Last year, Johns Hopkins announced a competition to come up with the school’s new university song. The new Hopkins anthem, the school announced. should be memorable, easy to sing, uncomplicated, and under three minutes long. Now they’ve come up with five contenders– and I have opinions about them all.
It seems weird to write a song in the 21st century and still use the word “thee.” The rhymes are predictable; the song is traditional. Meh.
This one is a bit more bombastic, which is fun. I can’t decide if the rhyme “Til the moon turns green/We’re winning good and clean” is bad, or so bad it’s good.
The title kind of makes it sound like a song about being beat up. Also, for some reason, this song refers to the university as “he” and calls for “brethren” to come forth and “take a place in history.” Nope!
(4) “The Hopkins Black and Blue”
Short and catchy; vaguely modern sounding, at least compared to some of the others. Into it!
(5) “Truth Guide Our University”
This one is inspired by “The Johns Hopkins Ode,” so maybe I can’t blame it for sounding old-fashioned. But that weird verb conjugation in the title would always drive me crazy (why not “guides”?).
Clearly, my vote is for #4. Readers, your thoughts?
