UT Longhorn Band Doesn't Have Enough Members Willing To Play 'The Eyes of Texas' At Saturday's Game

The University of Texas Longhorn Band will not play at the next home football game because, the organization says, it will not have enough members willing to play the school song, “The Eyes of Texas.” Band members are divided over playing the song, which has been under scrutiny for its racist roots.

The ensemble was to make its season debut at Saturday’s game against Baylor after missing the first four games of the season for COVID-19 safety measures; the athletic department was hoping to limit the number of people in the stadium on game days and allow as many season-ticket holders as possible into games.

UT said in a statement that it is working with students in the band "to maintain the musical traditions of The University of Texas, including ‘The Eyes of Texas.’”

The decision was first reported by The Daily Texan after it received the results of an internal survey asking band members if they would play the song. Not enough members were willing to play the song for the band to have the instrumentation needed to play it at Saturday’s game.

Longhorn Band students have been told by directors not to speak to media about the matter— in the middle of the university’s “Free Speech Week” on campus.

The song was written nearly 120 years ago parodying then-UT President William Prather, who frequently used the phrase “the eyes of Texas” because he liked how Confederate General Robert E. Lee would end post-Civil War speeches with “the eyes of the South are upon you.” UT students would put on minstrel shows in blackface singing parodies of Prather’s speeches, and, thus, the school song was born.

The song is sung to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” which was also written and performed for minstrel shows.

https://www.kut.org/post/ut-longhorn-band-doesnt-have-enough-members-willing-play-eyes-texas-saturdays-game


The nonsense knows no end. Although I'm not to surprised when it comes to UT.

Are the days of marginalized groups reappropriating things that were used to degrade them, to change their meaning, gone? I'm thinking about gay people reappriating "queer" and black people reappropriating "nigger."

Then again, the lyrics of "The Eyes of Texas" aren't very good, and it did steal its melody, so maybe we Texans should just admit it's not a good song and give it up.

The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the livelong day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them
At night or early in the morn --
The Eyes of Texas are upon you
Til Gabriel blows his horn.

Ben Reilly wrote:Are the days of marginalized groups reappropriating things that were used to degrade them, to change their meaning, gone? I'm thinking about gay people reappriating "queer" and black people reappropriating "nigger."

Then again, the lyrics of "The Eyes of Texas" aren't very good, and it did steal its melody, so maybe we Texans should just admit it's not a good song and give it up.

The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the livelong day.
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them
At night or early in the morn --
The Eyes of Texas are upon you
Til Gabriel blows his horn.

It's a dumb song, not an offensive one. And the song doesn't represent Texans, I hate the damn thing. It represents the second oldest public University in Texas, not Texans.

But it's incredibally idiotic to be offended by it.

Could they not 'take the knee' as they sang it, to even up the balance??

Syl wrote:Could they not 'take the knee' as they sang it, to even up the balance??

While holding kittens.

Probably should change the name of our state too. Texas was a slave holding state and is therefore racist.

And our capital is named after a man who owned a few slaves.

Let's change every name and every fucking song ever and take knees 8 times a day for atonement of sins we never committed.

Maddog wrote:

Syl wrote:Could they not 'take the knee' as they sang it, to even up the balance??

While holding kittens.

Probably should change the name of our state too. Texas was a slave holding state and is therefore racist.  

And our capital is named after a man who owned a few slaves.  

Let's change every name and every fucking song ever and take knees 8 times a day for atonement of sins we never committed.  

And don't forget to wash the feet of passing black people....whether they want them washing or not.

There was still no school band but the song still played. And this time, the Texas players stayed on the field for “The Eyes of Texas.”

While some sang with the crowd, others stayed quiet. Some put up the traditional “Hook’em Horns” hand sign, while others in the back kept their arms down.

Regardless of who sang or just stood around after Texas beat Baylor 27-16 on Saturday, Texas school officials got exactly what they wanted: The Longhorns stood on the field together and it appeared nobody left in protest.


https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/10/25/texas-players-stay-on-the-field-for-the-eyes-of-texas-song/