Alright, hear me out. “2001” has been the entrance song for the football team ever since it first debuted in 1983. It’s iconic. It starts off slow and builds to an exciting climax. The curtains drop around Cocky, the smoke machines go off, the team takes the field in cinematic fashion. Some have called it the greatest entrance in college football. But after 42 years, it’s time for some change. We need a song to rally around that is immediately recognizable. A song that will strike fear in the hearts of the visiting team. A song that will become synonymous with the real USC: the University of South Carolina.
Now that’s a tall order. Does such a song even exist? Thanks to one legendary grunge band, yes, one such song does exist and is the perfect new entrance song for the USC football team. I am officially proposing that we replace 2001 with Alice in Chains’ hit 1993 song “Rooster.” The song is perfect.
Click this link and read along to the next paragraph as you picture the scene in your mind.
It starts slow with nearly 30 seconds of guitar and bass that signifies to the crowd that it’s time to stand up, the wait’s almost over. The Gamecocks are waiting in the tunnel ready to take the field. Next comes 25 seconds of wordless vocals that build a sense of tension as the energy rises even more in the stadium. Now comes Layne Staley’s unmistakable gritty vocals for 50 seconds of build up before we reach our peak. Cocky rises on the stage with the curtains covering him. Here comes the moment we’ve all been waiting for: “Yeah, they come to snuff the rooster, oh yeah.” The opposing team realizes we’re talking about them. The entire stadium feels it coming, the place is about to explode. The climax arrives as Staley’s iconic scream comes following the line “Yeah, here come the rooster.” The scream hits, the curtains drop around Cocky, the smoke goes off, and the team charges towards midfield as the heavy guitar electrifies the stadium alongside Staley’s vocals screaming, “You know we ain’t gonna die.”
I have chills thinking about it. The idea came after this song played over the speakers toward the end of our home game against Missouri last season. It played during a timeout on our game-winning final drive and the energy shifted entirely following it. There was a real nervousness in the air beforehand as we were down with time dwindling. But after Rooster blared over the speakers, it seemed like a win was the only possible outcome. It made me wonder why Rooster isn’t played before every game.
If this call to action somehow makes it beyond the WUSC blog and leads to a change in entrance songs, don’t worry about thanking me. All I did was point out the obvious.
Images courtesy of Facts.Net and The State
What's up! My name's Hunter, aka Big Kahuna. I'm in the Counseling and Rehabilitation graduate program here at USC studying to become a mental health counselor. I love neo-psychedelic rock/pop and my top 3 bands are Babe Rainbow, Triptides, and Husbands. I host The Far Out Hour every Sunday at 6PM. Tune in for some groovy tunes, funky monologues, and good vibes!