Originally introduced in 1970 by then director, Vincent R. DiNino, the “Wabash Cannonball” has become a famous Texas tradition. “Wabash Cannonball” was then legendary Longhorn football coach Darrell K. Royal’s favorite tune. Mr. DiNino thought it would be a great way to salute the three-time national championship winning coach, and it has remained a crowd favorite ever since, played between the third and fourth quarter of every football game.

Our second fight song is “March Of The Longhorns”. It is played during the formation of the pre-game block ‘T’, Script Texas, and other charted shows. If listened to closely, people can hear “The Eyes of Texas” mixed in this song.

“The Eyes of Texas” is frequently followed by another traditional song: “Texas Fight”, known to LHB as “Taps”. “Taps” is the official fight song of The University of Texas and was written by Colonel Walter S. Hunnicutt in collaboration with James E. King, then director of the Marlin High School Band. The words of the song as finally adopted, were written by “Blondie” Pharr, director of the Longhorn Band from 1917 to 1937. “Taps” is played following touchdowns and extra points at Texas football games as well as on thousands of other occasions.

In 1902, UT student Lewis Johnson played tuba for the Varsity Band, directed the University Chorus, and was the manager for just about every the musical performance on the campus. He was also a man on a quest. While college students in Massachusetts sang “Fair Harvard” and Princeton had its “Old Nassau,” UT students had no song to call their own. In the early 1900s, the most popular tunes heard on the Forty Acres were “Love Nobody but You, Babe,” and “The Hamburg Show,” but these weren’t truly Texan. While he wasn’t a composer himself, Johnson was determined to create a song for the University of Texas.