One of the things that makes the oath worth the effort is to think that it all began in Genesis. Our fathers fought their fathers and our grandmothers fought their grandfathers and on and on and on into the sepia foundations of America and the world.
Which is why it always sucks to hear the officially licensed gatekeepers whip out their “Well, Actuallys” in reunion DVDs or gameday programs or lecture series’ to tell you that for a variety of reasons the soul-wracking hatred and marrow-sealed contempt Auburn harbors for the University of Alabama was until the early 60s mostly reserved for Georgia Tech and Georgia and blah blah blah.
And yet… listen…
…
Listen to the living, heaving, raise-your-sword spirit at the 1956 Beat Bama pep rally. Hell rides on the voice of mic man Jimmy Crain. He has given his voice and the Lord is using it. Auburn has beaten Alabama two years in a row, by scores of 28-0 and 26-0. They’re a year away from a national championship. They’re 60 minutes away from beating Alabama 34-7. They’re a year from beating them 40-0. They’re two years away from Bear Bryant. In the mid-50s, Bama was nothing.
Now let us listen to Shug… and you tell me what he values:
“Now let’s go up to Birmingham with one thought in mind, and that’s to win from the University of Alabama. We annually dedicate the Alabama ballgame to the senior members of the Auburn football squad. This I couldn’t truthfully say is the greatest group of seniors we’ve ever had but they are on par with any seniors we’ve ever had here at Auburn. In other words, after the game Saturday, they’ll just take their place alongside the other fine and great Auburn football players that have gone on before and have won from Alabama. Now, no matter how many ballgames that we here at Auburn have won during the course of any particular year, the season is absolutely not a success unless we accomplish what we’re going after this coming Saturday. So I tell you once again: on to Birmingham. And let’s beat Bama.“
War Eagle, Coach.
Now let us go to Tuscaloosa with one thought in mind—not Atlanta, not Kenny Rogers, not Dan Mullen, not Cecil Newton, not Thayer Evans, not Oregon, not Steve Spurrier, not the Heisman Trophy, not Gus Malzahn, not Urban Meyer, not Nick Fairley, not Gene Chizik, not Cam Newton.
Let’s beat the everlasting hell out of Bama.
…
More Iron Bowl:
* Five Auburn fans named Chris Davis tell what it’s like sharing the most famous name in Iron Bowl history
* Were Auburn fans really pulling for the Russians over Alabama in 1977?
* Bama students did this to their own campus before the 1953 Iron Bowl
* Congrats, Auburn fans—you survived an earthquake
* Cremated remains found in Jordan-Hare Stadium after Iron Bowl
* Cam Newton ‘War Eagles’ throughout his post-game press conference Sunday after Iron Bowl
* New York Post: Iron Bowl ending ‘greatest in the history of sports’
* Pensacola bridge completely covered in Auburn graffiti after Iron Bowl
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AMEN!
██WAR EAGLE!!!! ██
Amen!!!
HELL YES!!!
AROUND THE BOWL AND DOWN THE HOLE!!!
WAR EAGLE!!!
Love this…my dad (who died 14 years ago) was at this pep rally! I imagine him there and know how much he would have loved the wonderful ride we’ve had this year. WDE!!!!
Is it possible to get a downloadable copy of this audio? It would be great for our Auburn tailgate next week.
FOR NARNIA! BEAT BAMA!
GOT 13?
“GOT 13?’
no, we don’t. and neither do you.
Awesome audio clip – really cool to hear the old cheers (some of them still the same!) as well as the alma mater before the word revision – it’s the only reference to API in the whole clip! Also noticed that the fight song was still “hit em high, hit em low”…
I wish some of the old cheers were available on a website *hint hint* I remember one pep rally I went to around 1999. Dr. Foy was there and he did an awesome old cheer that made fun of a lot of other teams. I remember references to rammer jammer and rocky top but not much else and internet searches have been fruitless. 🙁
I was a freshman at Auburn when we won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in 1957 and was it thrilling!! This year has been so exciting and it would be great to have another #1!!!!!!!!!!!! WAR EAGLE-BEAT BAMA
Shug! Beautiful. War Eagle.
Best audio clip I’ve heard since I got one of Coach Dye reading the Auburn Creed. You have to tell me where to download this!
Yes there is an mp3 of the audio, but I would have to get permission from the author to post the link.
i member when api rooled.warrrrrrrrrrrrrrr emu.
I was a freshman and at the 1956 pep rally. Hearing this brought tears to my eyes; memories of the best years of my very full life. 1956 and 2010 both Very Good Years.
I too was present , it was great to hear SHUG again. We made it to Phoenix
for this “National Championship” win. God bless AUBURN. WAR EAGLE.
S. S.
WOW! Thanks for sharing this! Loved it!
Oh my gosh, cheering with those voices from so long ago gives me chills up and down my spine–and I cry every time I hear the Alma Mater–it makes me realize that every Auburn man and woman from the beginning of time through today and onward to the end of time are all one, all connected, all part of the same Auburn Family–and I, even as one small fan, am a PART OF IT ALL!!! WAR EAGLE!!!
Michael Val
(who says BEAT BAMA AND WIN IT ALL!)
What song is played at 1:20 mark?
“Fight ‘Em Tigers”
“Cheer the team that’s fighting for old Auburn’s fame, Back that team on ev’ry play, Even as the men who fought before they came, They will win again today. Fight with that old ‘pep,’ Tigers, The wearers of Orange and Blue! Keep up that old ‘rep,’ Tigers, The Southland is watching you, And when you march on that field, remember again, Plainsmen don’t yield so we’re bound to win. We’ll never give up, We’ll live up to all that’s before us, Woe to the foe for we’ll fight, fight, fight for Auburn our Alma Mater, Oh long may her colors fly! Let ev’ry man cheer louder the name of A.P.I.!”