Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here

The melody was originally part of "With Cat-Like Tread" in Act II of Pirates and echoes the Anvil Chorus from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore;[2][3] W. S. Gilbert’s original lyrics set by Sullivan to the tune are: Come, friends, who plough the sea.

It was referenced in American newspapers as a familiar song as early as 1898, sung at political and other gatherings.

[4][5] A Philadelphia Inquirer news item from April 1, 1898, for example, stated that during a raucous meeting, members of the Philadelphia Common Council loudly sang, "Hail, hail, the gang's all here, what the hell do we care!

"[6][7] Likewise, a Delaware state legislature session in March 1901 was disrupted when Democratic members loudly sang the song.

[10] Also in 1915, the Ohio State University fight song Across the Field incorporated the title phrase as the penultimate lyric.