School Songs - UTEP Encyclopedia
UTEP has a variety of official and unofficial songs. Some were borrowed from UT-Austin or adapted from popular music; others were written by students and faculty in an effort to capture UTEP's unique essence.
Contents
Official Songs
"The Eyes of Texas" (Alma Mater 1920)
"The Eyes of Texas" is the official song of the University of Texas at Austin and considered by some as an unofficial state song. It was first sung at a minstrel show to benefit the university track team on May 12, 1903, and in 2003, after an unanticipated copyright battle, the Board of Regents of the University of Texas reaffirmed "The Eyes of Texas" as the university's official song.
The students of Texas College of Mines adopted the song as its alma mater in 1920. The lyrics are sung to the tune of "I've Been Workin' on the Railroad."
The Eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the live long 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
Till Gabriel blows his horn.
Listen to this sample featuring UT Austin.
"Men O' Mines" (1932; Alma Mater 1956)
In 1932, biology professor Burt Franklin Jenness wrote a seven stanza poem titled "Men O' Mines" that was published in that year's Flowsheet (p. 130). Band director Rayo Reyes set it to music and Katherine Owsley arranged the music for four-part choir. By 1934 the song was regularly performed at games, assemblies, and special functions. Copies were sent to civic clubs throughout El Paso for popularization by club song leaders.
In 1956, music graduate student J.Sande Morrison rewrote the song for choir. Its first two verses and chorus were adopted with some minor changes as the new alma mater for Texas Western College after approval by the Music Department, executive council of the student body, and alumni. Sometimes the chorus is played alone and called "Miner Victory."
1. Far beneath the crags of Franklin
Stand our Alma Mater's halls.
Gleams afar her rock hew campus,
Dust brown walls against the hills.
Gem of learning in a country
Whose own wealth of lore enthralls.
Hail the light of Texas Western
And the mission she fulfills!
CHORUS:
Up! Men of mines, and hit the trail;
The Texas spirit shall not fail;
Miners fight for the right!
For the orange and white!
Tamp! Tamp! Tamp! Men of mines,
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! Men of mines,
Now clear the way, for it's today,
That we must gain the victory.
2. May the canyon walls above her
Echo back her classic name,
And the deeds of men who leave her
Stir the heights on which she stands.
May the pangs of recollection
Set their memories aflame,
Till they see again the beauty
Of the vista she commands.
"Fight Song" (1980s)
In the early 1980s, band director Gene Lewis adapted Marty Robbins' country western classic "El Paso" (1959) to serve as UTEP's fight song. Subsequent arrangements were done by band directors Curtis Tredway and T. Andre Feagin, each with slight musical variations.
Out in the west of Texas town of El Paso
Home of the river they call Rio Grande
Down on the border, the town of El Paso
Home of the Miners the best in the land.
Fighting to win the Miners of UTEP
Long live the College of Mines!
GO COLLEGE OF MINES!
Loyal forever we’re standing together
Onward to victory, orange and blue!
WE WILL BE TRUE!
Out in the west of Texas town of El Paso
Home of the river they call Rio Grande
Down on the border, the town of El Paso
Home of the Miners the best in the land.
Hey!
GO MINERS GO
FIGHT MINERS FIGHT
GO, FIGHT, WIN MINERS WIN
Hear the music and view the lyrics or listen to Marty Robbins sing it.
"Miners Fight"
UTEP also borrowed the song "Texas Fight" from UT-Austin as a quasi-fight song and renamed it "Miners Fight."
Miners fight! Miners fight!
And it’s goodbye to (opponent)
Miners Fight! Miners fight!
For we’ll put over one more win
Miners fight!
For it’s Miners that we love best
Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here
And it’s goodbye to all the rest!
Watch the pep band perform it in the Haskins Center. Read about the song's history or listen to the Austin version.
Other Songs
"The Engineer's Song" (1928)
Dean Beven (Class of 1929) compiled "The Engineer's Song" during the 1920s. Sung to the tune of "I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech," the lengthy song contained lyrics such as these:
Here stands a mining engineer with rough and ready crew,
There’s not a thing on this earth that he’s afraid to do
If you want a bridge to Jupiter or a ten foot shaft to Hell
Just ask a mining engineer and he will do it well.
He’s a mining, mining, mining, mining, mining engineer
Like every honest fellow he likes his whiskey clear
He dearly loves his whiskey, he dearly loves his beer
He’s a shooting, fighting, dynamiting mining engineer.
Here we have a mining man, in either hand a gun
He’s not afraid of anything and never known to run
And with his belly empty, the damn food knows no fear
He’s a shooting, fighting, dynamiting mining engineer.
With dandruff in his whiskers and dirt behind his ears,
With biscuits in his duffle bag that ain’t been touched in years.
So, with his belly empty, the damn fool knows no fear
He’s a shooting, fighting, dynamiting mining engineer.
"Dig Dig Dig for T.C.M." (1940)
In 1940, Fred Waring, Roy Ringwald, and Glen Moore wrote "Dig Dig Dig for T.C.M." The lyrics included six different choruses about the school's various rivals - Wildcats, Lumberjacks, Lobos, Cowboys, Sioux, Aggie:
Dig dig dig dig, dig dig dig dig dig! for T.C.M.
Dig dig dig dig, dig dig dig dig dig! for T.C.M.
March along to win, whatever the fight,
March along to win for Orange and White.
Oh, dig dig dig dig, dig dig dig dig dig! for T.C.M.
[CHORUS 1]
Let our rivals thru the pass at El Paso del Norte,
Show ’em hospitality and show ‘em we are sporty,
Kick ‘em in the end zone if they ever get cavorty,
Fight ‘em MININ’ MEN OF T.C.M.
"Shine On" (1989)
"Shine On" was written in 1989 for the school's Diamond Jubilee.
Shine On, UTEP, Shine On
Shine On, UTEP, Shine On
A diamond in the desert
A cut above the rest
75 years of brilliance
Miners you're the best.
Shine On, UTEP, Shine On
Shine On, UTEP, Shine On
From the School of Mines to Texas Western College
Now we're proud to be known as UTEP
El Paso's center of knowledge
It's our diamond Jubilee
This year, 1989, we love our university
UTEP-You really shine!
Shine On, UTEP, Shine On
Shine On, UTEP, Shine On
A diamond in the desert
A cut above the rest
75 years of brilliance
Miners you're the best.
Shine On, UTEP, Shine On
Shine On, Shine On, Shine On
UTEP
"We are the Miners" (2013)
In 2013, Mathematical Sciences Professor Larry Lesser honored UTEP's mission and upcoming Centennial year by penning new lyrics to the tune of Freddy Mercury's "We are the Champions" (a platinum hit for Queen).
1. With ‘Glory Road,’ or buildings of Bhutan,
Our border campus draws deeply upon
Its diverse people who learned to stand tall:
We are a model of access and excellence for all!
CHORUS:
And we went on and on and on and on:
We are the Miners, my friend,
And we’ll keep on mining ways to win!
We are the Miners, we are the Miners,
No lame excuses, 'cause we are the Miners
Of the world!
2. Some called us crazy to try for Tier One
While serving our region, like it couldn’t be done.
But talent knows no neighborhood bounds:
Watch our students and faculty gain world renown!
Listen to Dr. Lesser sing the song.
Tradition
UTEP's Centennial Celebration aims to foster a deeper sense of pride and tradition. Ringtones based on several of the songs are being released throughout the celebration. At the annual Alumni PICK-nics, participants sing the fight song in groups. The Homecoming 2012 t-shirt featured the Fight Song lyrics on the back.
In 2011, the re-introduction by the Miner Marching Regiment of some of the older songs created confusion and stirred debate among current and former band members.