ALMA MATER
(words by Michael McWhinney, Music by Jerry Powell)

Bright college years, we sing to thee, the golden years that quickly flee
Oh, shining moments of our youth, where we can see God thru/ God's truth (?) seek the truth.
May what we learn midst toil and stride strife direct our footsteps throughout life
No man can ask for more than this, we sing to thee, Ol' Miss

*We bow our heads, we give thee thanks, we'll ne'er forget, alas,
Those teargas raids, the army tanks, those riots after class
The National Guard, the barricades where we shared our first kiss
The senior prom, the hand grenades, we're going to miss Ol' Miss

We'll miss the cafeteria that's crawling in wisteria
We'll miss the classrooms where we learned, and effigies we burned
My girl was only seventeen when she was chosen riot queen
These memories we'll ne'er forget, God bless thee Ross Barnett

We're going to miss Ol' Miss
Glory, glory, what a heck of a time we had
We're going to miss Ol' Miss


*tune: America the Beautiful
the rest of the tune is a variation of "Bright College Years"


from The Mitchell Trio songbook

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"Bright College Years"

Words by H. S. Durand, Yale Class of 1881
Music by Carl Wilhelm

Bright college years with pleasure rife
The shortest, gladdest years of life
How swiftly are ye gliding by,
O why does time so quickly fly
The seasons come, the seasons go
The earth is green or white with snow
But time and change shall not avail
To break the friendships formed at Yale

In after years should trouble rise
To cloud the blue of sunny skies
How bright will seem through mem'ry's haze
Those happy golden bygone days
O let us strive that ever we
May let these words our watch cry be
Where e'er upon life's sea we sail:
"For God, for country, and for Yale!"