The name of the SMU fight song - and mascot - comes from a famous cure-all. Like most medicinal tonics from the turn of the century, Peruna had a high alcohol content (a whopping 27%), a fact that made it particularly popular during Prohibition when it continued to be sold over the counter. The tonic was the creation of Dr. Samuel Hartman, a physician in Ohio, and at its peak, Hartman's company was selling $100,000 worth of Peruna a day. The product was pulled from shelves in the 1940s.
As for the fight song, Mustang Band director Cy Barcus attended a South Dallas revival shortly after being hired by SMU in 1924. There, he heard q gospel choir sing "We'll Go Out to Meet Our Savior When He Comes," more popularly known as "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain." Barcus was inspired by the way the choir sang the song slowly at first, then again and again, increasing the tempo, making it faster and faster. He decided this should be the SMU fight song. Unofficially, the fight song words for a while were changed to "She'll be loaded with Peruna when she comes."
Mustang Band history - which every new band member must memorize - pays special attention to the number of times "Peruna" gets played at football games. In the days of yore, before TV time-outs and recorded stadium music and NCAA restrictions, college bands could often play non-stop during games. And so the Mustang Band could play "Peruna" over and over and over again. 570 times against TCU in 1968, 701 times against Tulane in 1979. The band doesn't play it that many times now, but there's still a Mustang Band position called the Peruna Counter (usually a first-year student) tasked with keeping count of the number of times the fight song is played.
Could those old records be broken on November 28? Pledge your money and let's start counting.
Hubba!
As for the fight song, Mustang Band director Cy Barcus attended a South Dallas revival shortly after being hired by SMU in 1924. There, he heard q gospel choir sing "We'll Go Out to Meet Our Savior When He Comes," more popularly known as "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain." Barcus was inspired by the way the choir sang the song slowly at first, then again and again, increasing the tempo, making it faster and faster. He decided this should be the SMU fight song. Unofficially, the fight song words for a while were changed to "She'll be loaded with Peruna when she comes."
Mustang Band history - which every new band member must memorize - pays special attention to the number of times "Peruna" gets played at football games. In the days of yore, before TV time-outs and recorded stadium music and NCAA restrictions, college bands could often play non-stop during games. And so the Mustang Band could play "Peruna" over and over and over again. 570 times against TCU in 1968, 701 times against Tulane in 1979. The band doesn't play it that many times now, but there's still a Mustang Band position called the Peruna Counter (usually a first-year student) tasked with keeping count of the number of times the fight song is played.
Could those old records be broken on November 28? Pledge your money and let's start counting.
Hubba!