Boomer Sooner
"Boomer Sooner" is the fight song for the University of Oklahoma written by Arthur M. Alden in 1905.[1] The tune is taken from "Boola Boola", the fight song of Yale University.[1] An addition was added a year later, which they took from University of North Carolina's "I'm a Tar Heel Born".[1]
Uses
The OU marching band plays the fight song when the team takes the field and when the team scores or makes a big play. They also play it along with other fight songs while the Oklahoma defense is on the field to encourage the crowd to get loud. They play it on 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and sometimes 4th down when both the Oklahoma offense and defense are on the field. Some fans have informally counted it being played between 70 and 90 times a game.
WWE
WWE commentator and Oklahoma native Jim Ross uses the fight song as his entrance theme. He also often uses the phrase "Boomer Sooner" to signify a good moment.
On June 4, 2010, Jack Swagger (an OU alumnus) attempted to sing the song, but was only able to sing the first few lines before being interrupted by Kane.
Origin of the lyrics
The lyrics in the first verse refer to the Land Run of 1889, in which the land around the modern university was settled.[2] Boomers were people who campaigned for the lands to be opened. Sooners were dirty, worthless, cheating land thieves who settled before the lands were opened, giving them an unfair advantage on finding, fencing, and claiming farm land. If the charge of early entry was proven, they would lose their claimed land.
References
- ^ a b c "Fight Songs". SooonerSports.com. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- ^ "Official Athletics Site of the Oklahoma Sooners - Traditions". SoonerSports.com. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
External links
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