Cal Songs
Golden Bear
Written in 1895 by Charles Mills Gayley; arranged by Jonathan B. Elkus.
© UC Regents. All Rights Reserved.
Song Clip: MP3 (1078 KB)
Oh, have you seen the heavens blue, heavens blue,
When just sev'n stars are shining through, shining through
Right overhead a jovial crew?
They're joining hands to make the Bear.
Right overhead a jovial crew?
They're joining hands to make the Bear!
And oh, that Bear's a glorious sight, glorious sight,
A-circling 'round the pole all night, pole all night;
And once you've seen him, you're all right,
You've seen our California Bear.
And once you've seen him, you're all right,
You've seen our California Bear!
He has a very patient air, patient air,
He wears a Paderewski hair, 'rewski hair,
He's the center rush of the heavens I swear,
Our silent, sturdy Golden Bear.
He's the center rush of the heavens I swear,
Our silent, sturdy Golden Bear!
Oh have you seen our banner blue, banner blue?
The Golden Bear is on it too, on it too,
A Californian through and through,
Our totem, He, the Golden Bear.
A Californian through and through,
Our totem, He, the Golden Bear!
He might have been a Wolverine, Wolverine,
A Tiger, or a Badger been, Badger been,
Or yet some other beast, I ween,
He had his choice and lo - a Bear.
Or yet some other beast, I ween,
He had his choice and lo - a Bear!
He might have smiled on Michigan, Michigan,
Or countenanced the Harvard man, Harvard man,
Or even gone Yalesian.
But no - he's California's Bear.
Or even gone Yalesian.
But no - he's California's Bear.
Our totem takes us in his tow, in his tow,
He hugs our flag where e'er we go, e'er we go,
He makes it cold for every foe,
He is their frigid polar Bear.
He makes it cold for every foe,
He is their frigid polar Bear!
'Twas he that froze the U. of P., U. of P.
And Princeton and Schenectady, 'nectady,
And all the Western galaxy;
He hugged them tight, our Golden Bear.
And all the Western galaxy;
He hugged them tight, our Golden Bear!
The oldest song currently in the Cal Band's repertoire is "The Golden Bear," with lyrics written in 1895 by Professor Charles Mills Gayley. In order to understand the origins of the song, it is important to consider Gayley's background and association with the University of California. Gayley was born in Shanghai in 1858, educated in England, and received his A.B. in 1878 at the University of Michigan. He became an assistant professor of Latin, and later Professor of English, at Michigan. While at Michigan, he displayed his flair for school songs by editing the songbook, "Songs of the Yellow and Blue." In 1889, Gayley moved to California, serving the University of California as a professor of English Language and Literature, research lecturer, and professor emeritus. Like many of his fellow professors at the new university, he encouraged the development of traditions that would foster school spirit and loyalty; his most lasting contributions to his development are his songs.
In 1895, Berkeley was still in its infancy, having only been founded 27 years earlier. The University of California track team, underfunded and without a coach, decided to travel to the East in order to compete in the prestigious Eastern Track Meets, where California ran against Princeton University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, and Chicago University. The upstart university from the west coast surprised everyone by winning the meet! At the meet, the team had displayed a blue banner with a golden bear upon it for good luck, and when the local newspapers noticed the totem, they began to claim that it had "jinxed" the Eastern schools. After the track meet, the exhausted team returned to Berkeley in the dead of night and was greeted by the faculty and students at the West Berkeley railroad station. As the team made their way off the train clutching their banner, the words to "The Golden Bear" came to Gayley in a sudden flash of inspiration, and he soon set the words to a popular Air of the time, "The Pope." Because he was known and loved by the student body for his sincere and genuine concern for their welfare, it is fitting that Gayley's songs still remain a vital part of the California Spirit.