History of “The Eyes of Texas” - Paul Schaefer Collection (1977)

Produced by San Antonio’s KMOL-TV, these 1970s outtakes capture an unidentified young person recounting the origins of “The Eyes of Texas,” the alma mater for the University of Texas at Austin. UT student John Sinclair wrote the song in 1903, setting lyrics inspired by University President William Lambdin Prather’s spoken admonition, “The eyes of Texas are upon you,” to the melody of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” In June 2020, a group of University of Texas student-athletes called on the school to make a number of changes, including replacing its alma mater with “a new song without racist undertones.” The song debuted at a campus minstrel show featuring performers in blackface, and multiple secondary sources attribute Confederate General Robert E. Lee as the inspiration for Prather’s refrain.