Changes coming to Utes Fight song, "Utah Man"

Wednesday it was announced that the Utah fight song, Utah Man, will get some revisions to its lyrics. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Utah President David Pershing issued a statement about what changes were coming to the song that so many Utes fans have come to love.

First, the line "our coeds are the fairest" will be replaced with "our students are the finest." Second, the line "no other gang of college men" will be replaced with "no rival band of college fans."

The first change, I think, was probably one that most fans are OK with. I, for one, am OK with it. The second one is one that surprises me. That is a rather large change when it comes to the song, but it appears the word "men" was the word that put this part of the song in the cross hairs.

The change that most people expected could happen did happen, with the word "fan" offered as an alternative to "man" when it comes to to singing "Utah man."

"When printed officially by the university, this 2014 version of the fight song will be used, but historical renditions of the song will always be acceptable," according to a statement from Pershing released Wednesday. "We encourage you to sing - loudly and with pride - whichever version resonates with you."

There is some serious fence sitting in that statement. So the person who sings the song can pick between "man" or "fan." Is the fight song now called "Utah (Man/Fan)?"

"We want to honor and preserve our history," said, Barbara Snyder, the task force chair and university vice president for student affairs. "But we also want to be an institution that's very inclusive in our community, so that everybody can feel comfortable singing the lyrics."

"We want to respect and preserve tradition, but we also want to be inclusive to all members of our community, and there were some members of the university community who felt marginalized by the existing lyrics, and we thought it was time to look at updating them."

Here is the song with the new changes.

Utah Man/Fan

VERSE

I am a Utah (man/fan), sir, and I live across the green.
Our gang, it is the jolliest that you have ever seen.
our students are the finest and each one's a shining star.
Our yell, you hear it ringing through the mountains near and far.

CHORUS
Who am I, sir? A Utah (man/fan) am I
A Utah (man/fan), sir, and will be till I die; Ki!Yi!
no rival band of college fans
dare meet us in the muss.
So fill your lungs and sing it out and
shout it to the sky,
We'll fight for dear old Crimson,
for a Utah (man/fan) am I.
We're up to snuff; we never bluff,
We're game for any fuss,

VERSE
And when we prom the avenue, all lined up in a row,
And arm in arm and step in time as down the street we go.
No matter if a freshman green, or in a senior's gown,
The people all admit we are the warmest gang in town.
CHORUS

VERSE
We may not live forever on this jolly good old sphere,
But while we do we'll live a life of merriment and cheer,
And when our college days are o'er and night is drawing nigh,
With parting breath we'll sing that song:
"A Utah (Man/Fan) Am I".

CHORUS

Well, it's probably fair to say that a majority of the stadium will continue to sing the song that has been around forever, man or woman.

What are your thoughts on the changes?

Sources: SLTrib - Reuters