Why is Pomp and Circumstance Played at Every Graduation? What are the lyrics?

"Land of Hope and Glory"

Sir Edward William Elgar 

Graduation March

Graduation Hymn based on Pomp and Circumstance is known in the United Kingdom as "Land of Hope and Glory" and "The Graduation March" in the United States and in the Philippines.

What are the lyrics and what do they mean?

Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free,
How shall we extol thee, who are born of thee?
Wider still and wider shall thy bounds be set;
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet,
God, who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet.

The wonderful thing about words is that they can mean different things to different people.

Written before the World War I, it was initially intended to be a celebration of the glory of war and Britain’s power on the international stage. However, over the centuries people have taken strength from the song in different ways.

Sir Edward William Elgar (1857–1934) was an English composer, among whose best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos for violin and cello, and two symphonies.

Life and Music
Elgar's father owned a music shop and was a church organist who taught his son piano, organ, and violin; apart from this instruction, Elgar was basically self-taught as a musician.

Land of Hope and Glory: Graduation March click for more information