zephyr88 said:

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Never heard that song and I've been to a zillion Aggie games (and I'm not exaggerating).

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So what you are saying is you haven't gone to many road games or bowl games or you were not going to A&M games in the 70's or you leave early

Off the top of my head I have sung that tune live and in person in

East Rutherford
Baton Rouge
Lubbock
Waco
Dallas ( 3 different stadiums )
Houston
Shreveport (snow bowl)
San Antonio
New Orleans
Salt Lake City
Norman ( 77-0 )
Austin

BartInLA said:

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I want to hear it in AI. That would be special. To hear this song about Texas A and M

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We sing Mo Bamba now!

pilgrimshadow said:

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I'm class of '05. We knew it well.

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Frantastic!

It's only played after a loss at home. Didn't play it much while I was at A&M, we had a long home win streak that ended my senior year

Lord knows we played it often enough when I was in school. I remember Colonel Adams talking about how he lobbied this song to be played after we got outscored instead to Taps which we did previously. The changeover was well before my time.

Probably when women were admitted.

We sang The 12th Man many times the 4 seasons I was a student from 1958-1961. Our record those 4 years was 12-24-4. No winning season, never beat tu, piggies or frogs.

None of you kids has the slightest clue how bad it was back then.

Charlie Wallace, AMC '62

I like it…. A lot…. One of my favorite Aggie songs, and it's good sung either fast or slow. Too bad most people connect it with a loss!

Also I like "I'd Rather Be a Texas Aggie" which gets hardly any playing time these days…. (Though The Singing Cadets do a contemporary version with lyrics changed to match today's situation.)

I'm Class of '77, but grew up in Aggieland and I was going to games in the 50's. My memory is that it's only sung AFTER a loss. Also, I believe line 5 goes like this - "When we're down, the going's getting tough".Gig'em!

And Charlie Wallace is right. We didn't enjoy many wins in thiose days.

I'll have to say, the song is Peppy!! Maybe we shoiuld play it more often!!

NumberEinAg said:

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I'll have to say, the song is Peppy!! Maybe we shoiuld play it more often!!

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You're not paying attention. We played the song after a LOSS. Purpose of the exercise on the field is to avoid playing this song.

Gaius Rufus said:

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I believe it's only sung after a loss. At least that's the only time I remember singing it after a game at Kyle.

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I wish it was played after touchdowns. That "whatever" the FTAB plays after TDs is beyond boring. The Twelfth Man would keep the crowd into the game until the kickoff.

Mrs. Ford Munnerlyn wrote the song in 1941. I always felt sorry that a nice little song only got played after a loss by the Aggies. So how could We like it?

She came and sat with the band as its guest during my time in the band. I think in about 1975. We played it for her during the game, even though it was a win. Don't remember what game though. She sat with the directors and wore a big Aggie mum. Seemed like a nice older lady, reminded me of my grandmother.

The Singing cadets use it in their concerts about the only time it is sung without the sting of defeat.

Also I've heard the Hullabaloo Band play a nice up tempo version of it at basketball games, so I guess it is not totally associated with defeat.

zephyr88 - then you must leave games early when we are out scored. It has been played at the end of the yell practice if we are out scored. Been that way for years and years.

Only sung after home game loses.

I heard it played when Colorado ended one of our longer home win streaks. 2000 was it?

TalonDoc said:

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Only sung after home game loses.

I heard it played when Colorado ended one of our longer home win streaks. 2000 was it?

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Colorado came in 0-5 I think and kicked our ass at a cold miserable game. Good times.

Gaius Rufus said:

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I believe it's only sung after a loss. At least that's the only time I remember singing it after a game at Kyle.

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That's what was commonly known and explained to me when I was in school (89-93). But since I didn't see us lose at home, never experienced it.

My freshman season, our only home loss was by a point to Arkansas, but I think I missed that game. We then didn't lose at home again until 1995.

Listeater got ahold of the sheet music in '04. Haven't heart it since ...

I graduated in 2004, I know the song well.

I do agree it's a peppy song that could be played more, but these days school bands are being phased out by DJs.

DevilD77 said:

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Always wished we sang it more than just after a loss. We have three great songs, The Spirit of Aggieland, The Aggie War Hymn, and The 12th Man. It needs to be used more often.

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Like the comeback route when the defender's back is turned?

I can't recall that song, but then again I only saw them lose 4 times at home in my four years.

The Texas Aggie. January 31, 1942

"The Twelfth Man"
New A & M Song Proves Popular

The newest A. & M. College song is the already well-known "The Twelfth Man." Both words and the
music were written by Mrs. Ford Munnerlyn (26). Mrs. Munnerlyn had the song copyrighted and
published in sheet music with words and the piano score.

Introduced last fall, the new song was immediately popular with the cadet corps and was officially accepted by the corps in a ceremony between halves at the Thanksgiving Game. Copies of the song can be secured from either the Lipscomb Pharmacy or the AggieLand Pharmacy, College Station.

I agree. Played after a loss. Also stopped yelling Gig'em Aggies at kickoffs. I still do that but that seemed to have stopped the last couple of years. And the yell leaders started hopping with the yells. Really not sure how or WHY that started.

so funny. Thanks for the laugh.

Sq 17 said:

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zephyr88 said:

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Never heard that song and I've been to a zillion Aggie games (and I'm not exaggerating).

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So what you are saying is you haven't gone to many road games or bowl games or you were not going to A&M games in the 70's or you leave early

Off the top of my head I have sung that tune live and in person in

East Rutherford
Baton Rouge
Lubbock
Waco
Dallas ( 3 different stadiums )
Houston
Shreveport (snow bowl)
San Antonio
New Orleans
Salt Lake City
Norman ( 77-0 )
Austin

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I didn't miss a home game the seasons of 84-85-86-87-88 and 90 and went to most of the bowl games during those times as well. Since graduation, I've probably been to another 50+ games. I didn't realize it was a thing.

Dad's gone now, so I can't ask, but I just asked Mom and she says they sang it all the time in the early 60's.

Class of '11 aggie band. It's played after losses.

We played it quite a bit when I was there unfortunately. I never really did learn it though. Just kinda faked it and remembered a few of the words.

BQ78 said:

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Also I've heard the Hullabaloo Band play a nice up tempo version of it at basketball games, so I guess it is not totally associated with defeat.

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This started in spring of 06 if I remember right. Caused a bit of a kerfuffle.

The story I was told by an old Ag who was usually pretty reliable, is that Mrs. Munnerlyn wrote it to be a shorter, peppier alternative to the War Hymn, but somewhere along the way someone decided to play it after a loss, and the stigma stuck to it.

Tursdays

Little oral tradition on this song...

My father, class of '57, played baseball at A&M. On several recruiting trips to A&M, he developed a friendship with a guy named Bill Munnerlyn ('51) who played baseball a few years earlier than my father's time. This would have been in the Wally Moon era, btw.

Bill's mother, Lil, apparently penned the words to the Twelfth Man song. She wrote the song in 1941.
If it is a song sung after a defeat today, it must not have been then - just 2 years removed from the national title.


** Apologies for the redundancy... ABATTBQ87 beat me to it. Thanks for the article.

I loved that song. I am pretty sure line 5 is "rough and tough". I thought we played it between the 3rd and 4th quarters back in the mid-70s.

You and I are of the same vintage
Had the 3 cotton bowls During our years as a student losing one to FSU

I was from Houston , My mom is t-sip , her family were serious Baylor supporters, and my dad is from Lubbock growing up we regularly attended 3-4 road games
I have seen us run out of time everywhere except Fayetteville That was the one road trip dad never wanted to go on

My dad '58 was pretty hard core and we did not leave early. And I left off losing in Boulder and San Diego against the Cal Bears

I don't remember ever practicing it in my time in the band. Of course, Col. Brewer said we didn't need to practice something we had no intention of playing, albeit in much more colorful language. Great tune. Hope to never hear it again.

They played it last year after Notre Dame but it was fast.