The Origin of Alabama’s Fight Song: “Yea, Alabama!”

Posted by Nicki on October 6th, 2006 at 9:38 pm · TrackBack URI

Something I felt needed to be added to my other football pages:

 

Credits: Wikipedia, 1122productions.com, RollTide.com

Following Alabama’s 1926 Rose Bowl victory over Washington, a contest was held by The Rammer-Jammer, a student newspaper, for the composition of a fight song. Several entries were submitted, and the winning entry, “Yea Alabama”, was adopted. The composer, Ethelred Lundy (Epp) Sykes, was a student of the Music Department. The opening of the song is rarely heard these days, as the Million Dollar Band plays only the chorus at football games. A Dixieland jazz version of the song appeared on the 1950 Percy Faith album Football Songs (later re-releasd as Touchdown!) and was played extensively across the state in the 1960s and 1970s as the music bed of radio commercials for sporting goods stores. It was also used as the theme music for The Bear Bryant Show.

Lyrics:

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 his shame!
For ‘Bama’s pluck and grit
Has writ her name in crimson flame!
Fight on, fight on, fight on, men!
Remember the Rose Bowl we’ll win then!
So! Go, roll to victory,
Hit your stride,
You’re Dixie’s football pride, Crimson Tide!

Variations: A couple of minor differences…the line used is “and if a man starts to weaken, that’s a shame” is also sung “that’s his shame”. Also, the line “Go, roll to victory,” has many different versions. Some people include a “So!” or “Hey!” beforehand. Others say “roll on to victory.” However, according to the University’s athletics site, these are the official words.

2 Comments »

1
TODD HAKANIS (1 comments.) said

August 30, 2007 @ 8:49 pm

I LIKE IT DUDE

2
Brittany Etheridge said

September 27, 2007 @ 10:31 am

I love it!!!! :razz: :!: :!: :!:

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