You may remember from last year’s Iron Bowl, the trashiness that was nearly all Alabama fans in Bryant-Denny Stadium chanting “F— Auburn” during certain breaks of Dixieland Delight. This was apparently a “tradition” and was vehemently defended by nearly any Alabama fan you could find once the story hit the media. By “defended” I mean that they said it was funny and they didn’t care what anybody thought.
Alabama ended up temporarily banning the playing of the song after the Iron Bowl, while still allowing the Million Dollar Band to play “Rammer Jammer” following every win, no matter the opponent, no matter the amount of the victory.
It’s during this song, the “Hey Song” (actually called “Rock n’ Roll” by convicted sex offender Gary Glitter), that the entire stadium boasts at how they “beat the hell out of you,” followed by “Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer, give ’em hell, Alabama.”
But the funny thing about that one is that rivals of Alabama, including Auburn, are quick to turn it around on the Tide when they have “beat the hell out of” them. The rebuttal version has been dubbed “Reverse Rammer Jammer” because the words are switched to “Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer, go to hell, Alabama.”
Note: much to my disdain, many Auburn fans chant this last line during any playing of the “Hey Song,” regardless of the opponent.
It was that last line of “Reverse Rammer Jammer” that was added to the defense of those Alabama fans in regards to the Dixieland Delight remix. Apparently, changing “give ’em hell” to “go to hell” in return of a braggadocios remix of a sex offender’s song is equal to yelling “F— Auburn” between nearly every line of a song in a public stadium. Ok.
Regardless, the fact that Alabama has banned their song with bad words has apparently caused Auburn to secretly ban their song with more innocent bad words as well. You just don’t know it yet.
When Auburn beat Alabama in the Capital City Classic, a few of Auburn’s senior baseball players went over to the Auburn pep band and requested the playing of “Reverse Rammer Jammer.” They were told by the person directing the band that night that they were not allowed to play the song.
If you went to any Auburn basketball games this season, you may have noticed that the “Hey Song” was never played. Of course Alabama beat Auburn in both basketball games this past season, so there was no reason for “Reverse Rammer Jammer,” but the “Hey Song” is a staple at any other game. It was not played.
Now that we are upon the 2015 football season, the Auburn University Marching Band has begun practicing their halftime show and stand tunes. According to multiple members of the band, the “Hey Song” is nowhere to be found in their charts.
To me, that sounds like to Auburn has decided to nip the rival-disrespecting song battle in the bud and has removed the ability to tell Alabama to “go to hell.”
Actually, I’ve confirmed it. One Auburn official has told me that the band was asked to refrain from playing the song after any Auburn-Alabama sporting events. They can play the “Hey Song” during games with other opponents, but just not Alabama. It was also removed from Jordan-Hare’s sound system playlist, so there will be no more of this:
On one hand, Alabama doesn’t seem to have banned their version and they’ll continue to brag about “beating the hell out” of every team they beat, while Auburn will have no rebuttal.
But maybe that’s the positive. Auburn doesn’t need a rebuttal. Auburn wins with class, while Alabama wins and has to immediately tell you about it. It’s actually the perfect example of the rivalry.
Regardless of how much you want to rub something in Alabama fans’ faces, it is taking the high road, and you have to respect that. Either way, what do you think about it? Leave your comments below.
37 comments
I guess they’re going to leave it up to the student section then. Montjoie.
Personally, I am glad. Why should we stoop to their level? Rammer Jammer is poor sportsmanship and mean spirited. So is reverse Rammer Jammer.
Man, screw the high road. Reverse Rammer Jammer is one of the highlights of beating bama. I agree that adding the rammer jammer tag to the end of the regular hey song at any other time is just tacky and not necessary. But preemptively banning reverse rammer jammer after an Iron bowl victory is just stupid. I might could see the band not playing it but the PA system not playing it either?! It is the one less than above board thing that we do and I feel that it is necessary to shove it back in those horrible redneck bamtard’s faces when we beat them and only then. I just might have to lead the acapella version this year.
As a student I don’t like it. As heated as a rivalry is with Alabama, giving the Auburn faithful one minute to rub it in Bama’s face doesn’t seem so bad, especially after their fans talk trash ALL YEAR LONG. My sister was a senior in 2010 and one of her favorite memories from that season was doing the reverse rammer jammer at Bryant-Denny. I don’t think it’s a matter of being “classy”, it’s just one of those things that’s part of the rivalry.
Patsy, stoop to their level? Are you kidding me? There is nothing I’d love more to rub a victory in Alabama fans faces belting their own tune back on them. I really hope that the student section takes care of this, and the rest of the crowd will follow. Because I sure as hell know, when we beat them this year, I’ll be screaming the reverse rammer jammer.
This is disappointing. It’s one of my personal favorite cheers. That and Bodda Ghetta.
It annoys me when people see the second video on here because they actually sang it wrong and it’s all you can hear. It’s “Hey, go Tigers!” Not “Hey, Alabama!” That always bugs me. Because when we do it the right way, it’s less of a cheer against Alabama. Obviously it says it at the end, but when you’re doing it, it isn’t directed toward Alabama unless you’re actually playing them. For instance, “go tigers” is most of the song. It’s a cheer for our team that at the end shows fruit of us being rivals.
Obviously, I agree with you that winning with class is a good thing, and that “go to hell, Alabama” is not nearly as bad as “F— Auburn,” but I’m still very disappointed about this, because even though it was taken as a rebuttal to Alabama’s cheer, the sane fans sing it as a cheer for Auburn not as a disgust for Bama. Especially when we all have friends and family that are Alabama fans and students and faculty. Nobody that is sane has that much disgust to say it and mean it. It’s just rivalry.
I love the Iron Bowl rivalry, it’s my favorite. And I’m proud to be an Auburn Senior this year. But there are so many things we need to worry about more than hurting someone’s feelings with a song we’ve sang for years. Hurting feelings seems to be really important to society these days, but I’ll keep my mouth shut on that. Next thing you know we won’t be able to have WDE.
Excited for the video board and for the season and to see the student section lead Reverse Rammer Jammer without the band. Thanks for the post. And War Eagle.
That’s what you get for putting a Bama Drum Major in charge of Auburn’s band. #FireCoreySpurlin
It has nothing to do with Spurlin.
Please. Elaborate, dear WarBlogle. If not Spurlin, to whom do we credit?
It was a decision made by the Auburn Athletic Department.
A lot of people in this thread would disagree with you…
https://www.reddit.com/r/auburn/comments/312aps/band_members_need_your_input/
I think that Spurlin is very much behind this, and I’ve heard that directly from several people and recent band members.
The decision 100% did not come from him.
It’s a sporting event, not a tea party. Emotions run high and that’s part of the fun. This is another example of political correctness going to the extreme. Are we afraid we may hurt their feelings? What’s next? Getting rid of War Damn Eagle??
Exactly what I said
This is nonsense! I listen to Bama fans all year long talking trash on Auburn…It all about the rivalry!
I will also be screaming the reverse Rammer Jammer!
This is disappointing to me. One of the highlights of a win against Bama is the reverse rammer jammer. Especially at their stadium!! Hopefully the student section will get it going without the band. I really don’t know why we would worry about hurting their feelings. I was at Alabma last year for the F### Auburn cheer an it was the whole stadium not just the students. The are the classless fans and I could care less about offending them. It would have to be more than this cheer to stoop to their level.
Disappointing, but as a band mom, I have a beaide-the-band recorded version of the reverse RJ post 2013 iron bowl. If that’s the only time I ever hear it again, that will be enough for me!
https://youtu.be/PeAiiMgIOGU
Auburn has been taking the high road with Alabama for my entire lifetime, and the rivalry has never had more vitriol than it does now. I’m not sure when our fans and administration will learn that they just aren’t going to respond with the same amount of respect.
Alabama fans could are less what we do or don’t do. No matter the road we take we will always be spat on, cussed and accused of being low life cow herders. I say STOP the PC BS and Give Em Hell you War Damn Eagle, Hey!
Probably won’t be able to stop the student section……We have been called everything in the book when we have to go up to that God-forsaken place. Auburn people just know how to turn the other cheek…..
Why didn’t Auburn consult with their fan base and alumni on this decision? Why would you take a tradition like that away?
Boys, the best response to Alabama is to whip their arses. Let that speak for itself.
It’s the right call. Auburn fans should have more class than to stoop to the level of the most obnoxious fans in college football.
That sucks. Thats a highlight of beating Alabama. Everytime I go to a auburn sporting event against alabama the entire crowd anticipates getting to sing it to bama. They hang around just to do it. Seems like you cant do anything in this country anymore without offending someone or hurting somebodys poor little feelings. WAR DAMN anyways…and as always…GO TO HELL ALABAMA!!!!
I’m a major alabama fan. Rammer jammer isn’t some satanic anthem to conjur bad wishes and wish hellfire upon the enemy. Sure the ideas of “giving hell” and “beating the hell” might not be ideas that are appropriate at large social events (or any events at all). I wouldn’t want my (hypothetical future) children to be associated with such language. However I do find it funny that people dissect small trivial things like the motives of a teams fight song. Rammer jammer is an absolute tradition in the fullest since of the term. it strengthens rivalry when fan bases are braggadocious. If they weren’t, there would literally be NO rivalry. Dixie land delight was across the line. The f-word is explicit. Even our sinful society admits it. The University did the right thing by taking it from the games.
Maybe the boys can use this as motivation to whip that other school from that way less fortunate and miserable place in the northwestern part of the state. I choose not to even acknowledge that school because the mere saying of the name makes my IBS act up, and I don’t even have IBS. I also believe that is impossible to stop the student section, and for that matter the entire fanbase present at a hopefully victorious Iron Bowl this year, from chanting the song from the top of their lungs. It’s been done for as long as I can remember when the good guys win the Iron Bowl. I don’t think it will stop because the band ceases to play the song. And as far as the high road goes, I say screw the high road. As far as I know our fanbase hasn’t went as far as killing a beloved monument located on that parcel of land they call a campus. It’s a rivalry, and every school in the SEC knows about the lack of class that they, without fail, always manage to demonstrate. WAR DAMN EAGLE!
I read some SEC rules that strictly forbid Cheerleaders, Coaches, Bands, etc from using taunting, humiliating, or degrading language and cheers against opponents. It is, of course, never enforced. If it was, Auburn and Alabama would have to cease and desist rammer jammer in forward or reverse.
I grew up a Bama fan, but I’m a UAB alum turned booster (married to an AU fan). I never attended lots of Bama games, and I had never heard this until my husband mentioned it. It’s a shame they’re taking it away, because I think it’s pretty clever. It doesn’t taint the rivalry at all, unlike playing Dixieland Delight. Also, because of my husband, I’ve attended a few AU games and the spirit at JHS is spectacular.
This is BS. And for the meek and prudish type. At least they can’t ban the cheer…Track’em tigers…just like truckers…giv’em hell you mother f%*#ers! Or, Cigarette smoke…cigarette butts…we got Bama by the nuts…pull team pull!
Ingest it but I do like beating them
And then getting to “yell” not sing or chant this right back to them. Remember to Ole Miss sings this at the beginning of the game that they are going to beat you. I do not like that either.
It is a awesome rebuttal! I love hearing that song when AU wins. Stop being so P.C.!!!
Why stop this “tradition” when that other school will continue to play it and verbalize their tacky ass way of sportsmanship? I’m tired of Auburn “taking the high road” on certain issues. That hasn’t stopped bama or anybody else from doing it to US!!! GIVE ‘EM A TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE, ALWAYS!!!!! RAMMER JAMMER & GO TO HELL ALABAMA FOREVER!!!!
Typical barners always complaining!
Except the barn doesn’t win very much. The AwBarn fambly is more like a cult.
This AUMB Alum says it’s just a song. I’m pretty sure “War Eagle” is the song that’s supposed to be played when we win.
low key mad
well actually I’m pretty high key upset about this