Texas Longhorn fan ranks SEC fight songs

Technically, “Rocky Top” isn’t Tennessee‘s official fight song. That distinction goes to a song called “Down the Field.” But let’s face it, “Rocky Top” is the only fight song people outside of Tennessee remember.

The best fight songs are instantly recognizable to everyone, not to just the home fans. I’m sure it helps that “Rocky Top” is an established song. But it’s the arrangement and the way the Tennessee band belts it out that makes it my favorite fight song in all of college football.

Wish that I was on ol’ Rocky Top
Down in the Tennessee hills
Ain’t no smoggy smoke on Rocky Top
Ain’t no telephone bills

Once I had a girl on Rocky Top
Half bear, other half cat
Wild as a mink, but sweet as soda pop
I still dream about that

Rocky Top, you’ll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol’ Rocky Top
Rocky Top, Tennessee
Rocky Top, Tennessee

“Texas Fight!” Isn’t it great? Longhorns fans are lucky to have such a great, recognizable fight song and an even better Alma Mater. The song has all the hallmarks of a good fight song. It’s rousing, when a great beginning. It’s easy to sing along to it.

“Texas Fight” is one of those songs that rings in the ears of opposing fans for days. Longhorns fans alter the words some when they play Oklahoma. When I was at Texas, fans also threw in a bad word that starts with “S” and school officials threatened to ban it for a while. Fans stopped. “Texas Fight” was too important.

Texas Fight, Texas Fight, And it’s goodbye to A&M.
Texas Fight, Texas Fight, And we’ll put over one more win.
Texas Fight, Texas Fight, For it’s Texas that we love best.
Give ’em hell, Give ’em hell, Go Horns Go!”
And it’s good-bye to all the rest!

Yea Orange! Yea White! Yea Longhorns! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Texas Fight! Texas Fight, Yea Texas Fight! Texas Fight!
Texas Fight, Yea Texas Fight!

The Eyes of Texas are upon you, All the livelong day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you, You cannot get away.
Texas Fight, Texas Fight, For it’s Texas that we love best.
Give ’em hell, Give ’em hell, Go Horns Go!” And it good-bye to all the rest!

Similar to Tennessee, Georgia has an official fight song and one that everyone associates the school. And again, it’s in large part to the arrangement, which dates back to 1915.

Set to the tune of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” which obviously also helps its instant recognizability. And like Texas, Georgia fans often replace a part of the song with disparaging words about their rivals.

Glory, glory to old Georgia!
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
G-E-O-R-G-I-A
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
Glory, glory to old Georgia!
G-E-O-R-G-I-A

I love the intro. It’s one of the longer intros of any fight song and it just builds the tension as Alabama fans get ready to explode. I think if you grew up outside the SEC, “Yea, Alabama” was one of those fight songs that you instantly recognized, but couldn’t quite place. That changed after Nick Saban made the Crimson Tide must-see TV.

The song dates back to 1926. A campus humor magazine ran a contest, staring in 1925, but nothing popped. After Alabama won the Rose Bowl, the editor of the school newspaper won the contest. Like Texas and Texas A&M, the Tide’s fight song mentions rivals. It also mentions the Rose Bowl.

Yea, Alabama! Drown ’em Tide!
Every ‘Bama man’s behind you, Hit your stride.
Go teach the Bulldogs to behave,
Send the Yellow Jackets to a watery grave.
And if a man starts to weaken, That’s a shame!
For Bama’s pluck and grit have
Writ her name in Crimson flame.
Fight on, fight on, fight on men!
Remember the Rose Bowl, we’ll win then.
So roll on to victory, Hit your stride,
You’re Dixie’s football pride,
Crimson Tide, Roll Tide, Roll Tide!!

As a rival fan, I hate this song. I’ve had it ringing in my ears many times after leaving the Cotton Bowl. But that also makes it a great fight song. “Boomer Sooner” is iconic, instantly recognizable and a great example of a top tier fight song.

The lyrics date back to 1905 and refer to the refer to the Oklahoma Land Run 16 years earlier. The Oklahoma band also plays “Oklahoma!” from the musical “Oklahoma!” but it’s “Boomer Sooner” that is played constantly.

Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner 
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner 
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner 
Boomer Sooner, OK U! 
 
Oklahoma, Oklahoma 
Oklahoma, Oklahoma 
Oklahoma, Oklahoma 
Oklahoma, OK U! 
 
I’m a Sooner born and Sooner bred 
and when I die, I’ll be Sooner dead 
Rah Oklahoma, Rah Oklahoma 
Rah Oklahoma, OK U! 

Florida‘s fight song has a very traditionaL sound. There is one small riff right before the second verse that is very recognizable and is played on it own during games.

“Orange and Blue” was more recognizable to the mass college football audience when the Gators were thriving under Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. The song dates back to 1916, but the current arrangement dates back to 1964.

On, brave old Florida, just keep on marching on your way!
On, brave old Florida, and we will cheer you on your play!
And as you march along, we’ll sing a victory song anew;
With all your might, Go on and fight Gators, fight!
For Dixie’s rightly proud of you.

So give a cheer for the Orange and Blue
Waving Forever!
Forever pride of Old Florida, May she droop never.
We’ll sing a song for the flag today,
Cheer for the team at play!
On to the goal, We’ll fight our way for
Flor-i-da!

Dating back to 1950, “Fight for LSU” has gained recognition in the past couple decades, thanks in large part to the Bengal Tigers rise as a college football power.

Sporting a solid intro similar to Alabama, I like the way it speeds up at the end.

Like Knights of old, Let’s fight to hold
The glory of the Purple Gold.
Let’s carry through, Let’s die or do
To win the game for dear old LSU.
Keep trying for that high score;
Come on and fight,
We want some more, some more.
Come on you Tigers, Fight! Fight! Fight!
for dear old L-S-U.

I’m going to be honest, I really struggled with where to put the “Aggie War Hymn” on this list. I don’t like this song. But not for the same reasons as “Boomer Sooner.” It’s not “just” because it is a rival. I don’t think it is good AS a fight song. It doesn’t sound like a fight song. It sounds like the Mickey Mouse Club theme. (If you don’t believe me play the beginnings of both songs). It also goes on forever.

While “Texas Fight” and “Yea Alabama” mention rival teams, half of the “Aggie War Hymn” talks about trying to beat Texas. Also there are so many non-sensical words.

That said, it is very recognizable and identifiable with Texas A&M. Most of the fight songs lower on this list can’t say that. Objectively, it’s not last.

Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!
Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!
All hail to dear old Texas A&M
Rally around Maroon and White
Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies
They are the boys who show the real old fight
That good old Aggie spirit thrills us
And makes us yell and yell and yell
So let’s fight for dear old Texas A&M
We’re going to beat you all to
Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Rough Tough! Real Stuff! Texas A&M!
Good-bye to texas university
So long to the orange and the white
Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies
They are the boys that show the real old fight
“The eyes of Texas are upon you . . .”
That is the song they sing so well (Sounds like Hell!)
So good-bye to texas university
We’re going to beat you all to
Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Rough Tough! Real Stuff! Texas A&M

Arkansas Fight has a nice opening. I can remember the band really playing up the intro at Razorbacks basketball games during the Nolan Richardson era. The rest is decent but not especially memorable.

Hit that line! Hit that line! Keep on going!
Move that ball right down the field!
Give a cheer. Rah! Rah!
Never fear. Rah! Rah!
Arkansas will never yield!
On your toes, Razorbacks, to the finish,
Carry on with all your might!
For it’s A-A-A-R-K-A-N-S-A-S for Arkansas!
Fight, fight, fight!

I have always felt the South Carolina fight song sounded like a Broadway show tune. It is with good reason. “Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way” was adapted from the musical number “Step to the Rear” from the Broadway show “How Now, Dow Jones.” It’s still referred to by many as “Step to the Rear” and it is relatively catchy.

Hey! Let’s give a cheer, Carolina is here
The fighting Gamecocks lead the way
Who gives a care, If the going gets tough
And when it is rough, That’s when the ‘Cocks get going

Hail to our colors of Garnet and Black
In Carolina pride have we
So, go Gamecocks go—fight!
Drive for the goal—fight!
USC will win today—go ‘Cocks!
So, let’s give a cheer, Carolina is here
The fighting Gamecocks all the way!

Also know as “Rebel March,” “Forward Rebels” is your prototypical southern fight song. Which is probably why it sounds very average.

Forward Rebels, march to fame, Hit that line and win this game, We know that you’ll fight it through, For your colors Red and Blue — Fight, Fight, Fight.

Rebels you’re the Southland’s pride, Take that ball and hit your stride, Don’t stop ’till the victory’s won, For your Ole Miss. Fight, fight for your Ole Miss.

“Hail State” has been the Bulldogs fight song since 1939. To me it sounds like an AI wrote it. It’s very generic. Hard to think anyone outside of the state of Mississippi remembers it.

“Hail dear ol’ State! Fight for that victory today. Hit that line and tote that ball, Cross the goal before you fall! And then we’ll yell, yell, yell, yell! For dear ol’ State we’ll yell like H-E-L-L! Fight for Mis-sis-sip-pi State, Win that game today!”

“War Eagle” has a long intro, similar to “Yea Alabama,” but it has a false stop that to me is disconcerting. It feels like it ends after a few seconds. But then it goes on into a pretty ordinary fight song.

War Eagle, fly down the field
Ever to conquer, never to yield
War Eagle, fearless and true
Fight on, you orange and blue
Go! Go! Go!
On to vict’ry, strike up the band
Give ’em hell, give ’em hell
Stand up and yell, Hey!
War Eagle win for Auburn,
Power of Dixie Land!

Debuted in 1938, I thought about putting Vandy’s fight song higher based solely on the name. I mean “Dynamite” is a great name for a fight song. Maybe the best! Unfortunately, the song itself isn’t dynamite. It is pretty average and forgettable.

Dynamite, Dynamite
When Vandy starts to fight
Down the field with blood to yield
If need be save the shield
If victory’s won, when battle’s done
Then Vandy’s name will rise in fame
But, win or lose, the fates will choose
And Vandy’s game will be the same
Dynamite, Dynamite
When Vandy starts to fight! (Fight!)

I think if you’re a college basketball fan, the Kentucky fight song is more well known. Dating back to 1922, it sounds like a very ordinary fight song.

On, on U of K. We are right for the fight today!
Hold that ball and hit that line. Every Wildcat star will shine.
We’ll fight, fight, fight for the Blue and White, as we roll to that goal, varsity.
And we’ll kick, pass and run ‘till the battle is won, and we’ll bring home the victory.

Mizzou has two semi-interchangeable fight songs. The primary one is “Every True Son,” which set to the tune of “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.” I find that kinda odd. What would Lawrence of Arabia think?

Every true son, so happy-hearted
Skies above us are blue
There’s a spirit so deep within us
Old Missouri here’s to you
When the band plays the Tiger war song
And when the fray is through
We will tramp, tramp, tramp, around the columns
With a cheer, for old Mizzou!