School Song Competition
It's almost impossible to parody some of the incredible school songs on this page, but as public school men (and women) it is our duty to rise to the challenge. That's why we didn't hesitate to ask you to try.
Before we moved our discussion board to here, CPSA members submitted lots of imaginative compositions. And, after we'd weeded out all the libellous ones, and those that were written with the main aim of giving their former housemasters a kicking, we drew up a shortlist of three.
Here is the winning song along with the two runners up. The winner gets a copy of Swinesend and the others get our undying gratitude. As do the authors of the songs that we were unable to include.
(By the way, we announced this on 2nd April 2007, but don't let that stop you submitting your own song for the sheer fun of it.)
Winner
Boys into men our school doth make
And must the odious weakling break
Cradle of leaders
Hear our love of thee expound.
Justice
Hear us as we lift the eaves:
Our school is great and with one voice
We sing this song as we rejoice:
Great school which doth beget great man
Source of all things great since it began.
So shall we smite all idle boys
And those for whom the childish toys
Are still a shameful rod and staff
Thus do we sort the wheat from chaff.
Mighty
So do we lift our oaken eaves.
Our school is great and with one voice
We sing this song as we rejoice:
Great school which doth beget great man
Source of all things great since it began.
Unbelievers do our school surround
We chide them with the noble sound
Of this great school
Whose praise daily
Worthy
So shall we stem the heathen flood.
Our school is great and with one voice
We sing this song as we rejoice:
Great school which doth beget great man
Source of all things great since it began.
For centuries four we have endured
Against worldly distractions well inured
Young minds set to such good use
Fast against the sin of self abuse.
The Onanist shall not enter here
For to blindness
Our school is great and with one voice
We sing this song as we rejoice.
Great school which doth beget great man
Source of all things great since it began.
Honour
With pride of us such things are told
Great tales of greatest men and boys
And yet above this o'erwhelming noise
Does rise the sound of all who sing
The praise of Edward
Our school is great and with one voice
We sing this song as we rejoice.
Great school which doth beget great man
Source of all things great since it began.
And when the Good Lord shall decree
That from this earth our soul must flee
Thus at the gates we shall face St Pe'er
With courageous heart and conscience clear
For this fine school will e'er destroy
The slothful
Our school is great and with one voice
We sing this song as we rejoice.
Great school which doth beget great man
Source of all things great since it began.'
Runner Up (1)
Our Boys around the world unite
And bring our founder into sight
In saintliness unmatched
School of scholars
All who hear
We assemble in solemn prayer
We now thank our wise triumphant found'r
For justice
Our Boys around the world sing loud
Then shall we part the graying cloud
To give praise for our earthly favour
And for that to thank our noble saviour.
All who sing
We thank you for our favoured clan
We humbly praise our noble Lord
And thank him for our earthly hoard.
Our Boys around the world shall state
Of those who made our Britain Great
None more than those who from this school
Set forth to heathen peoples rule.
All who state
Make these barbaric lands anew
You who for nation great did give so well
We praise wheneíer of you they tell.
Our Boys around the world shall tell
Of those who for the empire fell.
Their sacrifice
That we would join your noble line.
All who tell
We thank you to a very man
You who for school and country died
Hear us our cowardly enemy chide!
Runner Up (2)
We leaders of tomorrow salute
The old boys of today who lead
The country and empire in astute
Decisions to its huddled masses feed.
Empire
Leaders we at this school enshrine.
Our boys from young to old
Gather to hear great history told!
The place of little woman at the home
We support though endeavours shown
At practice
Never shall our efforts falter.
Empire
Leaders we at this school enshrine.
Our boys from young to old
Gather and your present behold!
We march forward side by side
As together through life's battles glide
Staunch to a man
Embrace our highly noble fate!
Empire
Leaders we at this school enshrine.
Our boys from young to old
Here is your great future told!
And when at last we are done
When the final shot is from His gun
Fired where eíer we mortals lie
We with dignity and courage shall die.
Empire
Leaders we at this school enshrine.
Our boys from young to old
This great future shall unfold!
