On April 7, 2024, the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team won the 2024 NCAA women's basketball national championship, beating Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, with a score of 87 to 75.
To celebrate the Gamecock's undefeated championship season, here is the beloved fight song of the South Carolina Gamecocks.
First played in 1967, and written by Elmer Bernstein and Carolyn Leigh, "Step to the Rear" was originally created for the musical "How Now, Dow Jones". In 1968, the Carolina Band played this song in the first football game of the season. Paul Dietzel, former USC head football coach, heard the song and asked James Pritchard, then-Carolina band director, if this song would be the replacement for the then used fight song, now called today as the "Old Fight Song".
Dietzel wrote the lyrics to the new fight song and was formally adopted as the fight song of the University of South Carolina in 1969, and is known either by its musical name "Step to the Rear" or its last line - "The Fighting Gamecocks All The Way".
And with that, enjoy this musical piece and Go Cocks!
~
LYRICS:
Hey, let's give a cheer,
Carolina is here,
The Fighting Gamecocks lead the way.
Who gives a care,
If the going gets tough,
And when it is rough,
That's when the 'Cocks get going.
Hail to the colors of garnet and black,
In Carolina pride we have.
So, go Gamecocks go - FIGHT!
Drive for the goal - FIGHT!
USC will win today - GO COCKS!
So, let's give a cheer,
Carolina is here,
The Fighting Gamecocks all the way!
~
DISCLAIMER: The logo, songs, and trademarks related to the University of South Carolina, are owned by their respective creators.