In 1982, Ronnie Rogers wrote "Dixieland Delight," which soared to No. 1 on the Billboard's Hot Country Songs list under the label RCA Nashville after the band Alabama released it on their album "The Closer You Get..." on Jan. 28, 1983, two days after the death of legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant.
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When the University of Alabama began playing that country song during the fourth quarter of Crimson Tide football games, it became an instant Southern classic and an all-time Bama greatest hit.
That is, until Alabama students created some, well, let's call them "colorful" lyrics to make the song their own. In 2015, "Dixieland Delight" was removed from the game day experience and didn't return to Bryant-Denny Stadium for several years.
In 2018, the wait finally ended, and the hit song got a second chance.
Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne, joined by Nick Saban's wife, Terry Saban, current NFL running back Damien Harris and the university student body president Price McGiffert, announced the college football game day tradition would finally be returning.
The song would come back for good as long as Alabama students didn't impose the old lyrics laced with profanity.
Dixieland Delight: Alabama Football Lyrics
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The Alabama student section whipped up some lyrics of their own in the past, which led to the song being banned. Those added lyrics are bolded below:
Spend my dollar, "ON BEER" parked in a holler,
'Neath the mountain moonlight. "ROLL TIDE"
Hold her up tight, "AGAINST THE WALL"
Make a little lovin', "ALL NIGHT"
A little turtle dovin' On a Mason-Dixon night. "F*** AUBURN"
Fits my life, "AND LSU" oh so right, "AND TENNESSEE TOO"
My Dixieland Delight.
While they're meant in good fun, older Tide fans weren't too keen on hearing the explicit lyrics ring out during home games in Tuscaloosa like they did at the 2014 Iron Bowl, a game where No. 1 Alabama knocked off No. 15 Auburn, 55-44.
"Dixieland Delight" came back in a big way, and current and former Alabama players were excited for the tradition to return to the South, as long as #DixielandDelightDoneRight wasn't replaced with the profane lyrics.
In the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Dixieland delight is free at last. pic.twitter.com/CAH0bX79Gf
— Thomas Fletcher (@longsnapfletch) October 10, 2018
Keep it clean guys.. DixieLandDelight is back!!!! #MakeALittleLoving #RollTide https://t.co/YuJolCiizI
— MWS 🚀 (@MackWilSr) October 11, 2018
Ok I’m beyond happy about this guys we have done it we have freed DixieLandDelight...
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LETS DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY AND NOT USE PROFANITY. Let’s keep it classy so we can keep the tradition alive. BEAT AUBURN & LSU & Tennessee too #RollTide https://t.co/fyfHIhRI92
— Alphonse Taylor (@SHANKK50) October 10, 2018
The Alabama Crimson Tide hosted the Missouri Tigers for a Saturday night game, and when those first few chords rang out, you better believe all attention turned toward the Alabama fans in anticipation for what they belted out.
Break out your Alabama band shirts and get ready to be rollin' down a backwoods because "Dixieland Delight" is here to stay.
Full Dixieland Delight Lyrics
Start your weekend with the night Dixieland Delight returned in 2018 when Alabama played Missouri. pic.twitter.com/3IHT3DFLre
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) April 4, 2020
And here's the full lyrics to the original song, via AZLyrics.com:
[Verse 1]
Rollin' down a backwoods, Tennessee by-way,
One arm on the wheel.
Holdin' my lover with the other,
A sweet, soft, southern thrill.
Worked hard all week; got a little jingle,
On a Tennessee Saturday night.
Couldn't feel better, I'm together,
With my Dixieland Delight.
[Chorus]
Spend my dollar, parked in a holler,
'Neath the mountain moonlight.
Hold her up tight,
Make a little lovin',
A little turtle dovin'.
On a Mason-Dixon night.
Fits my life, oh so right,
My Dixieland Delight.
[Verse 2]
White-tail buck deer, munchin' on clover,
Red-tail hawk sittin' on a limb.
A chubby old groundhog, croakin' bullfrog,
Free as the feelin' in the wind.
Home grown country girl, gonna give me a whirl,
On a Tennessee Saturday night.
Lucky as a seven, livin' in heaven,
With my Dixieland Delight.
[Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Outro]
Rolling down a backwoods Tennessee byway
One arm on the wheel
Holdin' my lover with the other
She's a sweet soft southern thrill
Worked hard all week; got a little jingle
On a Tennessee Saturday night
Couldn't feel better, I'm together
With my dixieland delight
The Return of "Dixieland Delight"
Well, despite warnings that the iconic song would not be played if Alabama students kept singing the old lyrics, that didn't stop them from letting the ad-libs fly in 2019.
During Alabama's home game against Southern Miss, the PA system cut out early while Dixieland Delight played. When that happened and play resumed, students continued singing with nothing to drown out a big, fat "F*** AUBURN" chant.
Thankfully, the sparse crowd still in attendance to see Alabama's 49-7 drubbing of the Golden Eagles were able to laugh off the harmless fun.
Alabama's Rivals Have Trolled Crimson Tide Over the Song
After knocking off fifth-ranked Alabama, 48-45, in the 84th Iron Bowl in 2019, Auburn football fans trolled the Crimson Tide's favorite tradition by adding their own "War Eagle!" twist.
Fans stormed the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium and sang "Dixieland Delight" as they celebrated the iconic rivalry game victory.
And after Tennessee knocked off Alabama at Neyland Stadium in 2022, fans of the Vols stormed the field and uprooted the goalposts while "Dixieland Delight" was played over the speakers.
SEC Schools Have Their Own Versions of Dixieland Delight
Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Alabama may have been the first to do it, but several SEC schools have their own versions of the song.
For example, Tennessee fans scream "Go Vols!" where Alabama fans sing "Roll Tide!" and then curse out Alabama, LSU and Florida, too. Travel to Gainesville, Fla., and you'll find Gators fans belting their own version where they take shots at FSU, LSU and Tennessee.
Make no mistake, though, this is the Crimson Tide's tradition. Tennessee fans have tried claiming the song as their own — especially after the 2022 win over Alabama — but it began in Tuscaloosa. As for the actual song, it's not necessarily about either Alabama or Tennessee, despite numerous references to the state of Tennessee. Rogers has said it's about living life in the South.
"The song wasn't written for a collegiate song," Rogers told AL.com. "It was written for Alabama (the band) as a record and they cut such a record on it, I think that's the reason Alabama (the school) adopted the song."
One thing seems certain, though. "Dixieland Delight" is here to stay.
