Deseret News photo While theyre tinkering, can someone explain what Ki-yi! means?
The University of Utah, oldest of the states colleges, is considering changing its fight song, thanks to some outdated, antiquated and politically incorrect lyrics. The ASUU Assembly and Senate have passed a joint resolution to make adjustments.
On one hand, phrases like warmest gang in town, up to snuff and muss have their charm. They hark back to a time when college life was simpler. Nobody walked to class wearing ear buds.
Other things could just use a little tweaking.
Changing the lyrics from Utah Man to Utah Fan doesnt seem all that drastic to me. I suspect the first time the Utes reach the Rose Bowl, one consonant wont make a huge difference those singing.
Other phrases are more complicated. For instance, No other gang of college men dare meet us in the muss.
College persons? Collegians? Im going to leave that to the wordsmiths. But right now the only team to win a Pac-12 championship so far is the gymnastics team. Women.
As for "Our coeds are the fairest and each one's a shining star being sexist and racist, they weren't when the song was written in 1904. There were no women's teams, colleges were mostly male and "fair" meant lovely.
Still, I can live with that being changed, too.
Changing the words isnt the worst thing to happen to a fight song. They didnt all make it to the new millennium without some adjustments. Besides, in 110 years, theyll probably change some things they write in 2014.
Touch-ups dont necessarily change the spirit of a song. Im not worried whether its Fan or Man, just so long as they dont screw up the most lyrical part of the song:
And when our college days are o'er and night is drawing nigh,
With parting breath we'll sing that song, A Utah Man am I.