Roar, Lion, Roar: A Celebration of Columbia Football

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Text from "Bold Buccaneers" and "Roar Lion Roar"

Side by side text of lyrics from "Bold Buccaneers" and "Roar Lion Roar" - which used the same music as "Bold Buccaneers"

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Roar, Lion, Roar!

The 1923 Varsity Show, Half Moon Inn, gave Columbia one of her most enduring football songs - “Roar, Lion, Roar.” In order to compete in the Alumni Federation’s song contest of that year, author Corey Ford, CC 1923, changed the lyrics in a song from the show called “Bold Buccaneers” (text on the left) and produced “Roar, Lion, Roar” (text on the right). The music composed by Roy Webb, CC 1910, and Morris Watkins, CC 1924, remained unchanged.

Half-Moon Inn poster

Original poster for 1923 Varsity Show "Half-Moon Inn"

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“Roar, Lion, Roar” sheet music from Columbia Songs, a song book compiled by a committee appointed by the Alumni Council and published by the Alumni Federation of Columbia University in 1924.

Columbia University Libraries / University Archives / Rare Book & Manuscript Library / Butler Library, 6th Fl. / 535 West 114th St. / New York, NY 10027 / (212) 854-3786 / uarchives@libraries.cul.columia.edu