I'm a Tar Heel Born

"I'm a Tar Heel Born" is the official fight song of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It originated in the late 1920s as an add-on (or "tag") to the school's alma mater, "Hark The Sound". Today, the song is almost always played immediately after the singing of "Hark The Sound", even during more formal occasions such as convocation and commencement. Just before home football and basketball games, the song is played by the bell tower near the center of campus, and is often played after major victories. [" [http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/trads/unc-trads-songs.html UNC School Songs] ." "tarheelblue.com." Retrieved on March 9, 2008.]

Lyrics

I'm a Tar Heel born, I'm a Tar Heel bred.And when I die, I'm a Tar Heel dead.So it's rah-rah, Car'lina-'lina!Rah-rah, Car'lina-'lina!Rah-rah, Car'lina-Rah, rah, rah!

"Rah, rah, rah!" is rarely, if ever, sung. Most of the time, it is replaced with "Go to hell, Duke!", a jab at Carolina's major athletic rival. This version is usually heard during basketball season and at non-revenue sporting events, regardless of opponent.

Much debate lingers over the last line during football season. Carolina's traditional football rival is fellow state school North Carolina State. For many years, the variation "Go to hell, State!" was used during football season, and this version was known to have been taught at freshman orientation well into the 1990s. However, it is not unheard of for the Duke variation to be sung during football season, especially among younger fans. Other variations occasionally appear. For instance, during a 1996 football game in which the Tar Heels routed Clemson 45-0, some students were heard replacing the last line with "Clemson sucks!"

References