Boomer Sooner
Encyclopedia
The Boomer Sooner Fight Song is the fight song
for the University of Oklahoma
written by Arthur M. Alden in 1905. The tune is taken from "Boola Boola
", the fight song of Yale University
. An addition was added a year later, which they took from University of North Carolina
's "I'm a Tar Heel Born".
uses the fight song as his entrance theme. He also often uses the phrase "Boomer Sooner" to signify a good moment.WCW writer Ed Ferrara also used the song as his entrance to make fun of Jim Ross with his character, Oklahoma which made fun of Ross's Bell's Palsy
.
On June 4, 2010, Jack Swagger (an OU alumnus) attempted to sing the song, but was only able to sing the first few lines before being interrupted by Kane
.
, in which the land around the modern university was settled. Boomers were people who campaigned for the lands to be opened. Sooners
settled before the lands were, giving them an unfair advantage on finding, fencing, and claiming farm land. If the charge of early entry was proven, they would lose their claimed land.
Fight song
A fight song is primarily an American and Canadian sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. In both professional and amateur sports, fight songs are a popular way for fans to cheer for their team...
for the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
written by Arthur M. Alden in 1905. The tune is taken from "Boola Boola
Boola Boola
-History of the song:The song in its present form was composed in 1900 and is generally attributed to Allan M. Hirsh, Yale Class of 1901, who in a 1930 letter claimed to have written it in collaboration with his classmates F. M. Van Wicklen, Albert Marckwald, and James L. Boyce in the fall of 1900...
", the fight song of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. An addition was added a year later, which they took from University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
's "I'm a Tar Heel Born".
Uses
The OU marching band plays the fight song when the team takes the field and when the team scores or makes a big play. They also play it along with other fight songs while the Oklahoma defense is on the field to encourage the crowd to get loud. This flow chart helps to illustrate when the fight song is used.
WWE
WWE commentator and Oklahoma native Jim RossJim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
uses the fight song as his entrance theme. He also often uses the phrase "Boomer Sooner" to signify a good moment.WCW writer Ed Ferrara also used the song as his entrance to make fun of Jim Ross with his character, Oklahoma which made fun of Ross's Bell's Palsy
Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Several conditions can cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease. However, if no specific cause...
.
On June 4, 2010, Jack Swagger (an OU alumnus) attempted to sing the song, but was only able to sing the first few lines before being interrupted by Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
.
Origin of the lyrics
The lyrics in the first verse refer to the Land Run of 1889Land Run of 1889
The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands and included all or part of the 2005 modern day Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne counties of the U.S. state of Oklahoma...
, in which the land around the modern university was settled. Boomers were people who campaigned for the lands to be opened. Sooners
Sooners
Sooners is the name given to settlers in the midwest of the United States who entered the Unassigned Lands in what is now the state of Oklahoma before President Grover Cleveland officially proclaimed them open to settlement on March 2, 1889 with the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889...
settled before the lands were, giving them an unfair advantage on finding, fencing, and claiming farm land. If the charge of early entry was proven, they would lose their claimed land.