Sing along with the bouncing ball! (The lyrics start 30 seconds in to the above video.)
Words and music by Johnny Burt
From the 1968 album CFL Songs, by Dal Richards and his orchestra.
Go, Toronto Argos, Go Go Go!
Pull Together, Fight the Foe Foe Foe!
Scoring touchdowns for the Blue on Blue
The Argos will win for you!Full of fight and courage you can’t stop
They pile up the points until they reach the top!
Pull Together ’til the Grey Cup’s won!
Go Argos Go Toronto Go! (second time only)
Go Argos Go Go Go!
about this song
Here are some thoughts on “Go Toronto Argos Go Go Go”, inspired by a comment I read that called the fight song ‘ridiculous’ and questioned the lyric “fight the foe”.
- It’s “Pull Together, Fight the Foe Foe Foe” because it has to rhyme with the previous line, which is “Go Toronto Argos Go Go Go”. 🙂
- If we sang “Pull Together, Fight the Edmonton Elks” it would neither scan nor rhyme. 🙂
- Yes, it’s an old-timey song, written by legendary Toronto tunesmith Johnny Burt and recorded by legendary Vancouver bandleader Dal Richards on his seminal 1968 album CFL Songs – but it’s also a link to a previous era.
I happen to know one of the quartet of singers from this album and I can really hear his voice when they play this song at the games. (I did a whole podcast episode about this 20 years ago, I’ll have to dig that up.)
Just like the slogan Pull Together, the Oxford and Cambridge Blue colour scheme, and even the name Argonauts, the ritual playing and (I hope) singing of this song reminds us of the long history this team has in Toronto and gives the franchise a sense of permanence, and (I also hope) gives the fans a sense of community.
Many teams have an ancient fight song that they still enjoy today.
Chicago Bears fans love singing Bear Down, Chicago Bears, which dates from the 1940s and was written in celebration of a 73-0 victory over Washington. It’s part of their identity. And they still sing it loud and proud.
Washington fans have their own tradition – Hail to the Commanders, which of course was written with a previous team name, but dates to 1937. It’s a great tune too.
And needless to say, every big time college football program features a memorable traditional song sung joyously by the crowd, dating WAY back. USC’s Fight On? 1922. On, Wisconsin? 1909. Notre Dame’s Victory March? 1905. Michigan’s The Victors? it’s from 1898.
The Argos even had an older song called Yea, Argos but sadly I have never come across a recording or even the sheet music.
So, what we have is Go Toronto Argos Go Go Go, and personally, I celebrate it and I’m thrilled when I see others singing and/or clapping along You don’t have to sing along, although I wish you would, but I hope you can cherish some of these links to the past.
There are plenty of other new fangled things – hey, how about that halftime drone show at the 150th Anniversary game? That was cool and unexpected! – but I’m happy we can still hold on to and encourage legendary artifacts like Go Argos Go as well.
Regards,
A Charter Member of the Go Argos Go Appreciation Society
PS. I was deeply honoured to meet the late Dal Richards, the long time BC Lions bandleader and the impresario behind the CFL Songs album, in Vancouver in 2014. He kindly autographed a copy of the album for me…
… and in 2015 donated it to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, where it rightfully belongs.
Outside the former downtown Hamilton location of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame; it’s since moved to Tim Hortons Field.
(with Hall of Fame manager Andrea Lane)
Outstanding work, Steve!