Coming up on the 100th Anniversary of when Pinky added the first verse in '28

https://chng.it/SBkz7MFygQ

The Aggie War Hymn
The rich history of The Aggie War Hymn, the official war hymn of Texas A&M (Texas A&M does not have a fight song), dates back to World War I. The lyrics to the iconic song were scrawled during 1918 on the back of a letter from home by J.V. "Pinky" Wilson, one of the hundreds of Aggies who fought during World War I, as Wilson sat in a trench during a battle in France. Wilson originally called his song "Goodbye to Texas University," a nod to Texas A&M's rivalry with the University of Texas, and created it by combining several Aggie yells used at the time to form the lyrics.

In 1928, Wilson penned another verse at the request of several Aggies that thought Wilson's original version was too focused on the University of Texas this verse is now the first verse of the War Hymn, but it never caught on. Today, the second verse is sang twice, and once that is completed, Aggies link arms and legs and sway left to right to "saw Varsity's horns off."


"Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!
Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!

First verse
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!

Second verse
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
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!"
https://www.tamu.edu/traditions/gameday/aggie-songs/index.html

How can it be the first verse if it was written later?

The original verse is the first verse, plain and simple.

Now that tu is coming back in the picture, you want us to not sing what we've been singing even though we looked like idiots singing it still when we first went into the SEC and didn't play them anymore?

Hey, they still mention us in "Texas Fight" yet I have brought that up to multiple longhorn alumni who didn't even know the words.

Which is sadder?

In fairness, the version I sing says "Texas jump up and bite my ass." Maybe they think those are the words?

Similar to how they followed us into the SEC, they added us into "Texas Fight" after we put them in our song.

Also - they're horrible. Thanks.

When I was first starting A&M in the 70's, the school wanted to change the lyrics in Spirit from:
"We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. We're from Texas AMC"

To: "We are the Aggies, the Aggies so true. We're from Texas AMU"

Nobody would do it, so the effort quietly faded away. This too shall pass.

You're right. About the only time you hear the first verse of the War Hymn or the updated lyrics of The Spirit, is at a Singing Cadets concert. Alabama talks about Georgia Tech in their fight song and haven't played them in football in some 50 years. That's really created a problem for them, hasn't it?

Plus if we go introducing a new verse these days, it's gonna need to be woke-ified too.

Anyone wanna, y'know, take a swing at what such a verse might look like? I can't, I've got some work I gotta go do...

Well done. It's been 10 years since we've had a good "sing the first verse of the War Hymn" thread.

ABATTBQ87 said:

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How can it be the first verse if it was written later?

The original verse is the first verse, plain and simple.

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Well, maybe because it is the first verse in the order of the song as currently written?

"First" has mulitple meanings....

Shocking - Ags spend more time talking about tu than we can even muster talking about our own school in our fight song.

And some still wonder why we are constantly second fiddle - because we cannot get out of our own way, which is sad and unfortunate.

schmellba99 said:

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Shocking - Ags spend more time talking about tu than we can even muster talking about our own school in our fight song.

And some still wonder why we are constantly second fiddle - because we cannot get out of our own way, which is sad and unfortunate.

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Let's just throw the war hymn away and write a new 21st century song, so that the hullabaloo band can play with it with enthusiasm while cheerleaders prance about leading the student body

"...and it's goodby to A&M..."

That is the equivalent of a "war hymn" and unified swaying directed at Varsity?

Sing whatever you want to sing. It's a free country, but be truthful with yourselves.

Take it up with Pinky if and when you see him.

saw em off said:

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Now that tu is coming back in the picture, you want us to not sing what we've been singing even though we looked like idiots singing it still when we first went into the SEC and didn't play them anymore?

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I thought we should have done it when I was a student and we ran off six in a row. That's also when LSU quit playing. I also thought when we joined the SEC we should have at that time. Maybe before I take my last road trip, we might get 'er done.

Duckhook said:

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When I was first starting A&M in the 70's, the school wanted to change the lyrics in Spirit from:
"We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. We're from Texas AMC"

To: "We are the Aggies, the Aggies so true. We're from Texas AMU"

Nobody would do it, so the effort quietly faded away. This too shall pass.

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The lyrics were changed when A&M became a University,. Students and Former Student refused to sing the new lyrics, no one has or will accept or sing them!

Showstopper said:

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In fairness, the version I sing says "Texas jump up and bite my ass." Maybe they think those are the words?

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Yea, us Ol' Army has been singing that since the 60's.

aeon-ag said:

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Duckhook said:

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When I was first starting A&M in the 70's, the school wanted to change the lyrics in Spirit from:
"We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. We're from Texas AMC"

To: "We are the Aggies, the Aggies so true. We're from Texas AMU"

Nobody would do it, so the effort quietly faded away. This too shall pass.

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The lyrics were changed when A&M became a University,. Students and Former Student refused to sing the new lyrics, no one has or will accept or sing them!

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Yeah, that's what I said.

ABATTBQ87 said:

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How can it be the first verse if it was written later?

The original verse is the first verse, plain and simple.

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Don't really care which is "first"

All I know is we should be singing both.

Showstopper said:

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In fairness, the version I sing says "Texas jump up and bite my ass." Maybe they think those are the words?

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Same ... It's what I hear every time.

I dare someone to do the Rice yell. Insta timeout.

RVHorn said:

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"...and it's goodby to A&M..."

That is the equivalent of a "war hymn" and unified swaying directed at Varsity?

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No, your song sucks. But its appropriate, because so does your little racist woke gender-confused school for the deaf dumb and blind insane asylum, baby brother.

Tree Hugger said:

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Hey, they still mention us in "Texas Fight" yet I have brought that up to multiple longhorn alumni who didn't even know the words.

Which is sadder?

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the words are "give 'em hell, give 'em hell, make 'em eat ****"

Dr RC said:

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ABATTBQ87 said:

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How can it be the first verse if it was written later?

The original verse is the first verse, plain and simple.

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Don't really care which is "first"

All I know is we should be singing both.

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Agreed. I didn't even mean to imply canceling the second otherwise there would be no connection to SawVHO. OP Title should be Sing Both Verses.

Duckhook said:

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aeon-ag said:

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Duckhook said:

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When I was first starting A&M in the 70's, the school wanted to change the lyrics in Spirit from:
"We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. We're from Texas AMC"

To: "We are the Aggies, the Aggies so true. We're from Texas AMU"

Nobody would do it, so the effort quietly faded away. This too shall pass.

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The lyrics were changed when A&M became a University,. Students and Former Student refused to sing the new lyrics, no one has or will accept or sing them!

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Yeah, that's what I said.

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Funny but I started as a fish in 1968, when we were Texas A&M University, and we were all taught the 'Texas AMC' version. And that's all I heard then and since. I never even knew there was a 'Texas AMU' version. It was all explained away to us as that was the song and that was an Aggie Tradition. I was ok with it then and I've been ok with 'AMC' ever since. If there's an official different version I didn't know it and don't care.

I still say AMC when singing the spirit. It just sounds better.

Dr RC said:

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ABATTBQ87 said:

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How can it be the first verse if it was written later?

The original verse is the first verse, plain and simple.

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Don't really care which is "first"

All I know is we should be singing both.

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No one is stopping you from singing both verses, so hook up with that 89 non reg and sing em loud and proud

AgEngineer72 said:

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Duckhook said:

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aeon-ag said:

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Duckhook said:

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When I was first starting A&M in the 70's, the school wanted to change the lyrics in Spirit from:
"We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. We're from Texas AMC"

To: "We are the Aggies, the Aggies so true. We're from Texas AMU"

Nobody would do it, so the effort quietly faded away. This too shall pass.

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The lyrics were changed when A&M became a University,. Students and Former Student refused to sing the new lyrics, no one has or will accept or sing them!

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Yeah, that's what I said.

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Funny but I started as a fish in 1968, when we were Texas A&M University, and we were all taught the 'Texas AMC' version. And that's all I heard then and since. I never even knew there was a 'Texas AMU' version. It was all explained away to us as that was the song and that was an Aggie Tradition. I was ok with it then and I've been ok with 'AMC' ever since. If there's an official different version I didn't know it and don't care.

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All I ever knew was the AMC version as well. But there was a point there in the early-mid 70's where they were trying to transition everything away from "college" to "university". That's when they were wanting to change the phrase in Spirit. As I said, nobody would sing it the new way, so they just gave up.

tu sucks

Duckhook said:

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AgEngineer72 said:

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Duckhook said:

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aeon-ag said:

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Duckhook said:

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When I was first starting A&M in the 70's, the school wanted to change the lyrics in Spirit from:
"We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. We're from Texas AMC"

To: "We are the Aggies, the Aggies so true. We're from Texas AMU"

Nobody would do it, so the effort quietly faded away. This too shall pass.

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The lyrics were changed when A&M became a University,. Students and Former Student refused to sing the new lyrics, no one has or will accept or sing them!

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Yeah, that's what I said.

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Funny but I started as a fish in 1968, when we were Texas A&M University, and we were all taught the 'Texas AMC' version. And that's all I heard then and since. I never even knew there was a 'Texas AMU' version. It was all explained away to us as that was the song and that was an Aggie Tradition. I was ok with it then and I've been ok with 'AMC' ever since. If there's an official different version I didn't know it and don't care.

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All I ever knew was the AMC version as well. But there was a point there in the early-mid 70's where they were trying to transition everything away from "college" to "university". That's when they were wanting to change the phrase in Spirit. As I said, nobody would sing it the new way, so they just gave up.

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Thanks for explaining- I just never knew that was going on. Some of the other posts in this thread suggest that some think it was changed but I don't know about it if so.

Agree with "AgEngineer72". BTHOtu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

aeon-ag said:

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Duckhook said:

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When I was first starting A&M in the 70's, the school wanted to change the lyrics in Spirit from:
"We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we. We're from Texas AMC"

To: "We are the Aggies, the Aggies so true. We're from Texas AMU"

Nobody would do it, so the effort quietly faded away. This too shall pass.

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The lyrics were changed when A&M became a University,. Students and Former Student refused to sing the new lyrics, no one has or will accept or sing them!

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"The past is never dead. It's not even past."