Talk about the Sooners, Cowboys and the Bears,
Aggies and the Tiger and his tail.
Talk about the Wildcats, and the Cyclone boys,
But I’m the bird to make ’em weep and wail.
Chorus:
‘Cause I’m a Jay, Jay, Jay, Jay, Jayhawk,
Up at Lawrence on the Kaw —
‘Cause I’m a Jay, Jay, Jay, Jay, Jayhawk,
With a sis-boom, hip hoorah,
Got a bill that’s big enough
To twist a Tiger’s tail,
Rope some ‘Horns and listen
To the Red Raiders wail —
‘Cause I’m a Jay, Jay, Jay, Jay, Jayhawk,
Riding on a Kansas gale.
Out with the Cornhuskers, and in with the Longhorns.
More than 50 years since it was last revised, Kansas University’s fight song has been tweaked, adding new Big 12 Conference opponents and taking out references to departing conference brethren Colorado and Nebraska.
The KU Alumni Association held a contest that wrapped up this week — with the winning entry being written by Matt Schoenfeld of Countryside. All 10 conference foes are mentioned in the new lyrics:
Talk about the Sooners, Cowboys and the Bears,
Aggies and the Tiger and his tail.
Talk about the Wildcats, and the Cyclone boys,
But I’m the bird to make ’em weep and wail.
Chorus:
‘Cause I’m a Jay, Jay, Jay, Jay, Jayhawk,
Up at Lawrence on the Kaw —
‘Cause I’m a Jay, Jay, Jay, Jay, Jayhawk,
With a sis-boom, hip hoorah,
Got a bill that’s big enough
To twist a Tiger’s tail,
Rope some ‘Horns and listen
To the Red Raiders wail —
‘Cause I’m a Jay, Jay, Jay, Jay, Jayhawk,
Riding on a Kansas gale.
Schoenfeld went to Baylor University, but has been a Jayhawk fan since following basketball teams coached by Ted Owens, according to a release.
“I remember sitting with my two roommates from Kansas City and tuning the radio until we could pick up the crackly voices of Bob and Max down in Waco,” he said in the release, referring to longtime KU broadcasters Bob Davis and Max Falkenstien. “Then this summer, I saw a Sports Illustrated story on the contest, and I sat down that night with my kids to work on lyrics. They frequently remind me that I’m not a true Jayhawk, and they have an interest in becoming Jayhawks.”