Give My Regards to Davy

"Give My Regards to Davy" is Cornell University's primary fight song. The song's lyrics were written in 1905 by Cornell alumni Charles E. Tourison (1905), W. L. Umstad (1906), and Bill Forbes (1906), a trio of roommates at Beta Theta Pi, and set to the tune of George M. Cohan's "Give My Regards to Broadway".^[1]

The song refers to a fictional encounter between an anonymous student, David Fletcher "Davy" Hoy (for whom Hoy Field is named), the registrar and secretary for the committee on student conduct, and Thomas Frederick "Tee Fee" Crane, the Professor of Languages and the first Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences revolving around the student's expulsion for binge drinking.^[2] Hoy was known for his ferocity as a strict disciplinarian. Crane, on the other hand, was generally well liked among students. "Piker" is believed to be a historical slang term for a freshman,^[3] but it actually means a poor student or slacker.^[4]

Theodore Zinck's was a bar in downtown Ithaca that has since closed. Its legend still lives on in the weekly event for seniors "Zinck's Night", which is celebrated worldwide in October by Cornellians.^[5]

Lyrics

The original and best known lyrics:

Give my regards to Davy,

Remember me to Tee Fee Crane.

Tell all the pikers on the Hill

That I'll be back again.

Tell them just how I busted

Lapping up the high highball.

We'll all have drinks at Theodore Zinck's

When I get back next fall!

Parodies

In 1920, to reflect the changing diversions of students, The Cornell Daily Sun published a new version of the song under pen name of "Lord Helpus."

Give my regards to Gladys

Remember me to Maud and Jane

Tell all the tea-hounds on the Hill

That I'll be back again

Tell them just how I busted

Listening to the jazz band's call --

Oh! we'll all write a berry in the old Wisterie

When I get back next fall!

Sometime in the 1950s, another unofficial version appeared,^[6] referring to President Deane Malott's "Social Events Standards"^[7] that attempted to ban fraternity parties, to ban women from visiting men's off-campus apartments, and to maintain the strict curfews and sign-in/out times for women. This verse is only a modest form of outrage as compared to the protests that were staged. At one, students burned an effigy of Malott. Mobs formed, including one that marched to President Malott's house demanding his resignation and throwing eggs, rocks, and smoke bombs.^[8]

Give my regards to Ezra

Remember me to Andy White.

Tell all the virgins on the Hill

That I'll be back some night.

Tell them just how I licked it,

Lappin' up the brew at Jim's.

We'll all take shots at Deane Malott's

When I get back again!

References

^ Songs of Cornell, compiled and edited by Thomas A. Sokol; Cornell University Glee Club, Ithaca, New York, 1988
^ "Marching Band". Archived from the original on September 10, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2006.
^ "Dear Uncle Ezra". Cornell University. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
^ Barrett, Grant (December 5, 2020). "Language Mysteries in Fight Song Lyrics, Like "Piker"". A Way with Words. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
^ "The Cornell Fight Song". Cornell University. Archived from the original on September 10, 2006. Retrieved September 6, 2006.
^ "Omicron Zeta Songs". Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Archived from the original on June 17, 2006. Retrieved September 6, 2006.
^ P. McCray (compiler) (1951–1964). "Guide to the Deane W. Malott Papers, 1951-1964" (Correspondence, office files.). Collection Number: 3-9-651. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library. Retrieved September 6, 2006.
^ Rossiter, Caleb. The Chimes of Freedom Flashing. TCA Press, 1996

External links

'Give My Regards to Davy' as performed by the Cornell Big Red Marching Band Archived September 20, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
'Give My Regards to Davy' as Performed by Cornell University Glee Club
Songs of Cornell at Google Books

[1] Songs of Cornell, compiled and edited by Thomas A. Sokol; Cornell University Glee Club, Ithaca, New York, 1988

[2] "Marching Band". Archived from the original on September 10, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2006.

[3] "Dear Uncle Ezra". Cornell University. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2008.

[4] Barrett, Grant (December 5, 2020). "Language Mysteries in Fight Song Lyrics, Like "Piker"". A Way with Words. Retrieved December 7, 2020.

[MarchingBand-5] "The Cornell Fight Song". Cornell University. Archived from the original on September 10, 2006. Retrieved September 6, 2006.

[6] "Omicron Zeta Songs". Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. Archived from the original on June 17, 2006. Retrieved September 6, 2006.

[7] P. McCray (compiler) (1951–1964). "Guide to the Deane W. Malott Papers, 1951-1964" (Correspondence, office files.). Collection Number: 3-9-651. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library. Retrieved September 6, 2006.

[8] Rossiter, Caleb. The Chimes of Freedom Flashing. TCA Press, 1996

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

v t Cornell Big Red football
Venues	Schoellkopf Field (1915–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Colgate Columbia Dartmouth Penn
Culture & lore	Big Red Bear "Give My Regards to Davy" Fifth Down Game
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t Cornell Big Red men's basketball
Venues	Barton Hall (1919–1990) Newman Arena (1990–present)
Culture & lore	Touchdown Give My Regards to Davy Pep Band
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1898–99 1899–1900 1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25

Give My Regards to Davy

Lyrics

Parodies

References

External links

See what we do next...

OR