My friend M and I spent time together when I studied abroad on the Pembroke-Kings Programme at the University of Cambridge four terms ago. As a graduate of Pembroke with a Masters in Engineering, he reminisced about the various sports he played from rugby to coxing the men’s 8 for rowing. He and I became close after going rowing together on the Cam and we still stay in contact with weekly phone calls to check in. During one of these calls after he had been out at a pub, he mentioned that he had been to the Boat Race a few weeks earlier sporting his Pembroke blazer. This soon prompted a hilarious rendition of one of his boat club songs:

M: So I don’t know if I told you this, but I went to the boat race with T and B. They didn’t know what was going on, but wanted to be supportive of the squad. It’s been so long that I barely know anyone on the team now, but L was there. He just got back from Germany. I was trying to teach T and B some of the Pembroke songs.

L: Do you remember them?

M: Of course, what kind of coxswain would I be (he then proceeds to start singing quite loudly and off key to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic)

“Well you’ve heard of Lady Margaret and you’ve heard of Jesus one

And all the other college crews who couldn’t have gotten on

But when it comes to bumps they are but far outshone

By the might Pembroke men

PCBC PCBC, PCBC PCBC, PCBC PCBC, ROW ON PC PC

L: Is that the whole song?

M: Um, I don’t really remember the rest of it. Usually I just tend to hum along after that. You get though the other crews, right?

L: Yeah. Jesus’ college first eight during bumps racing.

M: Haha good, I wish I remembered more. It had about three or four different verses followed by the PCBC chorus.

L: Could I record you singing it?

M: No. No one would want that.

L/M: Haha

We eventually descended into laughing afterwards.