If you don’t remember the words it’s time to refresh the old brain cells. After all, Oahu-wa’s not just for football games any more. Attending the Alumni Luau during our 40th reunion next year will offer a chance for Punahou74 to sing along … and to shout out a Strawberry Shortcake yell as well!
Punahou’s alma mater is the brainstorm of Wilhelm Albert Gartner, member of the Punahou School class of 1902. It’s sung to the tune of “Maryland, My Maryland,” a song better known as “O Christmas Tree.”
LIke most songs, Gartner’s creation has a number of verses, four of them in fact. Surprised? I bet you don’t know more than the first one. Take a look:
Oahu wa, Oahu wa,
Punahou, our Punahou;
Mau a mau, oh! Mau a mau!
Punahou, our Punahou.
For sixty years we’ve seen our light,
We glory in Oahu’s might;
The buff and blue’s a glorious sight,
Punahou, our Punahou.
Through many a game
we’ve saved our name,
Punahou, our Punahou.
And brought Oahu into fame,
Punahou, our Punahou.
The body with the mind must grow,
Books without fun would be too slow,
And so we play for Punahou.
Punahou, our Punahou.
For Punahou we’d break our necks,
Punahou, our Punahou.
To other teams we’d give the ax,
Punahou, our Punahou.
In football how we hit the line,
Upon the track, we make such time,
On tennis courts, we are sublime.
Punahou, our Punahou.
In basketball we throw the goals,
Punahou, our Punahou.
Not in it are the other schools,
Punahou, our Punahou.
In baseball we play like dreams,
In every game we’re straight and clean,
So here’s hurrah for every team, of
Punahou, our Punahou.
There have been some changes through the years to the fifth line. As you can see, the lyrics were originally written as, “For sixty years we’ve seen our light.” After all, the class of 1902 would graduate on the 61st anniversary of the school’s founding. But, time marches on and when Punahou74 first enrolled, the song was sung with the line, “One hundred years we’ve seen our light.” By the time that we had graduated it had morphed into “throughout the years we’ve seen our light.” And maybe that’s where it will end. But who knows?
But reading is one thing, and now it’s time to hear the music. Click on the video below to hear how Punahou74 sang Oahu wa for the last time together as a class, the first time as newly minted Punahou alumni.
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