[NU Sports] Re: [Northwestern Sports] A Northwestern tradition that's not well known

[Jonathan Michael Hawkins]

> about one of the songs called "March of the Steel Men."  Evidently, this
> song has been played by our band at the final home game of each season
> since 1928, so I assume it will be played this Saturday as well.  It's a
> tune that is both rousing and sentimental.  I'd be curious to hear from
> former NUMB members who might tell us more about the "Steel Men."

"March of the Steel Men" was always one of my favorite/most hated things
to play in NUMB.

My favorite, because it had so much tradition going for it, it's a great
song, and the drill is classic and bombastic.

My most hated, because I invariably would be sad that the season really
was over.  Until my generation of NUMBers came around, the season really
*was* over after the last home game.  What a great thing that going to a
bowl game seems like it can be in our reach almost every year these days!

Here's the words NUMB made up for this song, in case you're interested.
As a side note, as a NUMBer, one of my favorite things was all of the
amusing songs we sang when we weren't playing.  This is one of them:

-----------------------------------------------
The March Of the Steel Men
NUMB Lyrics

Well the marching season's over
and we're really sad it is
no more chills
no more spills
no more marching when it's raining
but we love it so much, we'll be back next year
'cause you're always part of NUMB
and you know you'll always be a part of it
even as
a NUMB-ALUM!
-----------------------------------------------

Some folks replace "sad" with "glad". ;-)  Also, they're not very
grammatical at the end, but hey, what can ya do?

Does anyone know the complete anti-fight-song lyrics to the Illinois
fight song?  The one I used to know started out like this:

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You're just a state school, Ell-annoy
Your band scares every girl and boy
-------------------------------------

Go Cats,

Jonathan