DIXIELAND DELIGHT: A SHORT HISTORY

“Dixieland Delight” is back for the fourth quarter of Alabama games. For those not familiar with the song or the tradition of playing in the fourth quarter during Alabama games, we have prepared a primer.

What is the song’s history? “Dixieland Delight’ is a song written by Ronnie Rogers and recorded by legendary country act Alabama in 1982 for the album The Closer You Get. It reached number one in January 1983, and became a singalong staple at Alabama games shortly thereafter. The song usually appeared in the fourth quarter, long after everyone was merely “reasonably drunk.” (This comes into play later.)

What is the song about? Just a sec, we just want to say that the band Alabama rules, and that the album The Closer You Get was in heavy rotation in fine trucks and muscle cars all over the Greater Middle Tennessee Countrypolitan Area until well into the early 1990s.

It is hard to summarize their excellence in a few paragraphs, but we’ll try. They ruled because they looked like a crew of surveyors — not particularly fit or attractive surveyors. Probably competent ones with the good trucks who didn’t litter too much while they were working. Those kind of surveyors, but in a country band, but also without changing the clothes or hairstyles at all.

They were actually from Alabama — Fort Payne in the northeast corner — and mostly sang two kinds of songs. The first were odes to extremely country things like having sex in trucks, hollers, and rivers. The second type of Alabama song was the heavy and extremely sincere ballad, made to be played while “making love.” This is not a stretch: Alabama actually had a song called “When we make love”, which was a super-sincere song about doin’ it real emotional-like.)

This is a picture of the lead singer of the group Alabama — who was born in Fort Payne, Alabama — and whose band recorded an album called My Home’s in Alabama, and a song with Brad Paisley called “Old Alabama”, and whose song “Dixieland Delight” has been played at Alabama home games, wearing an Alabama Crimson Tide jersey.

This is the most Alabama that has ever appeared in a single image, and all one need know about the band.

What is the song about? Having sex in a truck, but also appreciating nature while having sex in a truck. The narrator is an outdoorsperson, but also a lover. It is a layered song about having sex in a truck, is what we’re saying.

Why did they play it at Alabama games? See previous entry

Why did they stop playing it at Alabama games? Mostly because the student section made up their own call-and-response to one verse.

Spend my dollar (ON HAM)

Parked in a holler ‘neath the mountain moonlight (ROLL HAM)

Hold her up tight (JUST LIKE HAM)

Make a little lovin’ (HAM LOVE)

A little turtle dovin’ on a Mason Dixon night (FUCK BEEF)

Fits my life (AND CHICKEN TOO)

Oh so right (DELICIOUS HAM!)

My Dixieland Delight

The profanity outraged some family-first Alabama season ticket holders, while the Alabama poultry lobby took issue with the anti-chicken sentiments. After the 2014 Iron Bowl, the use of the song was discontinued.

Why now? Probably as one more enticement to keep Alabama students in the stands for the entire game. Nick Saban has complained about it enough, at least, to get the administration to get on board with trying something to get students to stay for a whole fifty point blowout of literally anyone on Alabama’s schedule.

This is missing the obvious best enticement for Alabama students, of course: Free ham to anyone who stays through the fourth quarter.

P.S. Roll Ham.