times during breaks in game action, which limited fan participation since they were not prepared to sing. In the early 1970s, the band began playing the song exclusively at the end of the third quarter, allowing every fan in attendance at Gator home games to stand, sway, and sing along. Pep bands at other UF sporting events also play the song, often at a similar time frame - a break in the action well into the contest. Since the early 1990s, a fast march arrangement which does not involve audience participation has joined the UF band repertoire. The University of Florida has been co-educational since the 1940s, and there have been several attempts to update the lyrics of "We Are the Boys" to reflect the school's many female students. However, while the alma mater and many traditions dating from the school's male-only period have been updated over the years, "We Are the Boys" has remained unchanged. Performance Traditionally, Gator fans lock arms and sway back and forth on the first beat of every measure during the waltz-time song. A shouted "Hey!" is added to the end of the first stanza and a shouted "Go Gators!" is inserted after the line "Down where the old Gators play." During the line "we'll all stick together," the word "together" is drawn out for two or three seconds while everyone holds their lean. At Gator football games, the school song is immediately followed by a stadium sing-along to Tom Petty's song I Won't Back Down, a tradition which began soon after the Gainesville native's unexpected death in October 2017. Lyrics See also The Pride of the Sunshine Florida Gators History of the University of Florida The Orange and Blue External links Fan's eye view of "We Are the Boys" in The Swamp Song recording by the Florida band UF bands private press vinyl releases References American college songs University of Florida