Big 'C'

Big 'C' is one of the Aggie songs.

Big 'C'

We are sons of California, 
Fighting for the Gold and Blue,
Palms of glory we will win
For Alma Mater true.

Sac State's men will soon be routed
By our dazzling 'C',
We'll stomp 'em in the mud,
Their green will turn to blood,
In our hour of victory!

Grrrr-ah!  Hey Hey!
Grrrr-ah!  Hey Hey!
Grrrr-rrrrr-rrrrr-ah!

Blood, drip, drip, drip,
Blood, drip, drip, drip,
Blood, drip! Blood, drip!
BLOOD!

I thought Big C was a UC Berkeley song? In high school, our rivals used it. Unless it's a shared song. But Big C also has these "grrrs" in it, like a bear? Some current band kid correct me if I'm wrong. — MichelleAccurso

• This version of Big C is ours, we play it all the time! Cal's version has different lyrics (they don't rout Sac State for example). And there are "grrs" in it, its fixed now. — AllisonEriksen or the whole blood thing....eek. — rocksanddirt
• Super, thanks! My high school used the grrs in our fight song, i love them! — MichelleAccurso

* A legal case settled a copyright dispute issue between the song's use at Berkeley and UCLA. The court decided that both schools could use the original tune, but that each school's rendition was copyright to the respective school. Since then, other campuses have been free to make renditions of the song by legal precedent. Cal (Berkeley) used to play a 6/8 version of Big "C". The current version at Cal is a cut time rendition in E flat. Anybody know about the version/arrangement that Davis plays?

• Our version is 6/8 time in B flat and was arranged by L. Austin, no year given. —AllisonEriksen
• On a stylistic note...the various arrangements have a substantially different sound. the 6/8 version is very traditional march sounding, the version UCLA does sounds very show tunish (think big movie production number), and the 2 version Cal uses is very raw (think some one slapping you from one cheek to the next). (full disclosure, I was in the Cal Band) —RocksandDirt

2016-08-27 18:43:48   I was a member of the UCD marching band in 1961-63. Larry Austin was the music (and band) director at that time. My brother and sister were also members, although my sister was excluded when they decided to reconfigure the organization as the UCD All-Male Marching Band! Whew! We only had about 50 guys in the band and we played at the Seattle World's Fair. There were only about 4,000 students in the whole school! Our rendition of Big C included: On our mighty water tower Stands our symbol, clear and bold. CA means to fight and strive and win for Blue and Gold. Good old Ollie’s ever watching Day by day he prowls And when he hears the buzz of the Sacramento fuzz From his lair he fiercely growls Grrrrrah, Grrrrrrah! Hey, Hey! Grrrrrah, Grrrrrrah! Hey, Hey! Grrrr, Rrrr, Rrrrrah! We are Sons of California, Fighting for the Gold and Blue. Palms of glory we will win for Alma Mater true. ... Etc. Ollie was our mascot at the time. —davefitz