Aggie Songs

The Aggie War Hymn

The rich history of The Aggie War Hymn, the official war hymn of Texas A&M (Texas A&M does not have a fight song), dates back to World War I. The lyrics to the iconic song were scrawled during 1918 on the back of a letter from home by J.V. “Pinky” Wilson, one of the hundreds of Aggies who fought during World War I, as Wilson sat in a trench during a battle in France. Wilson originally called his song “Goodbye to Texas University,” a nod to Texas A&M’s rivalry with the University of Texas, and created it by combining several Aggie yells used at the time to form the lyrics.

In 1928, Wilson penned another verse at the request of several Aggies that thought Wilson’s original version was too focused on the University of Texas — this verse is now the first verse of the War Hymn, but it never caught on. Today, the second verse is sang twice, and once that is completed, Aggies link arms and legs and sway left to right to “saw Varsity’s horns off.”

Listen to The Aggie War Hymn

Download The Aggie War Hymn (MP3)

Lyrics

Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!
Hullabaloo, Caneck! Caneck!

First verse
All hail to dear old Texas A&M
Rally around Maroon and White
Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies
They are the boys who show the real old fight
That good old Aggie spirit thrills us
And makes us yell and yell and yell
So let’s fight for dear old Texas A&M
We’re going to beat you all to
Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Rough Tough! Real Stuff! Texas A&M!

Second verse
Good-bye to texas university
So long to the orange and the white
Good luck to dear old Texas Aggies
They are the boys that show the real old fight
“The eyes of Texas are upon you . . .”
That is the song they sing so well
So good-bye to texas university
We’re going to beat you all to Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Chig-gar-roo-gar-rem
Rough Tough! Real Stuff! Texas A&M!

The Spirit of Aggieland

The Spirit of Aggieland is the alma mater of Texas A&M, originally written as a poem in 1925 by Marvin Mimms, Class of 1926. The music was authored by Col. Richard Dunn, director of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. The song was composed to be more somber in contract to The Aggie War Hymn so it could be played at ceremonies like Muster. The Spirit of Aggieland was performed for the first time at a 1925 Midnight Yell.

Listen to The Spirit of Aggieland

Download The Spirit of Aggieland (MP3)

Lyrics

Some may boast of prowess bold
Of the school they think so grand
But there’s a spirit can ne’er be told
It’s the Spirit of Aggieland

Chorus
We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we
True to each other as Aggies can be
We’ve got to fight boys
We’ve got to fight!
We’ve got to fight for Maroon and White

After they’ve boosted all the rest
Then they will come and join the best
For we are the Aggies, the Aggies are we
We’re from Texas AMC

**Yell sequence
T-E-X-A-S A-G-G-I-E
Fight! Fight! Fight-fight-fight!
Fight, Maroon! And White-white-white! A-G-G-I-E
Texas! Texas! A-M-C
Gig ‘em! Aggies! 1-2-3!
Farmers fight! Farmers fight!
Fight! Fight!
Farmers, farmers, fight!

**The yell sequence is traditionally deleted at Muster

Aggies Remember

The first time I witnessed students sawing Varsity’s horns off, I wasn’t an Aggie, but was moved by the visible and unified act of school spirit. Other schools have chants and cheers, but only Aggies lock arms with one another and sing at the top of their voices about their burning desire to beat their long-time rival. The Aggie War Hymn is as unique as the school and the student body which so proudly sings it.

- Todd Turner ’92

My dad brought me to my first Texas A&M game when I was 8. You will never find a fanbase as devoted and inspired as the Fightin' Texas Aggies. I received my acceptance letter to A&M last night. Gig 'Em Aggies!

- Dane Madsen ’22