Whenever Auburn people gather, the battle cry "Warrrrrrr Eagle!" is almost certain to be heard. Although little is actually known about how the battle cry originated, it has been a part of Auburn's spirit for more than 100 years. Since the first War Eagle, there have been five other birds throughout Auburn's history which have served as the school's symbol and kept alive the legendary battle cry.
- Read about Tiger at AuburnTigers.com
- Read How Auburn's battle cry became 'War Eagle' — maybe at AL.com
- Read about War Eagle at Wikipedia
Here are the lyrics to WAR EAGLE (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 vic'try, strike up the band,
Give 'em hell, give 'em hell.
Stand up and yell, Hey! War...Eagle, win for Auburn,
Power of Dixie Land!
3 comments:
Watching the eagle fly around the stadium is one of the highlights of an Auburn game! It's an awesome sight !
FYI: An older version of the fight song includes the words "Hit 'em high, hit 'em low" instead of "Give 'em hell, give 'em hell" I have the old 45 record with both versions on it!!
There are several variations of how "War Eagle" and the golden eagle became linked to Auburn. Most are fanciful and make good stories, but when I was a student at Auburn a student researched it and published his findings in The Plainsman - the school newspaper. Here's what is very probably the true story:
Auburn began as a land grant college and a military school - all students were required to join the ROTC. Uniforms were worn to all events, and being military war-oriented lingo was common. At a pep rally a cheerleader was exhorting the crowd about going to war with the upcoming opponent (I believe Clemson) when shoulder eagle dropped off his uniform. When his eagle was returned to him by another cheerleader he held it up and declared it to be a "war eagle". And the term entered the Auburn lexicon. The fight song was commissioned by Roy Sewell in 1952 and was written by Bob Allen, who also wrote Chances Are and Home for the Holidays. Warrrrrr Eagle
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