Argonotes
Argonotes, the unofficial band of the Toronto Argonauts, was an all volunteer organization committed to bringing quality musical entertainment and a "traditional football atmosphere" to all Argonauts home football games. Comprising more than 50 musicians on most game days, Argonotes is the largest musical organization associated with the CFL.
In addition to game day duties, the band also stays active during the offseason by promoting the Argos, Toronto, and the city's pride by taking part in various local events (Leafs, Raptors, Marlies games, fan festivals, etc.).
Occasionally, the band takes its show on the road by representing Toronto and its fans in other cities such as Hamilton and Montreal for events such as the Labour Day Classic and playoff games.
Starting in June and running until the end of the football season, the band rehearses weekly.
The band disbanded during the 2017 CFL season.
Band history
The Argonotes are the spiritual successors to earlier marching bands associated with the Argonauts over the franchise's long history. The last Argonauts band had dissolved by the 1970s, and only the occasional invited marching band played at halftimes of games in the 1980s and early 90s. The Argonotes era began in 1995, when the band was founded by Steve Hayman. The recruited players were mostly local alumni of the Waterloo, Queen's, Western, UofT, WLU and McGill university bands, ranging from recent graduates to people who last played in the 1950s.
- Highlights from the first decade of the Argonotes
- 1996 – First road trip, to Hamilton for the 1996 Grey Cup Festival.
- 1998 – First trip to Montreal for playoff game
- 1999 – First appearance outside of a Leafs game
- 2000 – At the request of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Argonotes temporarily become the Ticats Band, "Orchestra Wee-Wee", for the Ticats Grey Cup Ring dinner.
- 2001 – Performing at parties surrounding Grey Cup festivities in Montreal
- 2002 – Official Band, World Beer Games
- 2004 – Defeats Roughriders Pep Band in sonic battle at Grey Cup in Ottawa.
- 2007 – CFL Grey Cup weekend performances in Toronto.
- Appearances
- 100th Grey Cup Festival Kickoff
- Breakfast Television (Citytv Toronto)
Repertoire
Following is some of the Argonotes more frequently performed songs.
Fight songs
The band plays a number of pep band tunes common to sporting environments, with a heavy emphasis on songs by Canadian bands or artists. Nautical tunes such as Anchors Aweigh and Row, Row, Row Your Boat are also common.
The team's traditional fight song, popular in the 1950s and 60s and recently rediscovered, is Go Argos Go:
Go Toronto Argos go go go
Pull together fight the foe foe foe
Scoring touchdowns for the blue on blue
The Argos will win for you
Full of fight and courage you can't stop
They pile up the points until they reach the top
Pull together till the Grey Cup's won
Go Argos go go go
Go Toronto Argos go go go
Pull together fight the foe foe foe
Scoring touchdowns for the blue on blue
The Argos will win for you
Full of fight and courage you can't stop
They pile up the points until they reach the top
Pull together till the Grey Cup's won
Go Argos go Toronto go
Go Argos go go go
Another traditional-style fight song played by the band is Argos Rule the CFL, a song written by Tony Daniels and Damon Papadopolous of Talk 640 Radio shortly before the band's formation:
The Alouettes, Lions and the Blue Bombers
Tiger-Cats, Eskimoes and Stampeders
The Roughriders and the other Rough Riders
But the Argos Rule the CFL
T! O! R! O! N! T! O!
A! R! G! O! N!A!U!T!S!
Note that since the demise of the Ottawa Rough Riders, the third line is now no other Rough Riders.
