1965 Hit With Only Two Verses Became a Beloved Ohio State Tradition

When No. 1 Ohio State faces No. 4 Texas today, college football fans will have plenty to talk about, from the matchup on the field to the traditions that make a fall Saturday feel like a party. One of the most recognizable college football traditions all started with a pop song, and it has nothing to do with football.

When Ohio State percussion student John Tatgenhorst heard “Hang On Sloopy,” the rock version of the earlier song “My Girl Sloopy,” he immediately thought it would make a terrific marching band arrangement. In just four hours, he created his own arrangement and convinced band director Charles Spohn to let the band give it a try.

@its_teresa4

1965..Hang On Sloopy..The McCoys🎸🎤..Released Again In 1975 With 19 Year Old Dancer..Lisa Leonard Dalton🔥..#musicvideo #song #songlyrics #tiktok #fyp

♬ original sound – Teresa 🎥🎞

The Ohio State Marching Band performed “Hang On Sloopy” at Ohio Stadium on October 9, 1965, when the Buckeyes faced Illinois, just one week after The McCoys’ version hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rain kept the band from taking the field, but the song was a hit regardless. Fans soon began asking to hear the band play it again.

How “Hang On Sloopy” Became an Ohio State Tradition

For more than 60 years, Buckeyes fans have been treated to “Hang On Sloopy” as part of the team’s game-day traditions. This isn’t a fight song, and you don’t have to know anything about Ohio State football to join in the camaraderie that comes with an enthusiastic fan base getting hyped up by a shared anthem.

The Ohio State Marching Band still performs “Hang On Sloopy” as part of its football traditions, with fans joining in and the familiar O-H-I-O response. The song is generally played between the third and fourth quarters, turning an unlikely pop hit into one of the defining sounds for generations of fans who know that Saturdays in the fall are all about college football.

Related: 1968 Hit Song by a Rams Legend Written by Bobby Womack Was Inspired by His Friendship With Bobby Kennedy

The 1965 Hit Behind the Ohio State Tradition

@drumlinemom.740

‘Hang on Sloopy’ always gets the crowd on their feet! 🔴⚪️ #OSUMB #MarchingBand #skullsession

♬ original sound – Drumlinemom740 🥁

That’s what makes Ohio State’s game-day tradition so much fun. “Hang On Sloopy” isn’t a fight song, nor does it have anything to do with football. It’s simply a catchy tune that was adopted by generations of Ohio State fans, becoming part of the shared experience of rooting for the same team.

The McCoys’ version became a No. 1 hit in 1965, but the song actually started a year earlier. “My Girl Sloopy” was recorded by The Vibrations in 1964 before The McCoys gave it a rock ’n’ roll makeover the following year, changing the title to “Hang On Sloopy.”

There’s also a fun detail hiding in the song itself. The familiar McCoys version contains only two verses, even though the original song had three. The third verse was cut for the 1965 single, making the shorter version the one generations of listeners grew up hearing.

More than six decades later, that catchy two-verse song has become something much bigger than a pop hit. Whether you’re watching Ohio State take on Texas today or simply remember hearing “Hang On Sloopy” somewhere along the way, it’s a reminder of how a familiar song can become part of a place, a crowd and a memory. And sometimes, the songs we remember most aren’t the ones that were written for the moment—they’re the ones that generations of people turned into their own tradition.

Related: 1979 NFL Star Captured Houston’s Super Bowl Dreams With an Unexpected Disco Song

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