Fred Waring's Collegiate Review

The song I chose to discuss is “Collegiate” by Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, partly because it was one I’d latched onto since we listened to it in class and also because it provides some interesting points of discussion. First of all, it seems to be a song celebrating the college life, or at least one aspect of the college life (that is, the party side of the collegiate career). One look at the lyrics and one can tell that the issues dealt with are very surface level and care-free, especially farther on in the song when the singers proclaim “Sigma Kappa / Tap-a half-a keg / That’s the Greek for all the lodges we belong to.” In fact, there is no mention of any real education at all, merely an ode to rowdy behavior like poker, “neckin’, muggin’… [and] huggin’.” Even better is that good ol’ Fred Waring never seems to apologize for this behavior, as if this really is what college is about, rather than the typical notion that the focus should be on academics.
Obviously, though, it is apparent both in the lyrics and music (light and boisterous) that the humor presented is very tongue-in-cheek. From lines like “Lend me, give me / Want-a half-a dollar” to “Very, very seldom in a hurry / Never ever worry / Real collegiates are we,” it is clear that, while Waring may not be admonishing college students, he clearly doesn’t respect or admire them. If college students really were as Waring characterizes them, they probably wouldn’t even care even if he was being critical, as they “Never ever worry” anyway. If anything, it’s a friendly form of mockery, poking fun at these students who go to college during this era of “Arrow collar” men to get an education, only to end up partying and chasing girls throughout the semester instead. It is not too out of line to consider this song Fred Waring’s review on the culture of college in general, and he manages to embody it well, while still getting in a few punches along the way.