Boomer Sooner

Last updated
"Boomer Sooner"
Song by The Pride of Oklahoma
Released1905
Genre Fight song
Songwriter(s) Arthur M. Alden

"Boomer Sooner" is the fight song for the University of Oklahoma (OU). The lyrics were written in 1905 by Arthur M. Alden, an OU student and son of a local jeweler in Norman. The tune is taken from "Boola Boola", the fight song of Yale University (which was itself borrowed from an 1898 song called "La Hoola Boola" by Robert Allen (Bob) Cole and Billy Johnson). [1] A year later, an additional section was appended, borrowed from the University of North Carolina's "I'm a Tar Heel Born". [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Origin of the lyrics

The phrase "Boomer Sooner" refers to the Land Run of 1889, in which the land around the modern university was settled — the so-called Unassigned Lands not part of any Native American nation or reservation through the 1880s. [5] Boomers were people who lobbied for the lands to be opened (and raided into them illegally) before passage of the Indian Appropriations Act of 1889. Sooners were Boomers who snuck into the region to scout and claim the prime quarter-mile tracts before the official noon opening on April 22, 1889. If the charge of early entry was proven, these "Sooners" would lose title to their claimed land. The unique term "Sooner" was embraced as the University athletic teams' nickname by 1908, and by the 1920s was Oklahoma's defacto state nickname, "The Sooner State." [6]

Uses

The OU marching band plays the fight song when the team takes the field and when the team scores a touchdown, makes a big play, or makes a play in general. They also play it along with other fight songs while the Oklahoma defense is on the field to encourage the crowd to get loud. Some fans have informally counted it being played between 70 and 90 times a game.

ESPN writer Doug Ward has called the combined effect of "Boomer Sooner" and OU's horse-drawn Sooner Schooner wagon "as potent a one-two fight song/mascot punch as you'll find in college football." [7]

The day "The Pride" won

On October 15, 1983, the University of Oklahoma football team visited Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Sooner squad played poorly at first, and within 10 minutes Oklahoma State was winning by a score of 20-3. A policeman escorted Gene Thrailkill, the Oklahoma band director, off the field for not having a sideline pass. Before he was forced to leave, Thrailkill shouted to the band members, "I want you to start playing and don't stop 'til the team's ahead!" The band complied and played "Boomer Sooner" non-stop roughly 300 times. The team responded by scoring 15 unanswered points against Oklahoma State. After an OSU fumble with 1:17 left in the game, Oklahoma scored a field goal to win 21-20. OU coach Barry Switzer awarded the game ball to the band (known as "The Pride of Oklahoma") for the non-stop effort and labeled it "The Day The Pride Won". [8]

Professional wrestling announcer and Oklahoma native Jim Ross uses the fight song as his entrance theme. He also often uses the phrase "Boomer Sooner" to signify a good moment. [9] [10]

In recent years[ when? ], "Boomer Sooner" has been adopted as a chant at Sooner football and basketball games. One side of Owen Field or the Lloyd Noble Center chants "Boomer!" with the other side chanting "Sooner!" The chant has frequently been heard at recent Heisman Trophy presentations, led by 1978 Heisman winner Billy Sims.

The tune of the song is also used for Albania's popular national song, "Shqipëri, atdhe i dashur!" ("Albania, dear fatherland!"), also known as the Alphabet Hymn. The tune was borrowed by Parashqevi Qiriazi, who penned patriotic lyrics to fit it, after the historic Congress of Manastir which decided the Albanian alphabet. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Oklahoma</span> Public university in Norman, Oklahoma, US

The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the state of Oklahoma. In Fall 2023, the university had 32,676 students enrolled, most at its main campus in Norman. Employing nearly 4,000 faculty members, the university offers 174 baccalaureate programs, 199 master's programs, 101 doctoral programs, and 88 certificate programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sooners</span> Settlers in Oklahoma, now a demonym

Sooners is the name given to settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands illegally in what is now the state of Oklahoma before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889. The Unassigned Lands were a part of Indian Territory that, after a lobbying campaign, were to be opened to American settlement in 1889. President Benjamin Harrison officially proclaimed the Unassigned Lands open to settlement on April 22, 1889. As people lined up around the borders of the Oklahoma District, they waited for the official opening. It was not until noon that it officially was opened to settlement. The name derived from the "sooner clause" of Proclamation 288 — Opening to Settlement Certain Lands in the Indian Territory, which stated that anyone who entered and occupied the land prior to the opening time would be denied the right to claim land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Sooners</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Run of 1889, which initially opened the Unassigned Lands in the future state of Oklahoma to non-native settlement. The university's athletic teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The university's current athletic director is Joe Castiglione.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Sims</span> American football player (born 1955)

Billy Ray Sims is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons from 1980 to 1984. Sims played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he was a two-time consensus All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1978. He was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL draft, selected by the Detroit Lions. After three pro-bowl selections, his career was prematurely ended by a knee injury suffered in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio University Marching 110</span> College marching band in Athens, Ohio

Ohio University Marching 110 is the official marching band of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, founded in 1923. The nickname Marching 110 is a reference to the band's original number of members. The current band consists of ~225 members. It represents the university at various athletic functions and other events, including over 40 NFL halftime shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boomer and Sooner</span> Mascots for the University of Oklahomas sports teams

Boomer and Sooner are two matching white ponies who pull the Sooner Schooner, a Conestoga wagon across the field when the University of Oklahoma football team scores. The Sooner Schooner is the true mascot of the team, bringing to mind the pioneers who settled Indian Territory during the 1889 Land Run and were the original "Sooners". The Sooner Schooner represents the University of Oklahoma as a mascot for the university and its sports teams, the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band, known as "The Pride", is the student marching band for the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RUF/NEKS</span> Spirit squad of the Oklahoma Sooners

The RUF/NEKS are the nation's oldest all-male spirit squad of its kind for the University of Oklahoma and the 2nd oldest in the world.

Brian A. Britt is assistant director of the school of music, assistant professor of music, and director of The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band at the University of Oklahoma. Britt is only the fifth person to hold the position since the first full-time director of The Pride was hired in 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Sooners football</span> Football team of the University of Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners football team represents the University of Oklahoma (OU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program began in 1895 and is one of the most successful in history, having won 944 games and possessing a .725 winning percentage, both sixth all-time. Oklahoma has appeared in the AP poll 898 times, including 101 No. 1 rankings, both third all-time. The program claims seven national championships, 50 conference championships, 167 first-team All-Americans, and seven Heisman Trophy winners. The school has had 29 former players and coaches inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and holds the record for the longest winning streak in Division I history with 47 straight victories. Oklahoma is also the only program with which four coaches have won more than 100 games each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason White (American football)</span> American college football player (born 1980)

Jason White is an American former college football player who was a quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. He was named a unanimous All-American and won the Heisman Trophy in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team</span> American college football season

The 2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, the 114th season of Sooner football. The team was led by two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award winner, Bob Stoops, in his 10th season as head coach. They played their homes games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. They were a charter member of the Big 12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Oklahoma Sooners football team</span> American college football season

The 1969 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. It was the 75th season for the Sooners.

The 1952 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 1952 college football season. It was the 58th season of play for the Sooners. Led by head coach Bud Wilkinson, the Sooners offense scored 407 points, while the defense allowed only 141.

"Boola Boola" is a football song of Yale University. It has enjoyed widespread popularity over the years and has been adapted to many other uses. Despite its popularity, it is not Yale's official fight song, which is "Bull Dog", by Cole Porter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Oklahoma Sooners football team</span> American college football season

The 1978 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football 1978 NCAA Division I-A season. Oklahoma Sooners football participated in the former Big Eight Conference at that time and played its home games in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium where it has played its home games since 1923. The team posted an 11–1 overall record and a 6–1 conference record to earn a share of the conference title under head coach Barry Switzer. This was Switzer's sixth conference title in six seasons since taking the helm in 1973.

There are a multitude of rituals associated with collegiate sporting events across the United States. Varying by sport, demographics, and location, sporting rituals often become essential to the preparation, organization, and game-day experience. In fact, many would argue that rituals are the experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boomers (Oklahoma settlers)</span> Settlers of Oklahoma when it was called "Unassigned Lands"

"Boomers" is the name used for a group of settlers in the Southern United States in what is now the state of Oklahoma.

"Down the Field" is the title of two different fight songs in college football. One is used by Yale University and the University of Tennessee; the other is used by Syracuse University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caleb Williams</span> American football player (born 2001)

Caleb Sequan Williams is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following one season of college football with the Oklahoma Sooners, he played for the USC Trojans and won the 2022 Heisman Trophy after setting single-season school records in passing yards and touchdowns. Williams was selected first overall by the Bears in the 2024 NFL draft.

References

  1. ↑ Diane Scarponi, "'Boola Boola': Yale's fight song marks 100th anniversary", Associated Press in South Coast Today , November 19, 2000.
  2. ↑ Jake Trotter, I Love Oklahoma/I Hate Texas (Triumph Books, 2012), ISBN   978-1623680411. Excerpts available at Google Books.
  3. ↑ David W. Levy, The University of Oklahoma: A History (University of Oklahoma Press, 2005), ISBN   978-0806137032, p. 143. Excerpts available at Google Books.
  4. ↑ "Fight Songs". SooonerSports.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-23. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
  5. ↑ "Official Athletics Site of the Oklahoma Sooners - Traditions". SoonerSports.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-18. Retrieved 2012-01-17.
  6. ↑ "Boomers and Sooners: The Oklahoma Land Run of 1889". blog.newspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  7. ↑ Doug Ward, "Pilgrimage: Sooner and later (continued), ESPN.com, October 14, 2010.
  8. ↑ Cooter, Terri (2004). 100 Years of Pride 1904-2004, A Documented History of the Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band. Norman: Terri Cooter. pp. 173–175.
  9. ↑ Ray Dozier, The Oklahoma Football Encyclopedia (Sports Publishing LLC, 2006), ISBN   978-1582616995, pp. 291-292. Excerpts available at Google Books.
  10. ↑ Mike Hlas, "Interview: Jim “J.R.” Ross of the WWE talks Oklahoma Sooners football", The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), December 21, 2011.
  11. ↑ Hosaflook, David (January 2018). "Precious Alphabet, Precious Fatherland: the Unknown Origin of Albania's Alphabet Hymn". academia.edu. Institute for Albanian and Protestant Studies, 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.