On this day in 1862, “The Battle Hymn of The Republic”, a poem by Julia Ward Howe, was published in the Atlantic Monthly.
“Glory, Glory”, the rally song for the Georgia Bulldogs, was adapted to the tune of “John Brown’s Body” by Georgia Students and began singing the song at football games in the early 1890s.
The “Glory, Hallelujah” tune was a folk hymn developed in camp meetings in the South that were popular in the 1800s. In the first known version, “Canaan’s Happy Shore,” the text includes the verse “Oh! Brothers will you meet me on Canaan’s happy shore?” and chorus “There we’ll shout and give him glory, for glory is his own.” This developed into the familiar “Glory, glory, hallelujah” chorus by the 1850s. The tune and variants of these words spread across both the southern and northern United States.
Some researchers have maintained that the tune’s roots go back to an African-American wedding song from Georgia in the early 1800s.
“Glory, Glory” is the de facto fight song of the Bulldogs, with the official fight song being “Hail to Georgia”. The song is played by the Georgia Redcoat Band when the Bulldogs take the field and during scores and turnovers. It is often followed by the school’s official fight song, “Hail to Georgia”, after the extra point attempt. Over the years, Georgia fans have mofified the “G-E-O-R-G-I-A” phrase with “And To Hell with Georgia Tech”.
In one of the most moving traditions in college sports, a slower-played version, using a more complete melody of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” is played before the start of each home football game. A Redcoat solo trumpet-player takes a position on the upper deck of the south stands near the west endzone and reverently plays the first haunting fourteen notes of the Battle Hymn to an adoring crowd. During the solo, BulldogNation rises to their feet and acknowledge their respect to the soloist by pointing towards the upper deck. To make the atmosphere even more electric, on the video board, UGA legendary broadcaster Larry Munson narrates a moving piece on the hallowed traditions of Georgia football, and the Redcoat Band finishes the song, which is referred to as “The Battle Hymn of the Bulldog Nation” by Munson.
As the Sanford Stadium faithful are nearing a feeding frenzy, the Bulldogs congregate in the west end zone. The Redcoat Band begins playing the hair-raising “Krypton Fare” and through a haze of white smoke, The Dawgs burst through the large Power G banner and onto the field through a tunnel of the Redcoats playing “Glory, Glory”. If you haven’t witnessed this in person, it’s one of the greatest spectacles in sport. The colors, sounds, pageantry, mystique, traditions….why we love colllege football!
Glory, Glory
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
G-E-O-R-G-I-A
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
G-E-O-R-G-I-A
Hail to Georgia
Hail to Georgia, down in Dixie!
A college honor’d fair, and true;
The Red and Black is her standard,
proudly it waves.
Streaming today and the ages through.
She’s the fairest in the Southland
We’ll pledge our love to her for aye;
To that college dear we’ll ring a cheer,
All hail to dear old U-G-A!
Hail, our Varsity of Georgia!
Thy sons will e’er thy glory sing:
To thee we’ll ever be faithful, loyal and true;
Ever and aye will thy praises ring.
Grand old time of ours at Georgia
The happiest days they’ll be always;
Alma mater, fair beyond compare,
All hail to dear old U-G-A!