Boola Boola

Subject: Boola Boola
From: musicmick
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 04:45 PM

While watching the University of Oklahoma football team embarass the Oklahoma State Cowboys, my son-in-law sang the tune of the OU fight song and, lo and behold, it was the same as Boola Boola. He had never heard Boola Boola (he's so young) and I told him it was the fight song from either Harvard or Yale but I disremembered which. Help me out, here, Mudcatters. My family pride is on the line.

Subject: RE: Boola Boola
From: Amos
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 06:51 PM

It's the Yalies mic -- the Crimsons do a poem about knitting.

A

Subject: RE: Boola Boola
From: Padre
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 06:59 PM

It's the Yale fight song - written by Allen M. Hirsh, class of 1901.

Subject: RE: Boola Boola
From: Celtaddict
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 10:22 PM

The Oklahoma version is "boomer sooner" which makes no sense unless you grew up with Oklahoma history. A "sooner" is one who snuck into the erstwhile Indian Territory ahead of the land rush, and that is the team name.

Subject: RE: Boola Boola
From: Celtaddict
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 10:25 PM

I was all excited for a minute there as there is an Australian band called Boola Boola that I have been trying to track down for a very long time.

Subject: RE: Boola Boola
From: musicmick
Date: 04 Nov 03 - 11:23 PM

I thank you all. Actually, my older brother said it was Yale but I haven't believed him since 1947. Does Harvard use that Tom Lehrer song, "Fight Fiercely, Harvard"? I get confused with songs that have become "official" at more than one place like "God, Save The Queen" and "America" or all the college variants of "Son of a Gambolier", which is the drinking song of Georgia Tech, Univ. of Virginia and other schools to obscure to mention. Is creativity in such short suply that institutes of higher learning are reduced to out and out plagerism?

Subject: RE: Boola Boola
From: LadyJean
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 12:36 AM

OU is Ohio University in Athens Ohio. I don't know anything about this Oklahoma. Go Bobcats!

Subject: RE: Boola Boola
From: Chris in Wheaton
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 11:43 AM

I heard an interview once on Folkscene with Rick Kahuna, who plays with Mason William's group, that Boola was a take-off on the Hawaiian songs that his grandfather (?) sang when he went to Yale in '01, as the first Hawaiian admitted. Rick told the story before performing a great version of Sol Hoopi's song. Hapa Haole Girl.
Anyone want to try to track down Rick on this?
(This is an example of the trivia that inexplicably seems to adhere to my synapses. Clutters the mind, but make for interesting discussions.)
Chris in Wheaton

Subject: RE: Boola Boola
From: musicmick
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 09:01 PM

The first Hawaiian at Yale? Ivy league you may be right. Or, maybe, I read it in the taro cards. It could also be a play on the "bull" in bulldog as in the Cole Porter composed fight song, "Bulldog, Bulldog, Bow Wow Wow, Eli Yale".
Or some third possibility, as yet, unnamed.