The Eyes of Texas

"The Eyes of Texas" is the school spirit song of the University of Texas at Austin. It is set to the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad". Students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the university sing the song at Texas Longhorns sports games, before the fireworks and other events. History John Sinclair wrote the Texas-specific song lyrics in 1903 to the tune of the original folk song "I've Been Working on the Railroad", which was published nine years earlier in 1894. Sinclair was the editor of the Cactus yearbook, a UT band member, and a member of the Glee Club, and he wrote the lyrics per the request of band member Lewis Johnson. Johnson was also the program director of the Varsity Minstrel Show that raised funds for the university track team. The lyrics are said to be intended to poke fun at University President William Lambdin (Colonel) Prather. At the time, the University of Texas had fewer than a thousand students, and there were weekly convocations of the students at which Prather would often speak. Prather customarily concluded his speeches by saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, the eyes of Texas are upon you," an admonition similar to one Robert E. Lee was said to have used while President of Washington College in Virginia, meaning that the state of Texas was watching and expecting the students to go out and do great things. Prather had attended Washington College (later Washington & Lee University), became a friend of Lee, and served as a pallbearer at Lee's funeral in 1870.