Hey Band!

[BMac]

Hmm... are they still active? They're not listed on SAO as a registered organization.

Does anyone know where I can find the full lyrics to My Old Cornell?

Thanks,
Bernardo

[mnagowski]

[quote BMac]Hmm... are they still active? They're not listed on SAO as a registered organization.[/quote]

They must be one of those special organizations then.

[quote BMac]Does anyone know where I can find the full lyrics to My Old Cornell?[/quote]

A quick Google search indicates its probably not online. Your best bet would be to get Songs of Cornell, although I'm not even certain if the full lyrics are in there. As I mentioned, my copy was actually published before MOC was written, so I'm up a creek without a paddle here.

http://www.rso.cornell.edu/MarchingBand/songs/myoc.mp3

[Beeeej]

[quote BMac]Hmm... are they still active?[/quote]

Yes.

[quote BMac]They're not listed on SAO as a registered organization.[/quote]

No.

[mnagowski]

Full Lyrics:

I am dreaming tonight of my old college days.
 My dear alma mater is with me always.
 Something is calling me back once again,
 Back where I want to remain.

 [REFRAIN]
 Oh, I want to go back to the old days, the good old days on the hill,
 Back to my Cornell, for that's where they all yell Cornell, I yell Cornell. (Cornell!)
Far above Cayugau's waters I hear those chiming bells.
 I'm longing and yearning and always returning to my cold Cornell.

 I can see the old chapel way up on the hill.
 I hear the chimes ringing and calling me still.
 Four years are over, diplomas are in.
 When will we all meet again?

The refrain is superlative.

[RichH]

[quote metaezra]Full Lyrics:

I am dreaming tonight of my old college days.
 My dear alma mater is with me always.
 Something is calling me back once again,
 Back where I want to remain.

 [REFRAIN]
 Oh, I want to go back to the old days, the good old days on the hill,
 Back to my Cornell, for that's where they all yell Cornell, I yell Cornell. (Cornell!)
Far above Cayugau's waters I hear those chiming bells.
 I'm longing and yearning and always returning to my cold Cornell.

 I can see the old chapel way up on the hill.
 I hear the chimes ringing and calling me still.
 Four years are over, diplomas are in.
 When will we all meet again?

The refrain is superlative.[/quote]

Aw man...so much for keeping everyone in suspense.  At least they don't know the tune for the verses.

To this day, I still love that "again" is rhymed with both "remain" and "in."

[ugarte]

[quote Beeeej][quote BMac]Hmm... are they still active?[/quote]

Yes.

[quote BMac]They're not listed on SAO as a registered organization.[/quote]

No.[/quote]
I'll bet if we waterboard you, you'll stop being so tight with the information.

[David Harding]

IIRC, the tune for the verse is stolen from a Civil War era song, "Tenting Tonight on the Old Campground."  http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiTENTTNT;ttTENTTNT.html

[mnagowski]

Send me an email if you would like an MP3 of the full song.

[ebilmes]

[quote metaezra]Full Lyrics:

returning to my cold Cornell.

[/quote]

Ha...

[Scersk '97]

[quote David Harding]IIRC, the tune for the verse is stolen from a Civil War era song, "Tenting Tonight on the Old Campground."  http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiTENTTNT;ttTENTTNT.html[/quote]

I am sorry, but I must disagree.  MYOC and "Tenting Tonight" bear little if any resemblance.  "Cornell," or "The soldier loves his gen'ral's fame" (SOC, 24), a favorite of Clubbers from the 40s and 50s, shares the opening rising sixth with "Tenting Tonight" and may be what you're thinking of.

[RichH]

[quote Scersk '97][quote David Harding]IIRC, the tune for the verse is stolen from a Civil War era song, "Tenting Tonight on the Old Campground."  http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiTENTTNT;ttTENTTNT.html[/quote]

I am sorry, but I must disagree.  MYOC and "Tenting Tonight" bear little if any resemblance.  "Cornell," or "The soldier loves his gen'ral's fame" (SOC, 24), a favorite of Clubbers from the 40s and 50s, shares the opening rising sixth with "Tenting Tonight" and may be what you're thinking of.[/quote]

I'm pretty sure that's correct.  The verse of MYOC is upbeat and snappy...I guess I'd describe it as "vaudevillian" in nature.  The tune isn't the same as the chorus.  

I first heard it at a Glee Club concert.  Most likely, the full version of "My Old Cornell" is sung at Glee Club events where there's a lot of alumni around...like their homecoming concert or "Cornelliana Night" during reunion.  Or find a Glee Club member and ask them.  Or get a copy of "Songs of Cornell" that is more recent than 1915.

[Trotsky]

[quote Scersk '97][quote David Harding]IIRC, the tune for the verse is stolen from a Civil War era song, "Tenting Tonight on the Old Campground."  http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiTENTTNT;ttTENTTNT.html[/quote]

I am sorry, but I must disagree.  MYOC and "Tenting Tonight" bear little if any resemblance.[/quote]TT is quiet and reflective; it's almost a dirge.  The boys section of the All School Choir of Huntington sang the alternative lyrics on the way back from the Bicentennial celebration in Atlantic City which were more upbeat.  "She's tempting tonight on the old campground..."

[Scersk '97]

[quote RichH]I guess I'd describe it as "vaudevillian" in nature.[/quote]

Certainly 'tis!  Let's get out the ban-joes and mandolines!

If the music for the verse of "My Old Cornell" resembles any other Cornell song, actually, I would pick the verse of "Fight for Cornell."  Similar chromatic lower-neighbors and all that.  Indeed, the text of the verse actually apes a different Cornell song, the "Alumni Song."  That song's first line, "I am thinking tonight of my old college town," becomes "I am dreaming tonight of my old college days."

Yet the refrain, as has been stated above, is really the thing.  The almost facetious reworking of "I yell, yell, yell Cornell" (a favorite football cheer at the time, found also in "Carnelian and White") and the quote of the Alma Mater are pretty obvious, but I think there's a deeper connection that hints at why "My Old Cornell" is almost a second fight song for us.
 
If you think of the section of "My Old Cornell" that goes "I'm longing and yearning," it's very close to "We'll all have drinks at [Theodore Zinck's]" harmonically and melodically.  With the last line of text, in both cases, we get the beginning of (for the music nerds) a chain of applied dominants:  in B-flat major, the key of both songs in Songs of Cornell, that's G (with a flat sixth--E-flat--in both melodies above it) leading to C leading to F leading to B-flat.  So, put the textual timing together with the harmony and, particularly, that prominent E-flat in the melody and you get a very, very close resemblance.

Pretty clever writing, if you ask me.  But, then, you didn't.  I'm just avoiding revising my dissertation.

[Rosey]

I'm sure my opinion isn't worth much, but I've always loved My Old Cornell.  It's the only Cornell song for which I learned the lyrics by simply experiencing it, i.e. without ever thinking about it.  Even Davy took a little work for me to get it right at the beginning.

Kyle

[mnagowski]

[quote Scersk '97]The almost facetious reworking of "I yell, yell, yell Cornell"[/quote]

Would anybody know how the Cornell Yell should sound? I imagine it would be slow-slow (Cor-nell), I... fast-fast-fast (yell-yell-yell), slow-slow (Cor-nell). But I might be entirely off base.