Big C (fight song)
Encyclopedia
"Big C" is a fight song
of the University of California, Berkeley
. It was composed in 1913 by Harold P. Williams, with lyrics by Norman Loyall McLaren. It was written to commemorate the construction of the large concrete "C" in 1905 on the "rugged Eastern foothills" of the Berkeley campus. The song was the winning entry in the Daily Californian school song competition in 1913. Arrangements of the tune are used by other schools in the University of California
system.
." It was soon adopted as UCLA's fight song.
Many Cal fans, most notably Cal Band director James Berdahl, were enraged over what they saw as James' theft of their song. A bitter exchange ensued between Berdahl and James for the next several years concerning the legal and ethical grounds for James' adaptation of the song. Finally, on February 18, 1969, UCLA lawyers were told by the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress
that "Big C" had never been copyrighted, and therefore in the public domain
. However, whenever Cal plays UCLA and "Sons of Westwood" is played, Cal fans sing a parody ending, "but damn you, it's 'Big C.'" Likewise, whenever Cal plays "Big C" UCLA plays their signature "tag" at the end, which is a part of "Sons of Westwood" but not "Big C".
Other schools in the University of California system that play the song as one of their official fight songs include University of California, Riverside
, University of California, Santa Barbara
, University of California, Irvine
and UC Davis
. UC Santa Barbara's song mentions that "Cal Poly's men will soon be routed, and their green will turn to red", UC Davis plays a version of the song that mentions Sacramento State, its own rival, saying, "Sac State Sucks! and will be routed." and "We'll stomp them in the mud and their green will turn to blood." Many high schools in California also use one of the arrangements of the tune, including Independence High School, Pittsburg High School
in Pittsburg, California
, De La Salle High School (Concord, CA), Poway High School
(Poway, CA)
, and Moorpark High School
in Moorpark, CA.
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
of the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. It was composed in 1913 by Harold P. Williams, with lyrics by Norman Loyall McLaren. It was written to commemorate the construction of the large concrete "C" in 1905 on the "rugged Eastern foothills" of the Berkeley campus. The song was the winning entry in the Daily Californian school song competition in 1913. Arrangements of the tune are used by other schools in the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
system.
Controversy
Kelley James, then Associate Director of the UCLA Marching Band and alumnus of the Cal Band wrote an arrangement of "Big C," for a halftime show performed by the combined marching bands from UCLA, UC Davis, and Cal. Afterwards, UCLA continued using James' arrangement of "Big C" as its fight song, adding their own lyrics and renaming it "Sons of WestwoodSons of Westwood
Sons of Westwood is the official fight song of the University of California, Los Angeles . The tune comes from "Big C", a school fight song for the University of California, Berkeley and UC Davis....
." It was soon adopted as UCLA's fight song.
Many Cal fans, most notably Cal Band director James Berdahl, were enraged over what they saw as James' theft of their song. A bitter exchange ensued between Berdahl and James for the next several years concerning the legal and ethical grounds for James' adaptation of the song. Finally, on February 18, 1969, UCLA lawyers were told by the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
that "Big C" had never been copyrighted, and therefore in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
. However, whenever Cal plays UCLA and "Sons of Westwood" is played, Cal fans sing a parody ending, "but damn you, it's 'Big C.'" Likewise, whenever Cal plays "Big C" UCLA plays their signature "tag" at the end, which is a part of "Sons of Westwood" but not "Big C".
Other schools in the University of California system that play the song as one of their official fight songs include University of California, Riverside
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
, University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
, University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
and UC Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
. UC Santa Barbara's song mentions that "Cal Poly's men will soon be routed, and their green will turn to red", UC Davis plays a version of the song that mentions Sacramento State, its own rival, saying, "Sac State Sucks! and will be routed." and "We'll stomp them in the mud and their green will turn to blood." Many high schools in California also use one of the arrangements of the tune, including Independence High School, Pittsburg High School
Pittsburg High School (California)
Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Contra Costa County, California is a suburban school serving all of Pittsburg. It has been in operation since 1924. Over 2,200 students attend the school, which used to be divided into three campuses: East Campus, Main Campus, and North Campus, but since the...
in Pittsburg, California
Pittsburg, California
Pittsburg is a city located in eastern Contra Costa County, California, the outer portion of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 63,264 at the 2010 census....
, De La Salle High School (Concord, CA), Poway High School
Poway High School
Poway High School is a public, comprehensive high school located in the city of Poway, California. Established in 1961, it serves ninth through twelfth grade students from the communities of Poway and Rancho Bernardo. The school mascot is the Titan...
(Poway, CA)
Poway, California
Poway is a city in San Diego County, California. Originally an unincorporated community in San Diego County, Poway officially became a city in December 1980. Even though Poway lies geographically in the middle of San Diego County, most consider its relative location as north county inland...
, and Moorpark High School
Moorpark High School
Moorpark High School, located in Moorpark, California, is a public high school in the Moorpark Unified School District and currently has an enrollment of 2,478 students.-History:...
in Moorpark, CA.