"Give My Regards to Davy" is Cornell University's primary fight song. The song's lyrics were written in 1905 by Cornell alumni Charles E. Tourison (1905), W. L. Umstad (1906), and Bill Forbes (1906), a trio of roommates at Beta Theta Pi, and set to the tune of George M. Cohan's "Give My Regards to Broadway". The song refers to a fictional encounter between an anonymous student, David Fletcher "Davy" Hoy (for whom Hoy Field is named), the registrar and secretary for the committee on student conduct, and Thomas Frederick "Tee Fee" Crane, the Professor of Languages and the first Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences revolving around the student's expulsion for binge drinking. Hoy was known for his ferocity as a strict disciplinarian. Crane, on the other hand, was generally well liked among students. "Piker" is believed to be a historical slang term for a freshman, but it actually means a poor student or slacker. Theodore Zinck's was a bar in downtown Ithaca that has since closed. Its legend still lives on in the weekly event for seniors "Zinck's Night", which is celebrated worldwide in October by Cornellians.

Lyrics

The original and best known lyrics:

Parodies

In 1920, to reflect the changing diversions of students, The Cornell Daily Sun published a new version of the song under pen name of "Lord Helpus." Sometime in the 1950s, another unofficial version appeared, referring to President Deane Malott's "Social Events Standards" that attempted to ban fraternity parties, to ban women from visiting men's off-campus apartments, and to maintain the strict curfews and sign-in/out times for women. This verse is only a modest form of outrage as compared to the protests that were staged. At one, students burned an effigy of Malott. Mobs formed, including one that marched to President Malott's house demanding his resignation and throwing eggs, rocks, and smoke bombs.