Let's Get Traditional: The Good Old Song

Let's Get Traditional

The Good Old Song

by Will Bennett

The Good Old Song is the official song of the University of Virginia and is the favorite song of many students that attend the UVa. The Good Old Song is sung at several occasions throughout the year, including Rotunda Sing and Lighting of the Lawn, but it is most commonly heard at football games at UVa. After the football team scores, all of the UVa students and fans in the stadium will link arm-in-arm, sway from side to side, and sing The Good Old Song. The Good Old Song is also sung at the end of football games, and sometimes at the end of some of the other games for out other varsity sports teams. It is sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, and a copy of the lyrics is provided to all accepted students when they attend Days on the Lawn. The chant in the song's lyrics, "Wah-Hoo-Wah," is the unofficial fight chant of the University.

The Good Old Song was originally written in 1893 and was written by several UVa students. The song was originally written as a way to welcome home the football team from victorious games, and since then has come to be used for many of the general and athletic events around Grounds. The origin of the "Wah-Hoo-Wah" cheer in the song is unknown, but it had been a part of student life at the time of the writing of The Good Old Song. One of my favorite memories from my first-year at UVa was the first time that I ever sang The Good Old Song at a home football game. To think that for over a hundred years, students at UVa have been linking arms and singing The Good Old Song together is truly remarkable.