Editing Hail to the Commanders (section)

==History==
[[File:Corinne-griffith.jpg|thumb|right|Hollywood film star [[Corinne Griffith]], wife of franchise founder [[George Preston Marshall]], wrote the original lyrics to "Hail to the Redskins"]]
In 1937, Marshall moved the team from [[Boston]] to [[Washington, D.C.]] With this move and the introduction of his team to the nation's capital, Marshall commissioned a 110-member [[marching band]] to provide the new fans with the "pomp and circumstance" and "pageantry" of a public victory parade. Marshall said he wanted his team and their games to emulate the spectacle of [[gladiator]]s at the [[Colosseum]].  He also wanted to incorporate elements of the [[college football]] experience into the pro game. He outfitted the band with $25,000 {{USDCY|25000|1937}} of uniforms and instruments and asked the band leader, Barnee Breeskin, to compose a fight song worthy of such a team of gladiators and warriors.

The original lyrics were written by Marshall's wife [[Corinne Griffith]] to reflect the Native American warrior imagery of the team as the "Redskins". The lyrics were later reworked to be less offensive to contemporary sensibilities, although the Redskins name became increasingly [[Washington Redskins name controversy|criticized as a racial slur]]. Washington began playing the song at home games for the 1938 season. "Hail to the Redskins" is the second oldest fight song for a professional [[American football]] team; the oldest fight song is "[[Go! You Packers! Go!]]", composed in 1931 for the [[Green Bay Packers]].

The original fight song lyrics<ref>"Hail to the Redskins!" in ''Redskins 1953: Official Press, Radio, and Television Guide.'' Washington, DC: The Redskins, 1953; p. 2.</ref> are as follows:

:: ''Hail to the Redskins! Hail Vic-to-ry!''
:: ''Braves on the warpath, Fight for old D.C.''
:: ''Scalp 'em, Swamp 'em, We will take-em big score!''
:: ''Read 'em, Weep 'em, Touchdown—we want heap more!''
:: ''Fight on, Fight on till you have won,''
:: ''Sons of Wash-ing-ton (Rah! Rah! Rah!)''
:: ''Hail to the Redskins! Hail Vic-to-ry!''
:: ''Braves on the warpath, Fight! For old D.C.''