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sigma chi songs

Songs

Below is an ongoing list of Sigma Chi songs. More songs' words are included, and information for each will be added periodically. The songs are arranged alphabetically into six categories. As you can see, there are several songs focusing on the sweetheart, but there are also marches, banquet songs, and fellowship songs, as well as a Christmas song and one instrumental, “The Sigma Chi Waltz,” which is one of the oldest Sigma Chi songs in existence.

One recent songbook–entitled Five Score and Five, edited by Jack E. Pearson and published in 1961 by the Sigma Chi Fraternity–contains many of these songs and a few other specific chapter songs; however, this book is now out of print. There have been several Sigma Chi songbooks, the first being proposed in 1865.

Thanks to the Detroit Alumni Chapter for including the words to several of the songs listed below.

This section compiled by 21st Grand Historian, Dr. William P. Fleming, Sam Houston 1965.

sweetheart songs

"The Daughter of the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi"

Herman Pinkus NYU 1929

Dream Girl of Sigma Chi

Lyrics are currently not available

"Dream Girl of Sigma Chi"

Gene Quaw ARIZONA 1923

Dream Girl of Sigma Chi

This sweetheart song was written in 1948, by Gene Quaw of Beta Phi Chapter; he was graduated from the University of Arizona is 1923. (According to the Sigma Chi Directory, Brother Quaw has passed away.) On the back of the sheet music is this short note: "'Dream Girl of Sigma Chi' was written for Gamma Iota Chapter [Louisiana State University] and dedicated to the Chapter's Sweetheart, Miss Sammie Nell Eldred at the annual Sweetheart Ball, May 1, 1948. Miss Eldred, whose picture is on the cover, is one of the six finalists for the National Sweetheart of Sigma Chi." Brother Quaw also wrote two other Sigma Chi songs: "The Rose of Sigma Chi" and "Sigma Chi Was My First Love."i>

Dream girl of my fraternity, my own Sigma Chi,
Dream girl thru all the years to be, my love will not die.
You have charm and fascination, lovely to see.
Always to me, you'll be my inspiration.
Dream girl of my fraternity, on angel divine,
Dream girl thru all eternity, your heart is my shrine.
Wear this White Cross always for the love 'twill impart.
Oh, Dream girl of my fraternity, this Cross is my heart.

"I'd Love to have a sweetheart"

N. B. Langworthy BELOIT 1924

I'd Love to Have a Sweetheart

I'd love to have a sweetheart, and see her ev'ry day,
I'd love to have a sweetheart to speed the time away,
I'd love to pin The White Cross just ov'r her beating heart,
So all the world would surely know she's my Sigma Chi sweetheart.

I'd love to have a sweetheart, a girl that's dear and true,
I'd love to have a sweetheart to whisper "I love you,"
I'd surely make her promise from me she'd never part,
And then she'd be forever more just my Sigma Chi sweetheart.

"Little Girl"

L. Brooks Hays ARKANSAS 1919 and GEORGE WASHINGTON 1922 and Harold H. Beebe, Jr

Little Girl

The world is so big and she is so small,
The wonder it is that I found her at all;
Her smile is so lovely, her eyes are so true,
That ev'ryone love her, yes, I love her too.
I love her because, well, I can't tell you why,
It's not just her smile or the light in her eye;
It's the wonderful meaning I know what they say,
Her smile and her eyes, when they're looking my way.

And this is my thought as I journey along,
To love little things, yes, a girl or a song;
So much that is worthwhile is not big at all,
The White Cross is wondrous and yet it is small.
Little songs, little girls, little flowers beside,
Little boats on the bay going out with the tide;
I love all that's little, it's easy to see
That you, little girl, really captivate me.

"The Mother of Sigma Chi"

N. B. Langworthy ALPHA ZETA 1924

The Mother of Sigma Chi

Songs have been written of college days,
There's the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi,
And the Fellowship Song tells of friendships true
And mem'ries that ne'er will die.
But here's a song to a dear old pal,
Good fellow and sweetheart of mine;
So here's a song to the best of all,
Inspirer of love divine, love divine.

Tho' the gold of her hair is touched with gray,
Her heart is bright gold, I know, I know;
The blue of her eyes is in her soul,
And burning with true blue glow.
Her deep faith in each lad is a lasting thing,
Like her love that will never die;
So here is a toast to the best pal we boast,
The mother of Sigma Chi, dear mother of Sigma Chi.

"My Sweetheart"

Orville S. Brumback WOOSTER and MICHIGAN 1876

My Sweetheart

Many students have their sweethearts in this college town,
But there's one 'mong all the others wears a dark blue gown;
She's my sweetheart, you may know her, just as well as I,
By her sweet and modest manner, as she passes by.

A Sigma Chi badge you will see,
She wears it because she loves me;
The boys all declare, with a satisfied air,
That the Cross ne'er adorned a maiden so fair,
As it rises and falls on her breast,
It gleams like a star in the West,
Upon the blue coat, just below the white throat,
Emblematic of all that is best.

Very often have I wondered how to pass the day,
When I did not have a sweetheart speeding time away;
Now, when study hours are over I delight to woo,
And can read in eyes most tender, how she loves me true.

My sweetheart's the girl in blue,
I'm going to marry her, too;
'Twould fill me with bliss, just to give her a kiss,
And repeat, for a dozen I never would miss,
But wait till I graduate soon,
A long t'ward the end of next June,
When she says the "sheepskin" will permit me to win,
A kiss by the light of the moon.

"Our Brown-Eyed Sweetheart (Sigma Chi)"

Gladys Rich

Our Brown-Eyed Sweetheart (Sigma Chi)

I have often wonder'd why all the girls of Sigma Chi
That you sing about have golden hair;
I am tired of hearing you only praise the eyes of blue,
With a wealth of lovely brunettes to compare.
I'm sure that many Sigma Chis are makin' love to dreamy eyes
And the light that shines there is a deeper hue
And then the hair upon her head is of a dusky brown instead,
Of that fair golden mist the sun shines thro'
That's why old nature took the pains
To put the blue light in her veins
And let the gold within her heart remain.
I'm sure her eyes are just as true
Altho' they're brown instead of blue
She's a Sigma Chi girl just the same.

There are girls of ev'ry kind who will always keep in mind
Their allegiance to the Gold and Blue;
But I know a certain one about whom is seldom sung
Any song to prove that she's a sweetheart too.
I'm sure that every Sigma Chi upon some tired eyes relies
And the light that shines there is a deeper hue
Altho' the hair upon her head it turning silv'ry gray instead,
Of that fair golden mist the sun shines thro'
That's why old nature took the pains
To put the blue light in her veins,
And let the gold within her heart remain.
I'm sure her love is just as true
Altho' it's old instead of new
, She's a Sigma Chi girl just the same.

"The Rose of Sigma Chi"

Gene Quaw BETA OMEGA

The Rose of Sigma Chi

Memory brings to me
Girls I knew and lov'd in days that used to be;
I recall best of all
One who wears the rose of Sigma Chi for me.

One white rose true love shows
Emblem of a sweetheart's love that cannot die;
True to me she will be
So my girl is like the rose of Sigma Chi.

"Serenade"

F. Beverly Kelley OHIO WESLEYAN 1928 and James W. Smith OHIO WESLEYAN 1928

Serenade

Memories linger when college is past,
Girls that we dreamed of are Sig girls at last;
Visions come back when the world goes wrong,
We pledge our devotion on wings of a song.
Open your window, the music drifts in,
Dream girl of Sigma Chi,
No one more worthy than you wears the pin,
Sweetheart of Sigma Chi.
Your heart beats true for the gold and the blue,
Out Cross is our pledge of devotion to you, dear,
Voices are lifted to praise you tonight,
Girl of our serenade.

"The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi"

Byron D. Stokes ALBION 1913 and F. Dudleigh Vernor ALBION 1914

The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi

Verse 1
When the world goes wrong, as it's bound to do
And you've broken Dan Cupid's bow.
And you long for the girl you used to love
The maid of the long ago.
Why, light your pipe, bid sorrow avaunt
Blow the smoke from your altar of dreams
And wreathe the face of your dream girl there
The love that is just what it seems

Refrain
The girl of my dreams is the sweetest girl
Of all the girls I know.
Each sweet coed, like a rainbow trail
Fades in the afterglow.
The blue of her eyes and the gold of her hair
Are a blend of the western skies;
And the moonlight beams on the girl of my dreams
She's the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi.

Verse 2
Ev'ry magic breeze wafts a kiss to you
From the lips of your "sweet sixteen."
And one by one the maids you knew
Bow to your Meerschaum Queen.
As the years drift by on the tides of time,
And they all have forgotten but you,
Then the girl of your dreams the sweeter seems,
She's the girl who is always true.

"Sweet May Thy Slumbers Be"

Arthur Y. Bradley GEORGE WASHINGTON 1893

Sweet May Thy Slumbers Be

Fairest maid, sweet may thy slumbers be,
May this, our serenade, bring sweet dreams to thee;
Before thee, may visions bright be outspread,
While angels stand their guard around your bed.

May their wings furnish thy lullaby,
Soothing thy senses with music from on high;
May our Cross, shedding its soft golden light,
From round thy head so fair halos so bright.

Then when sleep, having been warn'd, takes flight,
May thou awake refreshed by thy peaceful night;
May thy days be but a waking dream,
And cares to thy dear eyes but pleasures seem.

"White Rose of Sigma Chi"

Ruth Holmes Hansen

White Rose of Sigma Chi

Many time a flower to happiness holds a key,
There is one so deeply pressed on my memory.

It's the White Rose of Sigma, lovely to see,
Worn beside that dear White Cross he gave to me;
Like the Gold and the Blue,
In my heart the White Rose I hold high,
For it belongs to the girls in Sigma
The sweethearts of Sigma Chi.

fellowship songs

"The Cross Song"

Clyde P. Johnson CINCINNATI and CORNELL 1893

"The Fellowship Song"

Byron D. Stokes ALBION 1913 and F. Dudleigh Vernor ALBION 1914

"He's the Guy From Sigma Chi"

William A. Dillon, S. Hibbard Ayer and Henry Tobias

Most Any Man

Who's that handsome scholar, that guy the gals all foller,
That big six-footer with the wavy hair?
The way the gals all greet him, the way they try to meet him
Shows that he's the answer to a maiden's prayer.

He's the guy from Sigma Chi, and what a guy is he!
When he goes by, the gals all cry,
Now there's a guy made to order for me.
A big strong man like you're always dreaming of,
The type of man that fills your heart with love.
He's the guy from Sigma Chi, and what a guy is he.

He's the guy from Sigma Chi, and what a guy is he!
When he goes by, the gals all cry,
Now there's a guy made to order for me.
He passes Greek and he passes all his work,
He passes ev'rything except a skirt 
He's the guy from Sigma Chi, and what a guy is he.

He's the guy from Sigma Chi, and what a guy is he!
When he goes by the gals all cry,
Now there's a guy made to order for me.
He works all day, but he's ready for a lark
The gals all say he's a sweetheart after dark.
He's the guy from Sigma Chi, and what a guy is he.

"I'm Blue for the Blue and Gold"

Leland L. Yost WEST VIRGINIA 1912 and COLORADO 1925

Modal Title

White Cross blazoned in glory. Tho' we may be far apart.
You mem'ry leaves a sweet story I carry down deep in my heart.

(Chorus)
For when the world treats me cold then I long for the fold
I'm blue for the blue and gold
I long for friendships I knew, and for hearts always true,
For I'm blue for the blue and gold.
Dear old fraternity, I will eternally close my bosom enfold
Those colors so dear to me, our emblem of loyatly,
I'm blue for the blue and gold.

Your motto ever far reaching. For "in hoc signo vinces"
Ever we'll bide by your teaching, as strengthened we enter life's race.

(Chorus)

"I'm Glad I'm a Sigma Chi"

Byron D. Stokes ALBION 1913 and F. Dudleigh Vernor ALBION 1914

Most Any Man

Phi Delta Theta, Fiji and Beta were all over there, were all over there;
DU and Chi Psi too, you know what they did and it's all true.
Sigma Chi was just ace high, every mother's son was there to do or die;
In victory's heav'n the stars are seven, a White Cross gleams in the sky. Hi! 
I'm glad they loved Sigma Chi, the lads who were over there;
Every gob and doughboy, marine and oh-boy! the birds who fought in the air;
The big gun boys who made all the noise, your glory will never die;
Every rollicking son of America makes me glad I'm a Sigma Chi.

"Most Any Man"

(Writer Unknown)

Most Any Man

Most any may make a Beta Theta Pi,
Most any man make a Phi U,
Most any man make a Phi Kappa Psi,
Those men we don't give a thought to.
Most any man makes an S. A. E.,
Those men we pass by;
It takes a good man, yes, a damn fine man
To make a jolly old Sigma Chi. Hey!

"My name is sigma chi"

Charles H. Eldridge PURDUE 1885

Most Any Man

My name is Sigma Chi, sir, and I live across the green,
Our gang, it is the jolliest that you have ever seen;
Oh we drink our stein of lager and we smoke a big cigar,
Our yell, you hear it ringing thro' the country near and far.

(Chorus)

Oh, who am I, sir, I'm a Sigma Chi,
Sigma Chi, sir, will be till I die. Hey!
We're up to snuff, we never bluff, we're game at any fuss,
No other gang in college dares to meet us in a muss;
So fill your lungs and sing it out and shout it to the sky,
The Blue and Gold forever, I'm a loyal Sigma Chi! Hey! 
And when we prom the avenue, all lined up in a row,
Then arm in arm and step in time as down the street we go;
And no matter if a freshman green or in a senior's gown,
The people all admit we are the warmest gang in town.

(Chorus)

We may not live forever on this jolly good old sphere,
But while we do we'll live a life of merriment and cheer;
And when our little day is done and night is drawing nigh,
With parting breath we'll sing the praise of good old Sigma Chi.

(Chorus)

"A Sig I am"

Richard C. Hughes BETA 1882, Walter H. Reynolds BETA 1886, and McClure S. Todd BETA 1887

A Sig I Am

The only Sigma Chi song more frequently sung than "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" is "A Sig I Am." Written in 1884 by three undergraduates of the Beta Chapter at Wooster, this century-old song can be heard echoing in every chapter house throughout the Sigma Chi world. Every Sigma Chi knows the words and melody. Its popularity among Sigma Chi's can be attributed to its simplicity of melody and words. It was first sung by the delegates to the 1884 Grand Chapter.

A Sig I am, a Sig I'll be; A Sig through all eternity.
A Sig by day, a Sig by night; to be a Sig is my delight.
Sig, oh Sig, Sigma Chi; I'll be a Sig until I die.
Sig, oh Sig, Sigma Chi; I'll be a Sig until I die.

"Sigma Chi was my first love"

Gene C. Quaw ARIZONA 1923

Most Any Man

"Sigma Chi was my first love; it shall be my last."
These are words to remember, hold them true and fast.
I will keep our Founder's vow, when all else has passed.
For "Sigma Chi was my first love, and it shall be my last."
My Sigma Chi! My Sigma Chi!

"Then here's to our fraternity"

The Beta Chapter

"The White Cross of Sigma Chi"

C. A. (Bert) Fiske ALPHA PI 1890 and F. Dudleigh Vernor ALPHA PI 11914

The Daughter of the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi

Lyrics not available currently.

chapter songs

"Alpha Alpha Serenade"

Alpha Alpha Serenade

If you want to meet a girl that's pretty, pretty as the starts that shine;
Then come with me some evening and I'll show you that old girl of mine.
Oh she sleeps on a bed of roses, dreaming of the days gone by;
When she and I were sweethearts 'neath the Cross of Sigma Chi.

"Delta Lambda Chapter Song"

James Gribben III DICKINSON 1949, Walter A. Hopkins DAVIDSON 1949, Harry G. Brown DICKINSON 1950, words; and Buford Y. Goodwan, Jr. DICKINSON 1949, music

Delta Lambda Chapter Song

Here's to Delta Lambda and what it means to me,
The fellowship, the friends, the songs of our Fraternity;
We are honored brothers of dear old Sigma Chi,
Pledged to its ranks and standards high, until the day we die.

"Praise to Omega"

Writer Unknown

Praise to Omega

Praise to Omega, to Omega of old Sigma Chi.
If you're a member of our old A. C.,
It's the finest of fraternities.
So, here's to Omega, to Omega of old Sigma Chi.

"Queen of Alpha Taus"

Harold H. Beebe, Jr. GEORGIA TECH 1947

Queen of Alpha Taus

The Sigma Chis at Penn all have a sweetheart,
The Sigma Chis at Auburn have one, too;
And Sigs from Georgia Tech to California
Have crown'd a queen to wear the Gold and Blue.
But why do Sigs who come to Carolina
Acclaim a certain girl with their applause?

(Chorus)
The girl of my dreams is the sweetest girl
And the sweetest is Alpha Tau's.
The stars would shine to be her shrine, this girl of Sigma Chi;
Her beauty lifts you higher than an anthem in the sky.
She holds a part of ev'ry heart of those she overawes;
To you, to me, her majesty, the queen of the Alpha Taus.

"Zeta Zeta Sweetheart"

Dale H. Ratliff CENTRE 1949

Zeta Zeta Sweetheart

This pin I wear I give to you, the emblem of a love that's true;
The White Cross of the western skies, reflected in your lovely eyes.
So hold it fast while love doth last, and with it hold me too;
My Zeta, Zeta sweetheart, I love you.

banquet songs

"Banquet Song"

Walter L. Fisher HANOVER 1883

Banquet Song

'Tis the jolliest night in the whole college year. Vive la Sigma Chi!
The night for some rollicking, rousing good cheer. Vive la Sigma Chi!

(Chorus)
Vive la, vive la, vive l'amour,
Vive la, vive la, vive l'amour;
Vive l'amour, vive l'avour, vive la Sigma Chi!

Away with the man that says aught of a book. Vive la Sigma Chi!
No learning is precious but that of a cook. Vive la Sigma Chi!

(Chorus)

Together we've gone thro' each struggle and storm. Vive la Sigma Chi!
Our strength is in unity, loyal and warm. Vive la Sigma Chi! 
(Chorus)

"Come, Brothers, Sing"

William L. Steele ILLINOIS 1896

"Glorious Sigma Chi"

Charles H. Eldridge DELTA DELTA 1885 and Lee Orean Smith DELTA CHI 1892

Glorious Sigma Chi

Lyrics currently unavailable. 

"A Howling Sigma Chi"

Samuel R. Ireland MICHIGAN 1889

A Howling Sigma Chi

Tune to "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay"; written in 1889 by Samuel R. Ireland

I'm a howling Sigma Chi, seldom cuss and never lie;
Never drink old nasty beer, cigarettes I greatly fear.
My old man's a good old soul, he don't know I'm in the hold;
When my monthly song I sing, charge up drinks as "soap and things."

Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay! Ta-ra-ra Sigma Chi!
Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay! Ta-ra-ra Sigma Chi!

Football, baseball, dancing ball, Sigma Chi has got the call;
In her classes high she'll stand, Rides the wagon with the band.
In fifty-five she had her birth, in ninety-six she wons the earth;
On judgment day whon't we feel big, Old Gabriel will be a Sig.

I'm a whooping Sigma Chi, I've sung my little lullaby;
When Sigs try hard they will get there, from shooting craps to leading prayer.
With honors, girls, or spikes in view, We're always on the winning crew;
When dust clears off from college scraps, the Sigs will be the on-top chaps.

"Raise a Song Forever"

Dwight J. Merriam NEBRASKA 1925

A Howling Sigma Chi

Tune to "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay"; written in 1889 by Samuel R. Ireland

I'm a howling Sigma Chi, seldom cuss and never lie;
Never drink old nasty beer, cigarettes I greatly fear.
My old man's a good old soul, he don't know I'm in the hold;
When my monthly song I sing, charge up drinks as "soap and things."

Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay! Ta-ra-ra Sigma Chi!
Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay! Ta-ra-ra Sigma Chi!

Football, baseball, dancing ball, Sigma Chi has got the call;
In her classes high she'll stand, Rides the wagon with the band.
In fifty-five she had her birth, in ninety-six she wons the earth;
On judgment day whon't we feel big, Old Gabriel will be a Sig.

I'm a whooping Sigma Chi, I've sung my little lullaby;
When Sigs try hard they will get there, from shooting craps to leading prayer.
With honors, girls, or spikes in view, We're always on the winning crew;
When dust clears off from college scraps, the Sigs will be the on-top chaps.

"A Sig Toasting Song"

Richard W. Acton TAU TAU 1950

A Sig Toasting Song

Come, take a cup, let trouble fly,
And all as one we'll raise it high
To sing a toast to Sigma Chi,
A toast to grand old Sigma Chi! 
Come, take a cup and raise it high!
A toast to Sigma Chi,
The best of all fraternities,
In bonds of lasting fellowship,
We hold above all others
True Sigs, true friends, true Brothers.

"Sing a Song to Sigma Chi"

Ellis O. Jones OHIO STATE 1897

"Three Crows"

Charles E. Salmon A 1899

Three Crows

There were three crows sat in a tree,
(Oh vive la Sigma, Sigma Chi!)
O'erlooking (name of school) Varsity,
(Oh, vive la Sigma, Sigma Chi!)
Said one of these crows unto his mate,
"A story to you I will now relate"
And they all flapp'd their wings and cried,
"Chi, Chi, Chi."
"My friends, it is quite clear to me,"
(Oh vive la Sigma, Sigma Chi!)
"There's but one Fraternity,"
(Oh vive la Sigma, Sigma Chi!)
"I need not mention the name of these Greeks,
For all you crows know of whom I do speak"
And they all flapp'd their wings and cried,
"Chi! Chi! Chi!"

special songs

"The Sigma Chi Waltz"

Karl Merz BETA 1882

The Sigma Chi Waltz

Lyrics currently unavailable

"Sigma Chi Christmas"

Richard W. Acton TAU TAU 1950

Sigma Chi Christmas

In my dreams of college days I see
One scene that always comes back to me;
Thro' the window pane the falling snow
Is pure to me as the White Cross I know.

The Sig house is jolly, it's hung think with holly,
And brothers are fill'd with good cheer
Although it is snowing and chill winds are blowing,
A Sigma Chi song warms the ear.

Icicles forming, and feet that are warming
All show that the Holiday's near
When ale steins are flowing, and hearth sides are glowing,
A Sigma Chi Christmas is here.

marching songs

"Marching Song of Sigma Chi"

Cecil S. Effinger COLORADO COLLEGE 1935

Marching Song of Sigma Chi

It's onward Sigma Chi, together we go,
Bonded in loyalty, we find worthy company;
We march in Sigma Chi.
The White Cross before,
So hail to our comrades in frraternity.
To the men! Men of old! To the Blue, to the Gold,
To the name of Sigma Chi, and the memories we hold!

"The March of Constantine"

Phil E. Poppler BETA ZETA 1939

The March of Constantine

Marching along, singing a song, sunset gleam shines on,
The sons of Constantine.
The sky of deepened blue, brings doubt to them anew.
Yet the White Cross vision strong, fills their soul with song.
Hi, sing, voices ring, Sigma Chi will lead us high!
Hi Constantine, lead us on, Constantine, on!

"March of the Sigs"

Wilfred C. Miessner KANSAS 1937

March of the Sigs

Our brothers true in days gone by, your spirit shall not die;
May the song we sing through ages ring in praise of Sigma Chi.
The Blue and Gold forever, we'll hold in our memory;
The thrill of the storm's in our marching feet,
Our song's like the boom of the sea.
We'll stand together, we're true and we'll always be;
And we pledge our hearts to Sigma Chi, our grand Fraternity.

"The sigs' marching Song"

James R. Harvey UPSILON UPSILON 1941

The Sigs' Marching Song

Hail to our lov'd Fraternity, the Blue and Gold shall forever be,
We're marching just as of old to the fore.
(We life our voices.)
Brothers, ours is the victory together, one in fidelity,
The White Cross marches as old to the fore,
Ours a bond 'cross land and sea, Brothers in Fraternity,
Light your candles, hold them high, light ascending to the sky.
So march on thru all eternity, the Blue and Gold shall forever be,
We're marching just as of old to the fore.

Sigma Chi Songbooks

There are undoubtedly many unknown Sigma Chi songs which have been written to celebrate some occasion or person; these songs remain in the private repertoires of their creators. However, there are many Sigma Chi songs written since 1855 which have been widespread throughout the Sigma Chi world. 1884 songbookThe first comprehensive Songbook of the Sigma Chi Fraternity was published in 1884. Its contents included forty-eight songs, most of which were written by brothers of the Beta Chapter at Wooster College. However, the idea of a songbook was suggested in 1865, but nearly twenty years passed before the idea became reality.

At the fifth Grand Chapter in Cincinnati in April, 1865, the Phi delegation from Lehigh expressed the desire to have an official songbook (II, 311). Robert E. James made a motion in which each chapter “should send at least one song set to music to the Phi chapter”; from these would be selected those to be published (II, 458).

There was, however, little response from other chapters, so most of the songs in the first book were primarily those written by members of the Phi Chapter. In 1872 the Songs of Phi was published; it became the first cloth-bound volume of songs issued by the Fraternity. Songs of Phi contained eighteen songs. Edwin A. Barber wrote eight, including “Greeting Song,” “Wednesday Night” (meeting night), “Friendship Offering,” “Guarding the Cross,” and “The Blue and the Gold”; John E. Watkins contributed “The Cross” and A. Kirkland Michler penned the “Banquet Song” (II, 579-580). Although this songbook was useful to several chapters, it was still not as comprehensive as was first desired.

Xi Chapter at Indiana then volunteered to develop a new Songbook, but they too had the same problem collecting songs from other chapters. Then, in 1882, when Beta Chapter honorarily initiated (it was allowed at that time) Dr. Karl Merz, the new director of music at Wooster, the Beta Sigs became involved and the project was theirs. Merz had recently completed “The Sigma Chi Waltz” and had gained great interest in the fraternity (III, 251-252).

Two years later, at the 1884 Grand Chapter, the Songbook of the Sigma Chi Fraternity was distributed to delegates and used at the banquet; this was the first time “A Loyal Sig,” better known as “A Sig I Am” was sung. Included in the forty-eight song collection were “In Hoc Signo Vinces” by Burton O. Squires (Gamma '83), “The Cross of Sigma Chi” by Alfred F. McCormick (Gamma '84), the “Banquet Song” by Walter F. Fiske, and “Our Bill” by William A. Heath (Kappa Kappa '83) (III, 405-407).

Herbert C. Arms (who became Grand Consul in 1927) and Charles B. Burdick were charged with updating and producing a new edition of the Songbook in the early 1890's. The new, larger version had its first edition in 1898, the second edition in 1905, and the third edition in 1923 (IV, 235).

All references used come from The History of Sigma Chi by Joseph Nate, volumes I, II, III, and IV.

The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi (Song)

The Writers

Written in 1911 by two undergraduates at Albion College in Michigan, “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” has become the most popular college fraternity song in history. The site of the writing of the song was Dickie Hall on the campus of Albion. Byron D. Stokes, Albion 1913, wrote the words one June day while in class. He took the words to his Sigma Chi Brother F. Dudleigh “Dud” Vernor, who was practicing the organ in the campus chapel; Vernor completed the music that day. It was written for the 25th Anniversary Reunion in June 1911 of Alpha Pi Chapter. It was first sung by Harry H. Clifford, Albion 1911, who designed the drawing on the original sheet music, published by Richard Vernor, Albion 1913, brother of Dud Vernor.

Stokes was asked by many people “Who is the girl who was the inspiration?” He answered it was no one in particular. “The `Sweetheart' is the symbol for the spiritual ingredient in brotherhood. It was the Sigma Chi Fraternity itself that inspired the song. I wrote the words not long after my initiation, and the magic of our Ritual with its poetic overtones and undertones was, I suppose, the source of my inspiration.”

Stokes later served Sigma Chi during the years 1916-1920 as Executive Secretary, Grand Editor, and Grand Historian, and retired in Pasadena, California. Vernor was organist for the Metropolitan Methodist Church in Detroit for over 50 years. Ironically, although the two collaborated on this classic song while undergraduates, they never saw each other after college: “Our paths simply have never crossed,” Vernor said in 1955. However, the two collaborated on at least two other Sigma Chi songs: “The Fellowship Song” and “I'm Glad I'm a Sigma Chi”; the latter was dedicated to Sigma Chi Brothers who fought in World War I. (Both songs are included with other Sigma Chi songs at this site.) Both died in 1974, Vernor at the age of 81 and Stokes at the age of 87. (See also The Centennial History of Sigma Chi: 1855-1955 by Robert M. Collett, pp. 279-281, and History of the Sigma Chi Fraternity by Douglas Richard Carlson, pp. 368-370.)

Just about every Sigma Chi knows the first verse and the chorus of “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi,” but how many of you know the second verse!

The Recordings

Although “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” was popular when it was written and in the years following, the more popular recorded versions of the song were in late 1927 and early 1928. The most popular version was by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians, a “glee club” type of group which was extremely popular in the 1920's and 1930's (with hits such as “Sleep” (1923), “Memory Lane” (1924), “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” (1928), “Little White Lies” (1930) and “I Found a Million-Dollar Baby in a Five-and-Ten-Cent Store” (1931)). In November of 1927, the Sweetheart Song entered the “Top Ten,” rising to #3 in December; it stayed in the top ten for seven weeks.

Almost as popular as Waring's recording was one by Gene Austin, the most popular singer between 1925-1930. Austin was born in Gainesville, Texas, in 1900 and began his entertainment career in vaudeville. When he gained nationwide popularity in 1925, he was known as “The Voice of the Southland.” His recording of “My Blue Heaven,” the biggest-selling, non-holiday song before rock and roll, was popular at the same time as his version of “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi.”

The Song

Verse 1
When the world goes wrong, as it's bound to do
And you've broken Dan Cupid's bow.
And you long for the girl you used to love
The maid of the long ago.
Why, light your pipe, bid sorrow avaunt
Blow the smoke from your altar of dreams
And wreathe the face of your dream girl there
The love that is just what it seems

Refrain
The girl of my dreams is the sweetest girl
Of all the girls I know.
Each sweet coed, like a rainbow trail
Fades in the afterglow.
The blue of her eyes and the gold of her hair
Are a blend of the western skies;
And the moonlight beams on the girl of my dreams
She's the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi.

Verse 2
Ev'ry magic breeze wafts a kiss to you
From the lips of your “sweet sixteen.”
And one by one the maids you knew
Bow to your Meerschaum Queen.
As the years drift by on the tides of time,
And they all have forgotten but you,
Then the girl of your dreams the sweeter seems,
She's the girl who is always true.

The Movies

There have been two movies called The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi. The first was made in 1933, and starred Buster Crabbe and Burr McIntosh, both Sigma Chi and Signficant Sigs, and included some other Sigs in supporting roles. The song is sung in the movie several times by Ted FioRito, a popular bandleader of the 1930's. The movie's plot is pretty corny, but it's nice seeing Sigma Chi stuff in various scenes.

In 1946, another movie musical The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi was released. It starred Elyse Knox, the Sweetheart of Alpha Epsilon Chapter. Although the song was sung in the film by Phil Brito and played in the background, another song from the film became a number one hit for Frank Sinatra: “Five Minutes More.” The film was shown to delegates at the 60th Grand Chapter in St. Louis in 1975.