University of California Marching Band ~ Cal Songs ~ California Indian Song

Cal Songs

California Indian Song

Written in 1907 (?) by Harold W. Bingham; arranged by Robert O. Briggs.
© UC Regents. All Rights Reserved.

Note: Since Stanford changed its mascot from the Indian to the Cardinal, and because of the controversial nature of the song's content, the verses below are rarely sung or played.

We are fighting, Californians
For the Gold and Blue;
We are starting on the warpath
For a scalp or two;
Our blood's up and simply boiling,
What can Stanford do?
We are starting on the warpath
For a scalp or two. So,...

(Chorus:)

We're goin' to scalp you, Stanford!
We're goin' to scalp you blue!
We'll do it with Your tomahawk*
We took from you. Rah! Rah! Rah!
All 'round our belts we'll hang them
To show all friends who's dead;
We're goin' to carve some blockheads
Whose scalps are red.

We are hotfoot after Stanford
Camping on her trail;
With our tomahawk* before us,
We can never fail.
Getting ready for the war dance,
All our warriors true;
We are putting on our war paint,
Royal Gold and Blue.

(Chorus)

* Tomahawk = Stanford Axe

"California Indian Song" was written by Harold W. Bingham in 1907 (?). The song is based on the traditional rivalry between the Cal Bears and the Stanford Indian (before the Stanford mascot was deemed offensive to Native Americans and changed to the Cardinal). Bingham brought the song to Brick Morse's Glee Club, and according to Morse, they "sang it in the club with an Indian dance and it was always a hit." The Band's current arrangement includes only the chorus. The now unplayed verses mimic an Indian war chant.