Hawkeye Victory Polka
Encyclopedia
The Hawkeye Victory Polka is the University of Iowa
Hawkeye Marching Band
's adaptation of the song In Heaven There Is No Beer
. First played in the 1960s, it was very popular among students and was played frequently as if it were another fight song
. Controversy, however, surrounded the song, as some claimed it promoted the abuse of alcohol
. This led to the banning of the song in 2001, although widespread fan pressure eventually forced Iowa's president to bring back the song only a month after it was banned. Sheet music for the song was no longer circulated, so band members must now learn the song by ear. Today, it is played after all Iowa Hawkeye victories when the band is present, either home or away.
That's why we drink it here
And when we're gone from here
Our friends will be drinking all our beer
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
Hawkeye Marching Band
Hawkeye Marching Band
The Hawkeye Marching Band is the marching band for the University of Iowa. 255 members strong, it performs at all home Hawkeye football games inside historic Kinnick Stadium. It is the largest and most visible musical ensemble at the university and was awarded the Louis Sudler Intercollegiate...
's adaptation of the song In Heaven There Is No Beer
In Heaven There is No Beer
In Heaven There Is No Beer is a song about the existential pleasures of beer drinking. The title of the song is the reason to drink beer while you are still alive.The song in German is "Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier", in Spanish, "En El Cielo No Hay Cerveza"....
. First played in the 1960s, it was very popular among students and was played frequently as if it were another fight song
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...
. Controversy, however, surrounded the song, as some claimed it promoted the abuse of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. This led to the banning of the song in 2001, although widespread fan pressure eventually forced Iowa's president to bring back the song only a month after it was banned. Sheet music for the song was no longer circulated, so band members must now learn the song by ear. Today, it is played after all Iowa Hawkeye victories when the band is present, either home or away.
Lyrics
In Heaven there is no beerThat's why we drink it here
And when we're gone from here
Our friends will be drinking all our beer