listen to how "Bear Down" was written. A composer, while flying over the city, saw the phrase "Bear Down" painted on the top of a campus building. From there, he wrote the song.

The concept of "Bearing Down" is honorable enough. John "Button" Salmon, a UA two-sport star, died in a car accident in 1926. His final words were "Tell the team to bear down."

The story works. The song doesn't.

Unlike "Bear Down," fans aren't tired of hearing, "Fight, Wildcats, Fight."

It's traditional, energizing and catchy. UA should stick with it.

Arizona should restore "Fight, Wildcats, Fight" as the school's primary fight song. Honor the "Bear Down" legacy by putting the phrase on the basketball court, preferably over the Cellular One logo.

That way, Mr. Salmon's legacy will be forever preserved at UA.

National television viewers, while watching a UA basketball game, will be reminded of the school's rich athletic and academic legacy. Fans, while watching the Wildcats play, will be spared the agony of watching the band speed through yet another rendition of "Bear Down."

Ryan Finley is a sophomore majoring in journalism and can be reached at Ryan.Finley@wildcat.arizona.edu.