Godiva's Hymn
Encyclopedia
Godiva's Hymn is a traditional drinking song
for engineers. It was originally sung by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
; although students there still recognize it, disapproval from the administration has marginalized its presence. In many university engineering
faculties, military engineering corps
and other engineering organizations and societies
, Lady Godiva
is a school icon or mascot
.
Godiva's Hymn is sung either to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic
or The Son of a Gambolier. Near Christmas, it is a tradition of the Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad
(sic
) of the University of Toronto
to sing Godiva's Hymn to the tune of Good King Wenceslaus.
A variation, in which the word "mountaineers" is substituted for engineers, is part of a collection owned by the Aberdeen University
Lairig (mountaineering) club, and was sung in Crianlarich
, Scotland in January 1980.
At Queen's University in Kingston Ontario, Canada, each freshman year writes their own verse of Godiva's Hymn during orientation week which is written by the freshmen and voted upon. When the song is sung, the oldest engineers get to sing their verse first, followed by each successive year present.
One Version of the Chorus is as follows:
We are We are We are We are--
We are the engineers--
We can We can We can We can--
Demolish forty beers--
Drink rum Drink rum Drink rum all day--
and come along with us for--
We don't give a damn for any old man--
Who don't give a damn for us--
One of Godiva's Verses:
Godiva was a lady who through Coventry did ride--
To show to all the villagers her pure and fine white hide--
The most observant man of all, an engineer of course--
Was the only man to notice that Godiva rode a horse--
Canadian National Engineering Book of Song and Verse
Drinking song
A drinking song is a song sung while drinking alcohol. Most drinking songs are folk songs, and may be varied from person to person and region to region, in both the lyrics and in the music...
for engineers. It was originally sung by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
; although students there still recognize it, disapproval from the administration has marginalized its presence. In many university engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
faculties, military engineering corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
and other engineering organizations and societies
Engineering society
An engineering society is a professional organization for engineers of various disciplines. Some are umbrella type organizations which accept many different disciplines, while others are discipline-specific. Many award professional designations, such as European Engineer, Professional Engineer,...
, Lady Godiva
Lady Godiva
Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
is a school icon or mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
.
Godiva's Hymn is sung either to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is a hymn by American writer Julia Ward Howe using the music from the song "John Brown's Body". Howe's more famous lyrics were written in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It became popular during the American Civil War...
or The Son of a Gambolier. Near Christmas, it is a tradition of the Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad
Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad
The , or LGMB, is a student-run band consisting chiefly of University of Toronto engineering students. The LGMB is dedicated to the preservation and advancement of Skule spirit along with Ye Olde Mighty Skule Cannon and the Brute Force Committee...
(sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
) of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
to sing Godiva's Hymn to the tune of Good King Wenceslaus.
A variation, in which the word "mountaineers" is substituted for engineers, is part of a collection owned by the Aberdeen University
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
Lairig (mountaineering) club, and was sung in Crianlarich
Crianlarich
Crianlarich is a village in the Stirling district and registration county of Perthshire, Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Lomond...
, Scotland in January 1980.
At Queen's University in Kingston Ontario, Canada, each freshman year writes their own verse of Godiva's Hymn during orientation week which is written by the freshmen and voted upon. When the song is sung, the oldest engineers get to sing their verse first, followed by each successive year present.
One Version of the Chorus is as follows:
We are We are We are We are--
We are the engineers--
We can We can We can We can--
Demolish forty beers--
Drink rum Drink rum Drink rum all day--
and come along with us for--
We don't give a damn for any old man--
Who don't give a damn for us--
One of Godiva's Verses:
Godiva was a lady who through Coventry did ride--
To show to all the villagers her pure and fine white hide--
The most observant man of all, an engineer of course--
Was the only man to notice that Godiva rode a horse--
The Big Book
The big book of engineering songs can be found here:Canadian National Engineering Book of Song and Verse
External links
- The Engineering Hymn (McGill Version) The McGill UniversityMcGill UniversityMohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
version of the song. - The Compleat Godiva Project: full collection of verses to Godiva's Hymn courtesy of the University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
- Lady Godiva's Hymn, Montreal polytechnique's version: Complete hymn with additional homemade verses.
- Chorallaries of MIT Engineer's Drinking Song: additional verses, both standard and off-color courtesy of MITMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
- Hymn of the Engineers according to the Melbourne University Engineering Students' Club
- Canadian National Engineering Book of Song and Verse from the University of MontrealUniversité de MontréalThe Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
ca 1972 and containing a version of Godiva's Hymn - Ceng.ca Full Collection of the Carleton University Version of the Engineering Hymn (Unedited, adult content), plus additional engineering songs
- The Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad: a marching band whose repertoire consists of this and other engineering-themed songs, with sheet music provided on their website.
- Lady Godiva's Hymn (a collection of verses): a long list of verses
- Michigan Technological University DaWGs: Repertoire and list of verses