Cal Songs
Bowles Hall Drinking Song
(originally: By the Old Pacific's Rolling Waters; also: Mighty Bruin Bear / Rally Song)
Written in 1948 by Thomas V. Beall.
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We're the men of Bowles Association,
Coming here from over all the nation.
Drinking here together one and all,
We lift our voices loud for Bowles Hall!
(Chorus)
Here's to Bowles Association.
Drink it down and then,
Drink a toast to home sweet home,
Of California men. Rah! Rah! Rah!
Fill your glasses to the brim,
And lift them in the air.
And drink a toast to Bowles Association,
And the Golden Bear.
Men of Bowles are gathered here together,
Toasting everything from girls to weather.
But the very greatest toast of all,
Is the one that we now give to Bowles Hall!
(Chorus)
"By the Old Pacific's Rolling Waters" (known more simply as "By"), written by Thomas V. Beall, is one of Cal's more colorful songs. Written as a fight song for UCLA in the 1940's, it was originally known as "Rally Song" and "Mighty Bruin Bear." In earlier years, it was not uncommon for rival schools to play each other's songs; when an opposing band was unable to attend a Cal home game, the Cal Band would often face the opposing team's fans and play their fight song. Quite likely, "By" may have initially become part of the repertoire in this way.
Traditionally, the Band parades from Memorial Stadium through the campus and streets of Berkeley after a home football game. On the way, the Band passes by Bowles Hall, a gothic, all-male residence hall, stops, and plays "By" for the Bowlesmen, who have adopted the tune of "By" for their own "Bowles Hall Drinking Song." The tradition of playing "By" for Bowles Hall is said to have begun back when the entire football team lived there. The band would play for the players as they walked back to their dorm after the game. Eventually the football team moved out of Bowles Hall, but the Cal Band would still occasionally stop in front of the dorm after a game and play for the Bowlesmen. One day, as legend has it, the Band refused to play "By" as they marched passed Bowles Hall, so the Bowlesmen ran in front of the Band and laid upon the ground to stop the Band from moving forward and to "encourage" them to play their drinking song. Apparently it worked. A less mythic story from the 1970's claims that Bowles Hall convinced the University that the Band was "duty-bound" to perform for them after every game (back in the days when the Band received sizable income from the University). For whatever reason, the Cal Band continues to play "By" after every home game for the men of Bowles Hall. One tradition that has died out in this regard, though, is the Band's refusal to play "By" after a Cal-UCLA game - so thoroughly has this song been accepted by the Cal community as one of its own.