Up with Montana

"Up With Montana"
"Up With Montana"
Song
Published	1914
Genre	Fight song
Composer(s)	disputed
Lyricist(s)	Dick Howell

"Up With Montana" is the fight song of the University of Montana. Its lyrics are credited to Dick Howell, a law student and member of the glee club in the 1910s, who wrote them in 1914 “to commemorate the rivalry” for the 21st meeting between the University of Montana and its rival Montana State University, then known as State University of Montana and Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts respectively. Referencing the song's final stanza, "And the squeal of the pig will float on the air; from the tummy of the Grizzly Bear", The New York Times commented that "at the University of Montana, fans expect their team to devour its enemies while still alive."^[1] Despite the reference, eight months earlier in January 2002, the song was read aloud on the Senate floor by Sen. Fritz Hollings (S. Carolina) as part of a friendly bet with Montana's Senator Max Baucus over who would win the NCAA I-AA Football Championship that year.^[2]

Though the song was copyrighted by "ASUM, State University of Montana" in 1929 the origin of the tune itself is disputed.^[3] "The Stanford Jonah" of the University of California, Berkeley, Georgia Tech's "Up With the White and Gold" and The Naval Academy's "Up With The Navy" (which gives credit to the University of Montana)^[4] also share a similar tune. "The Stanford Jonah" was written in 1913 by Ted Haley as an entry into a song contest held by the Daily Californian and is the oldest of the group. The song continues to be a hit at most sporting events of the school, but specifically at events between the California Golden Bears and their rival, the Stanford Cardinal. Given the relative age and similarities between the songs as well as the unlikelihood of Montana and Georgia Tech crossing paths, it is likely that both "Up With Montana" and "White and Gold" are derived from "The Stanford Jonah."^{[original research?]}

The Stanford Jonah (1913)

So then it's up with the Blue and Gold,

Down with the Red; red, red, red

California's out for a victory,

We'll drop our battle axe on Stanford's head; chop

When we meet her, our team will surely beat her.

Down on the Stanford farm, there'll be no sound,

When our Oski rips through the air.

Like our friend Mister Jonah, Stanford's team will be found,

In the tummy of the Golden Bear.

Up With Montana (1914)

Up with Montana, boys,

Down with the foe,

Old Montana's out for a victory;

She'll shoot her backs around the foe-men's line;

A hot time is coming now, oh, brother mine.

Up with Montana, boys, down with the foe.

Good old Grizzly'll triumph today;

and the squeal of the pig will float on the air;

from the tummy of the Grizzly bear.

White and Gold (1916)

Oh well it's up with the White and Gold,

Down with the Red and Black,

Georgia Tech is out for a victory.

We'll drop the battle-axe on Georgia 's head,

When we meet her our team is sure to beat her.

Down on the old farm there will be no sound

Till our bow-wows rip through the air;

When the battle is over Georgia's team will be found

With the Yellow Jackets swarming around!

Lyrics[edit]

The original lyrics written above are taken from the University of Montana's website.^[5] However, a slightly modified version is more common today and is the version adopted by the Montana Grizzlies football team after a victory. This alternative version alters the fourth and fifth lines.

Alternative:

Up with Montana, boys,

Down with the foe,

Good ol' Grizzlies out for a victory;

We'll shoot our backs 'round the foeman's line;

Hot time is coming now, oh, brother mine.

Up with Montana, boys, down with the foe,

Good old Grizzlies triumph today;

and the squeal of the pig will float on the air;

from the tummy of the Grizzly Bear.

Both versions of the song retain the oft-discussed "and the squeal of the pig will float on the air from the tummy of the Grizzly bear.” Some interpret the "pig" floating on the air as referring to a football (i.e. pigskin) being thrown. A second and more likely explanation is that "pig" refers to rival Montana State University (MSU) toward whom the song was originally directed. MSU was known as the Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts at the time and it was not uncommon for the Grizzlies to refer to them as farmers. Hence, pigs. Eaten by grizzlies.^[6] Similarly, "The Stanford Jonah" ends with "Like our friend Mister Jonah, Stanford's team will be found, in the tummy of the Golden Bear."

In the early 1990s the University of Montana Marching Band would sing an alternate version the second time through: Grizz ly fightsonggrizz, ly, fight song grizz ly, fight song grizz ly fight song grizz lyfightsong; Grizz ly fight song grizz ly fight song grizz ly; fight song grizz lyfight song grizz lyfight song. Hey! Grizz ly fightsonggrizz, ly, fight song grizz ly, fight song grizz ly fightsong grizzly; fight song grizz ly fight song grizz ly fight song grizz ly; fight song grizzly fight song Grizzly fight!

It is notable that each "grizzly" matches with "Grizzlies" in the original lyrics as well as how the rhythm works to end the first half and begin the second.

References[edit]

^ Word for Word / College Fight Songs; Blood Sport: Push 'Em Back, Shove 'Em Back, Let's All Get Sloshed
^ Congressional Record - Senate January 29, 2002
^ Montana Magazine Artifacts
^ US Naval Academy Band
^ "Up with Montana fight song, Main Hall to Main St., the University of Montana". Archived from the original on 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
^ Homecoming artifacts

[1] Word for Word / College Fight Songs; Blood Sport: Push 'Em Back, Shove 'Em Back, Let's All Get Sloshed

[2] Congressional Record - Senate January 29, 2002

[3] Montana Magazine Artifacts

[4] US Naval Academy Band

[5] "Up with Montana fight song, Main Hall to Main St., the University of Montana". Archived from the original on 2011-07-02. Retrieved 2011-11-26.

[6] Homecoming artifacts

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v t e University of Montana
Schools and colleges	College of Arts and Sciences College of Education and Human Sciences College of Forestry and Conservation College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences College of Technology School of Business Administration School of Journalism School of Law College of Visual and Performing Arts
Campuses	University of Montana ‒ Missoula University of Montana – Helena College of Technology Montana Tech of the University of Montana University of Montana Western Flathead Lake Biological Station
Athletics	Montana Grizzlies and Lady Griz Football Brawl of the Wild Little Brown Stein Washington–Grizzly Stadium Men's basketball Women's basketball Dahlberg Arena Soccer Dornblaser Field Marching Band Monte "Up With Montana"
Historic buildings and landmarks	University Hall Forestry Bld. Schreiber Gym Rankin Hall Social Science Bld. Fine Arts Bld. The Oval The "M" Trail Memorial Row The Payne Family Native American Center
Student life	Student Organizations
Media	Camas CutBank Montana Kaimin Montanan KBGA 89.9 FM Montana Public Radio Montana PBS
Category

v t e Montana Grizzlies football
Venues	Dornblaser Field (I) (1912–1967) Naranche Stadium (alternate (Butte), 1938–1950) Dornblaser Field (II) (1968–1986) Washington–Grizzly Stadium (1986–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Eastern Washington: EWU–UM Governors Cup Idaho: Little Brown Stein Montana State
Culture and lore	Monte "Up With Montana" University of Montana Grizzly Marching Band
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e Montana Grizzlies basketball
Venues	Dahlberg Arena (1953–present)
Culture & lore	Monte "Up with Montana"
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24

Up with Montana

Lyrics[edit]

References[edit]

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