Go U Northwestern Explained
The "Go U Northwestern", originally titled "Go Northwestern Go",[1] is one of the fight songs of Northwestern University.
History and significance
The song was written in 1912 by Theodore Van Etten, a member of the Northwestern University Wildcat Marching Band at the time. It debuted November 23, 1912, at old Northwestern Field in Northwestern's football season-finale versus the Illinois Fighting Illini.[2]
The song, along with Northwestern's other fight song, "Rise, Northwestern!" (commonly called the "Push On Song" or simply "Push On!"), and the university's alma mater, "University Hymn" (sometimes "Quæcumque Sunt Vera") are Northwestern official school songs. "Go U Northwestern" or "Rise, Northwestern!" is played by the marching band during football games every time Northwestern scores against its opponent and at various other times during the game.
Other uses
Along with being the Fight Song of Northwestern University, "Go U Northwestern" is the fight song for many high schools, with some using it under the original name. Several other colleges and universities use the song as well, including Northern Oklahoma College Enid[3] and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro from 1998 to 2010.
High Schools Using "Go U Northwestern"!School!City| Ferndale High School | Ferndale, MI |
| Bettendorf High School | Bettendorf, IA |
| Hempstead High School | Dubuque, IA |
| Elkhart Central High School | Elkhart, IN |
| Jamestown West, NY |
| Cedar Ridge High School | Round Rock, TX |
| Perrysburg High School | Perrysburg, OH |
| Buchanan High School | Buchanan, MI |
| Ovid-Elsie High School | Elsie, MI |
| Owosso High School | Owosso, MI |
| Florence High School | Florence, WI |
| Waubonsie Valley High School | Aurora, IL |
| Rochester High School | Rochester, IL |
| Newton Falls High School | Newton Falls, OH |
| Edwardsburg High School | Edwardsburg, MI |
| Clover High School | Clover, SC |
| Central Montcalm High School | Stanton, MI |
| Northwestern High School | Hyattsville, MD |
| Cary-Grove High School | Cary, IL |
| Coronado School | El Paso, TX |
| Canyon High School | New Braunfels, TX |
| South Hardin Community School District | Eldora, IA |
| Bureau Valley High School | Manlius, IL |
| Putnam City West High School | Oklahoma City, OK |
| Portage High School | Portage, IN |
| Carlisle High School | Carlisle, PA |
| Shades Valley High School | Irondale, AL |
| Minnetonka High School | Minnetonka, MN |
| McCluer High School | Florissant, MO |
| Tulsa, OK |
| Manzano High School | Albuquerque, NM |
| Centennial High School | Las Cruces, NM |
| Lutheran High School Westland | Westland, MI |
| Mid Prairie High School | Wellman, IA |
| Marfa High School | Marfa, TX |
| Alan C. Pope High School | Marietta, GA |
| Conestoga High School | Berwyn, PA |
| Turkey Valley High School | Jackson Junction, IA |
| Holland High School | Holland, MI |
| Martinsville High School | Martinsville, VA |
| Abbotsford High School | Abbotsford, WI |
| Black River Falls High School | Black River Falls, WI |
| Reedsburg Area High School | Reedsburg, WI |
| Northwestern High School | Maple, WI |
| Cactus High School | Glendale, AZ |
| Methodist Boys' School | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Green High School | Franklin Furnace, OH |
| Southwestern High School (Piasa, Illinois) | Piasa, IL |
| Benedictine High School | Cleveland, OH |
| Rouse High School | Leander, TX |
| Cypress Woods High School | Cypress, Texas | |
In popular culture
In an early 1970s Sesame Street sketch, Ernie sings the song's opening bars while wearing a football helmet, eager to open a present Bert has wrapped, that Ernie thinks is a new football for him.[4]
External links
Notes and References
- http://www.hailtopurple.com/av/ Northwestern Fight Songs
- Web site: Behind Northwestern's Songs . Northwestern University . July 2, 2011 .
- http://enidnews.com/sportslocal/x518641716/Fight-song-adds-to-NOC-Enids-spirit "Fight song adds to NOC Enid's spirit"
- "Sesame Street: Surprise Present," YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h4YQA3_JWQ&t=37s
