History of the School Song  

Traditions

It is very common for high schools to have their fight song or school song based on the melody of a specific college's fight song.  Our situation at Lane is very unique because we have our very own!  In sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team.  In singing a fight song, the fans SHOULD feel part of a large, time-honored tradition.  It should be energetic and rousing! The use of fight songs is commonplace around the world.  Hundreds of colleges have fight songs, some of which are over a century old. The oldest collegiate fight song in the United States is Boston College's "For Boston" composed by T.J. Hurley in 1885.  

"Go, Lane, Go" is in our daily planner and should be memorized by the entire student body.  The reality is most students do not know the words and sometimes could care less when it comes to singing at all.  PERIOD.  "Go, Lane, Go!" is a challenge because it is in 6/8 and has an introductory phrase before the lyrics begin.  The first line by the band starts on the big beat "2" and the overall song is repeated twice. All these factors play into the fact that the basic and generic student may not follow.  In 2011 we inserted a roll-off to cue in the band (as well as the audience).  Some may feel the roll-off "changed" the tradition but I would argue that it in fact only ADDED to it.  At some point in time people became comfortable with performing it at a moderately slow tempo.  I fundamentally feel the school song should bring a zip to any atmosphere the moment it starts.  Playing the song faster does not change tradition.  It simply makes sense.