Football season is nearly upon us! Along with our hopes and dreams for our favorite team — in our case the Badgers — come the fight songs that help us cheer them on.
There are certain sporting event songs that everybody knows. Throughout America, the most recognizable fight songs include “We Will Rock You,” by Queen, “Start Me Up,” by the Rolling Stones, and “Eye of the Tiger,” by Survivor.
But what about here in Des Moines— the state of the Badgers?
The Des MoinesBadgers have some pretty impressive fight songs, too. Let’s examine a handful of them, as well as how a good fight song affects the crowd and the players on an emotional level.
“You’ve Said It All” (also known as “The Bud Song”)
By Steve Karmen
Copyrighted in 1971, this song is widely known for its appearance in Anheiser-Busch TV commercials and radio spots. As any Badger fan knows, we use it at our UW football and basketball games, changing the lyrics to “…when you say Wisconsin, you’ve said it all.”
“On Wisconsin”
Music written by William T. Purdy, lyrics by Carl Beck
A true classic, this song was written in 1909 and was originally titled, “Minnesota, Minnesota.” It was intended to be entered into a competition for a new fight song at the University of Minnesota. The winner was to receive $100 for their efforts. Lucky for us that never happened, thanks to Carl Beck. When Carl heard the music, he persuaded Purdy to let him write the lyrics and submit it instead to the University of Wisconsin, where Carl had previously been a student.
“Jump Around”
By House of Pain
Played between the third and fourth quarters of Badger football games, “Jump Around” was voted the best college football tradition in 2012. Some people say when the song is played, the upper deck of Camp Randall sways with the music!
What a Fight Song Does
A fight song pumps up the home team and the home crowd on an emotional level, as well as energetically. It serves to get the fans, even the “occasional” ones, involved — sometimes before the game even starts! It’s also a great way to intimidate your opponent, hopefully causing them to preform subpar. And, especially in the case of songs like “The Bud Song,” it’s uniquely us.
But a fight song is more than that. It’s also a way for us to be part of our community, something larger than ourselves. In other words, it gives us a sense of camaraderie with others who are rooting for “our team.” Whether we’re watching the game in our living room with a few good friends, or we’re at Camp Randall or the Kohl Center with thousands of fans — we belong.
Did you know that you can capture that same camaraderie and uniqueness by using the same principals to create a certain mood in your business? Granted, doing “Jump Around” while waiting for a dressing room to try on some jeans might be a little far-fetched. But spending a few more minutes looking for some tops to go with those jeans — because you’re having a great experience — isn’t far fetched at all. Playing the right music for your customer and brand can go a long way in creating a positive, memorable and fun experience — which in turn can improve the relationship you’re developing, as well as your company’s credibility.
