On Tuesday a University of Texas committee, charged with researching the history of “The Eyes of Texas,” reported that the 1903 song had not been written with racist intent (Washington Post, March 9th online). That’s good news for those who’d like to continue hearing this anthem at Longhorn sporting events.
At Auburn University, however, the musical news is not nearly as heartening.
A faculty task force there has concluded that the Alabama school’s fight song, “You Best Not Be Staring at That White Woman Over Yonder,” does have racial overtones.
“It’s subtle, but a veiled racist warning can be discerned in the lyrics,” says Auburn History Professor Claymoor Poddle, chairperson of the task force. The song was written in 1873 by Mervyn “Muskrat” Stook, who was serving as warden of Alabama’s Lee County Jail at the time.
“Our recommendation to Auburn’s President is that ‘Over Yonder’ be phased out after the upcoming 2021 football season. Abruptly deleting this beloved song could alienate the team’s fiercely devoted fan base in a hurtful fashion. Nobody wants that — not in a year when the Tigers could win it all in the SEC!”