# What's the name of that college graduation song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2005, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613 "2005-12-21T12:28:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/1 "2005-12-21T12:28:30Z")
You know the one I’m talking about. It’s usually played on any given National Lampoons movie that involves kids graduating college at the end of the movie. It’s an instrumental. Hope that’s desciptive enough. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/2 "2005-12-21T12:36:00Z")
“Pomp and Circumstance”. It was, in fact, played at my high school graduation. In Britain the same tune is used for a patriotic anthem called “Land of Hope and Glory”. So when British movies stick in a patriotic theme, American audiences start looking for the caps and gowns… ---
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/3 "2005-12-21T13:03:50Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > “Pomp and Circumstance”. It was, in fact, played at my high school graduation. > > In Britain the same tune is used for a patriotic anthem called “Land of Hope and Glory”. So when British movies stick in a patriotic theme, American audiences start looking for the caps and gowns… England, please. 🙂 Not many Scots or Welsh will sing along to “Land of Hope and Glory”. Incidentally, the tune is by [Elgar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Elgar). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/4 "2005-12-21T13:18:12Z")
When they play _non_-graduation music over images of a college, it’s **Gaudeamus Igitur**. You’ve heard it: Da dahhhh … Da da-da-duhhhhhh Duh da dahhh da … da-DA-duh ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/5 "2005-12-21T13:18:46Z")
Gaudeamus Igitur? Info and mp3 here : [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudeamus\_igitur](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudeamus_igitur) Is that the one? It’s often used in movies to represent college life, usually an instrumental played by a string quartet. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/6 "2005-12-21T14:53:19Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > “Pomp and Circumstance”. It was, in fact, played at my high school graduation. > > In Britain the same tune is used for a patriotic anthem called “Land of Hope and Glory”. So when British movies stick in a patriotic theme, American audiences start looking for the caps and gowns… To be specific, it’s the Pomp and Circumstance March **#1** , by Edward Elgar. Elgar wrote three P&C marches altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/7 "2005-12-21T16:24:21Z")
Pomp and Circumstance March #1 is written with several repeatable sections, making it very flexable, time wise. I’m convinced that this is one of the reasons it is used so much at graduations. My junior year in high school, we played it for the senior graduation. We stretched it out long enough to let 500 seniors march across the stage and shake hands with the principal. I’ve hated that song ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/8 "2005-12-21T16:43:02Z")
> [@Figaro](#): > > To be specific, it’s the Pomp and Circumstance March **#1** , by Edward Elgar. Elgar wrote three P&C marches altogether. Five of 'em, actually, as long as we’re nitpicking. Though it was originally an instrumental, I forever associate this tune with a bit they did on _Sesame Street_ with food items marching along to Pomp and Circumstance > [@](#): > > …Fresh creamery butter, > And blueberry pie ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/9 "2005-12-21T17:08:24Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Five of 'em, actually, as long as we’re nitpicking. There I go, confusing my prime numbers again! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/10 "2005-12-21T20:33:08Z")
It’s also the music for my favorite segment of Disney’s [Fantasia 2000](http://animated-features.tripod.com/features/fantasia2k/pomp/pomp.htm). ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/11 "2005-12-21T21:49:46Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > Gaudeamus Igitur? > > Info and mp3 here : [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudeamus\_igitur](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudeamus_igitur) > > Is that the one? It’s often used in movies to represent college life, usually an instrumental played by a string quartet. That’s the one. The instrumental version you usually hear is from Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture”. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-college-graduation-song/336613/12 "2005-12-21T22:45:52Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > It’s also the music for my favorite segment of Disney’s [Fantasia 2000](http://animated-features.tripod.com/features/fantasia2k/pomp/pomp.htm). And also the theme played during coronation of the winner on the [Queen for a Day](http://www.tv.com/queen-for-a-day/show/20880/summary.html&full_summary=1) TV show.