Inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, you’ll always hear Alabama fans chanting “Go teach the Bulldogs to behave.” Well, it’s not a threat; it’s a reference to their iconic fight song. But why does the University of Georgia’s mascot appear in their fight song “Yea Alabama!”? Let’s see the origin of the fight song to understand that better.

The school newspaper, the ‘Crimson White’, started pushing for a fight song after the UA football team won the SIAA (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) championship in 1925. In October of that year, the University’s literary and humor magazine, Rammer Jammer offered a fifty-dollar prize for the best fight song. Before diving into the origin of ‘Yea Alabama,’ there’s another intriguing fact you should know.

UA had had a Million Dollar Band and a cheerleading squad for a long time, but the program was missing a proper fight song. With time, the wish for a battle anthem became “an obsession.” And the author, David Battles, claims the same in his book where he wrote about ‘Yea Alabama’. 

The lyrics to “Yea Alabama!” helped Ethelred “Epp” Sykes, the Crimson White editor who had penned the editorials advocating for a fight song, win the competition of writing the best song. On top of this, in order to enable the Million Dollar Band to perform the new fight song, Sykes gave his prize money to fund the composition of a new musical arrangement.

Born October 3, 1905, Sykes was an Air Force Brigadier General. Besides this, he applied for a Birmingham News scholarship to the University of Alabama and served as editor of the school’s Mirror magazine. And let’s see why his lyrics drag Bulldogs into the Crimson Tides’ song. 

Why is the mascot of the University of Georgia mentioned in Alabama’s fight song?

In 1925, Alabama defeated Georgia 27-0, sending a clear message to the Bulldogs about behavior which was mentioned in the song as “Go teach the Bulldogs to behave“. Along with that, the song’s line, “Send the Yellow Jackets to a watery grave,” was inspired by the team’s victory over Georgia Tech, their in-state rival, in a rainy game. Therefore, it seems like the “Yea, Alabama!” lyric alludes to those defeats.

Now, you can say if we talk about rivalry, why is Alabama’s in-state rival Auburn left out? When “Yea, Alabama!” was written, the rivalry between Auburn and Alabama had been off for forty years. But not to forget, the two schools did not play from 1907 until 1949 due to disagreements over officiating and player per diem payments. 

And let’s not forget how the Crimson Tide’s 20-19 Rose Bowl victory over Washington was quite a historic moment for Southern football. As the team returned home to Tuscaloosa, they were greeted by cheering crowds along the train route. The victory brought the University of Alabama to national prominence, and the team’s fight song also reminds fans to never forget that special day.

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