The Spirit of Aggieland is the alma mater of the Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...

. It was originally written as a poem by Marvin H. Mimms while he was a student at Texas A&M. Richard J. Dunn, the director of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band is the official marching band of Texas A&M University. Composed of over 300 men and women from the school's Corps of Cadets, it is the largest military marching band in the world...

 at the time, composed the music. Students, faculty, and former students of the A&M sing the song at Aggie sporting events, Muster

Muster (Texas A&M University)

Aggie Muster is a time-honored tradition at Texas A&M University. Muster officially began on April 21, 1922 as a day for remembrance of fellow Aggies. Muster ceremonies today take place in approximately 320 locations globally including Kabul, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq. The largest muster...

, and other events.

The song was also used as a wakeup call on Day 10 of space mission STS-124

STS-124

STS-124 was a Space Shuttle mission, flown by Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery launched on 31 May 2008 at 17:02 EDT, moved from an earlier scheduled launch date of 25 May 2008, and landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, at 11:15...

 for Texas A&M former student and mission specialist Mike Fossum.

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

They will come and join the best

For we are the Aggies - the Aggies are we

We're from Texas A.M.C.

(A yell sequence follows; traditionally deleted at Muster)

T-E-X-A-S A-G-G-I-E

Fight! Fight! Fight-fight-fight!

Fight! Maroon! 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!

A! Whoop!

Lyrical change

The official lyrics for the last two lines of the chorus are "For we are the Aggies - the Aggies so true; We're from Texas A.M.U." These changes were made following the school's name change in 1963 from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A.M.C.) to Texas A&M University. Though the revised lyrics are used in official performances by choral groups on campus, the student body as a whole generally sings the original, traditional lyrics.

Additional meaning

The Spirit of Aggieland also refers to the "spirit can ne'er be told." Many people describe Texas A&M University as having a unique school spirit that "From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can't explain it." It has perhaps best been stated by a former Vice Student Body President of the University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

 when discussing the loss of life in the 1999 Texas A&M Bonfire collapse:

See also

• Traditions of Texas A&M University
  Traditions of Texas A&M University
  The traditions of Texas A&M University are a key aspect of the culture of Texas A&M University. Some of the school traditions date to the 1890s, shortly after the opening of the school, while others have been introduced more recently...