Last year, Johns Hopkins decided it needed a spiffy new school song (perhaps to go along with its spiffy new look?). They held a contest and selected five finalists, which we had some feelings about.
And now, after a round of voting, the new school song has been selected: “Truth Guide Our University,” by Peabody alum Erik Meyer. Meyer made a smart move, basing his new song on “The Johns Hopkins Ode,” the previous school song. Rather than penning an entirely new version, his is more of an update or refresher, a tradition taken into the 21st century. I’m not wild about how old-fashioned the song sounds, but maybe that’s just me missing the point: “It’s important that we connect ourselves with people of the past,” Meyer told the Hopkins Hub. “We’re part of a tradition.” (My personal fave, “The Johns Hopkins Black & Blue,” was a close runner up. Oh well!)
The song will make its public debut at the university’s commencement on May 21. Here’s a video with lyrics so you can practice singing along:
