The University of Utah has had the same fight song for the last 110 years. Now there’s a push to change some of the lyrics in the song to get with the times. Lyrics like “I’m a Utah man” and “Our coeds are the fairest” have caused the biggest stir. Student government leaders and a faculty body have passed resolutions urging the changes.
There are obviously many lyrics at most schools that are going to offend a group of people in one form or another. University president David Pershing has said that any changes must strike a balance between tradition and inclusion. Keep in mind that the school didn’t even have female students in large numbers until 50 years after it opened. That may have been why they’re so proud of those fair coeds.
So this could end up being a few change to the lyrics. We doubt that it’ll be anything much more dramatic as Utah does what’s necessary to adapt to 100 years of change–from when lyrics like this were pretty catchy…
I am a Utah Man, sir, and I live across the green,
Our gang it is the jolliest that you have ever seen.
Our coeds are the fairest and each one’s a shining star,
Our yell, you’ll hear it ringing through the mountains near and far!
Who am I, sir,
A Utah Man am I!
A Utah Man, sir,
Will be ’til I die.
Ki-yi!
We’re up to snuff, we never bluff, we’re game for any fuss.
No other gang of college men dare meet us in a muss.
So fill your lungs and sing it out and shout it to the sky,
We’ll fight for dear old crimson for a Utah Man am I!
GO UTES!
