From boebert@sctc.com Sun Jul 29 22:15:34 1990 From: boebert@sctc.com (Earl Boebert) Subject: Re: The IBM Songbook This was posted to alt.folklore.urban by mistake ... senile dementia strikes again! ----------- Somebody owes me a drink for this ... MARCH ON WITH IBM Verse: The fame of IBM Spreads across the seven seas, Our standards fly aloft, Proudly waving in the breeze, With T.J. Watson guiding us we lead throughout the world, For peace and trade our banners are unfurled - unfurled. Chorus: March on with IBM We lead the way, Onward we'll ever go, In strong array; Our thousands to the fore, Nothing can stem, Our march forevermore, With IBM. March on with IBM Work hand in hand, Stout hearted men go forth, In every land; Our flags on every shore, We march with them, On high forevermore, For IBM. To: THOMAS J. WATSON Tune: "Auld Lang Syne" T.J. Watson - you're our leader fine, the greatest in the land, We sing your praises from our hearts we're here to shake your hand. You're IBM's guiding star throughout the hemispheres, No matter what the future brings, we all will perservere. You've made our IBM so great in every land supreme, Our service meets all needs of men and works just like a team. You've brought us through to victory, with leadership that's prime, We'll always love and honor you for the sake of Auld Lang Syne. To: THOMAS J. WATSON Pack up your troubles - T.J. Watson's here! And smile, smile, smile. He's the genius in our IBM He's the man worth while He's inspiring all the time, And very versatile - oh! He is our strong and able President! His smile's worth while. "Great organizer and a friend so true," Say all we boys, Ever he thinks of things to say and do To increase our joys. He is building every day In his outstanding style - so Pack up your troubles Mr. Watson's here And Smile - Smile - Smile To: F. W. NICHOL (VP and General Manager, IBM) His cause IBM and for all of its men He is working and planning, we know; His time without spare, and a knowledge that's rare Is making our company grow. Yes, yes, we all know Mr. Nichol you're making us grow; Your thoughts full of zeal which to you reveal Ever help to keep us on the go. Wherever we are, be it near or afar We will find he has given us with care A mesage to all that has sounded the call For the will to go forward and dare. Yes, yes we all know Mr. Nichol you're making us grow; the lessons you teach make us strive to e'er reach Our records and keep on the go. To: C.L. KIRK (Executive Vice-President, IBM) Tune: "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" Ever we praise our able leaders. And our progressive C.A. Kirk is one of them. He is endowed with the will to go forward. He'll always work in the cause of IBM; All of our people united applaud him, As his success in our Company recall, As we know that each one is solidly for him. Proud of the job he is doing for us all. To: J.L. BARTON (Plant Manager, Endicott Plant) In Endicott we have a man, Whose thoughts will ever be, To fill each need with greater speed, Throughout our factory; J.L. Barton, to IBM you're true; You'll ever go ahead we know And we are back of you. IBM COUNTRY CLUB SONG by Miss Viola M. Lee, Associate Member, IBM Country Club (Sung to the tune of "Annie Lisle," the Cornell Alma Mater) Verse: 'Twixt the Susquehanna River, and the hills so green: Stands the Club House white and shining, Fairest ever seen. Fields for sport and lawns for playgrounds Games when days are gray, Many hours of healthful pleasure Found there day by day. Chorus: Thanks we give to our great leader And we sing with vim, "Hail to Mr. T.J. Watson And the IBM." HAIL TO THE IBM Lift up our proud and loyal voices, Sing out in accents strong and true, With hearts and hands to you devoted And inspiration ever new, Your ties of friendship cannot sever, Your glory time will never stem We will toast a name that lives forever Hail to the IBM. Our voices swell in admiration, Of T.J. Watson proudly sing, He'll ever be our inspiration, To him our voices loudly ring. The IBM will sing the praises Of him who brought us world acclaim, As the volume of the chorus raises Hail! To his honored name. EVER ONWARD Verse: There's a thrill in store for all for we're about to toast The corporation that we represent. We're here to cheer each pioneer and also proudly boast, Of that man of men our sterling president The name of T.J. Watson means a courage none can stem And we feel honored to be here to toast the IBM. Chorus: Ever Onward! Ever Onward! That's the spirit that has brought us fame. We're big but bigger we will be, We can't fail for all can see, that to serve humanity Has been our aim. Our products now are known in every zone. Our reputation sparkles like a gem. We've fought our way through And new fields we're sure to conquer, too, For the Ever Onward IBM! Ever Onward! Ever Onward! We're bound for the top to never fall, Right here and now we thankfullyt Pledge sincerest loyalty To the corporation that's the best of all Our leaders we revere and while we're here, Let's show the world just what we think of them! So let us sing men - Sing men Once or twice, then sing again for the EVER ONWARD IBM! ___________________ Well, there you have it, whether you wanted it or not. I love that "We're here to cheer each pioneer;" that has to be the finest bit of doggerel since "His buckskin shirt/all smeared with dirt." A note on sources: these lyrics were from the liner notes to a record distributed by Advanced Computer Techniques (ACT) Corporation at the Western Joint Computer Conference circa 1960-62. No explicit source was quoted by ACT, but there were enough current and former IBMer's at the conference that it was unlikely that they could have gotten away with a fake. There was also a rumor that IBM complained (and in those days, a complaint from IBM was a formidable thing) and ACT stopped handing the records out ... but then again they might have just run out of stock. I think this was also the Western Joint where Herb Grosch said that "The missile race is the swan song of a dying civilization," and thereby became the only VP of IBM ever to be fired twice. Ah, those were heady times ...