Top 10 HBCU Chants, Taunts, and Rally Calls

After watching the Crimson Tide roll LSU in the BCS title game, I watched 30,000 Alabama fans unleash the Rammer Jammer taunt on the Bayou Tigers.

It’s juvenile, opposing fans hate it, but it’s completely awesome.  That got me to thinking about the best chants, taunts, and rally calls in the HBCU world.  Admittedly, I have not visited every HBCU’s home stadium/gym so I am sure that there are a ton of chants, taunts, and rally calls that are worthy of Top 10 consideration but not included in the list below.  The only prerequisite needed to make the list below is that the chant, taunt, or rally call must have words attached to it.  So without further ado and in no particular order, here are my Top 10 HBCU chants, taunts, and rally calls.

In no particular order:

I’m So Glad –Tennessee State’s “I’m So Glad” is the granddaddy of HBCU chants.  It’s not an original composition but it was TSU that first introduced this arrangement to the band world.    And if imitation truly is the highest form of flattery then TSU should blush constantly as nearly every HBCU band play a version of this tune these days.

Get Up for the Bulldogs – Adopted from P-Funks “Get up for the Down Stroke”, South Carolina State’s “Get Up for the Bulldogs” is everything that you want in a college chant.  The words are easy to grasp, it get’s the Bulldog faithful energized, and it’s extremely catchy.  I have even had to make myself stop chanting this tune more than a few times in matchups between SCSU and my beloved Wildcats.

 Aggie Pride – …two simple words that say so much.  North Carolina A&T alums are an extremely proud bunch and for very good reason.  The institution is rich in academic, cultural, and athletic history.  This rally call serves as both public praise to a fellow Aggie for his/her accomplishments as well as a reminder of NCA&T’s rich history.

 J-S-U Rock the house  – Okay, so Grambling claims to be the first to jam the “G-S-U rock the house chant”, but it was Jackson State who rocked it best!  Sorry Grambling but the Sonic Boom wins.

Chew Tobacco Spit – Winston Salem

Chew Tobacco, Chew Tobacco, Chew Tobacco Spit;
if you aint a Ram; then you ain’t $#!+. 

I hate everything about this taunt but by definition, that’s what makes a taunt great. It’s suppose to get under the skin of the opposition.

Hail Wildcats – This Bethune-Cookman chant is sometimes used to promote crowd participation, sometimes used as a taunt, and sometimes used as a rally call to offer praise to fellow BCU alums.

Hail Wildcats (echo),
Hail Wildcats (echo),
Hail Wildcats (echo),
Hail (insert opposing team’s name); Hell No!

Behold – “Behold the Green and Gold” is heard at the conclusion of the opening fanfare of the Spartan Legion’s halftime shows.  But this rally call makes the list for its usage as an at-a-boy to fellow Norfolk State supporters.

We Beat that A$$ – One of the lesser known taunts in the HBCU world yet one of the best.  In fact, I’m not even sure that Hampton still uses this taunt.  But back when Joe Taylor and his Hampton Pirates were mopping up the HBCU world, the HU band and student section were sure to let you know about it.  Once victory was certain, it would begin:

We Beat that Asssssssss
We Beat that Ass
We Beat that Ass
We Beat that Ass.

It’s crude I admit but to the victor go the spoils.

Strike, Strike, and Strike Again –We’ve all heard the FAMU faithful making that hissing sound while someone recites some poem at the end of which we’re all reminded that a Rattler will Strike, Strike, and Strike again.  It’s pretty frustrating, but pretty cool too.  Here’s the full text to the Rattler Charge:
When the dark clouds gather on the horizon,
When thunder and lightening fill the sky,
When fate is but a glint in the eye of a fallen Rattler,
And hopes are lost friends,
When the sinew of the chest grows weary,
From those hard charging line backers,
And the muscles and the legs grow tired,
From those hard charging running backs.
You must always remember that the

RATTLERS WILL STRIKE, AND STRIKE AND STRIKE AGAIN!

Let’s Go WildcatsNot much needs to be said, just take a listen.

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3 thoughts on “Top 10 HBCU Chants, Taunts, and Rally Calls

  1. Wow…so only one SWAC school made the list. Maybe the person compiling the list needs to confer with others from other conferences before putting something out there. In the SWAC aside from JSU’s Rock Tha House, you also have GSU’s “I thought you knew”, Alcorn’s “Cherokee” and MS Valley’s “Devil’s Gun” that would kill anything the MEAC has. The only chants with merit on that list are those from A&T, JSU, and BCU. The rest… laughable. And if you wanna talk about a taunt. Nothing beats a “Go Home” chant after a JSU-SU battle!

    • Oh yeah Tigerpride, this list is not just about marching bands. We choose 3 taunts–Rattler Charge, We Beat that A.., and Chew Tobacco; 3 Rally Calls–Hail Wildcats, Aggie Pride, Behold; 3 Chants and 1 best of the rest–JSU Rock the House, I’m so Glad, Get Up for the Bulldogs, and Let’s Go Wildcats.

      Perhaps we’ll do a Top 10 BAND Chants at another time. I’m sure the SWAC and SIAC will fair well in that one.

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