Leslie Anne Tarabella Southern With a Gulf Coast Accent

We’ll take Dixieland Delight

First printed in Lagniappe News, Mobile, Alabama

To my friends who cheer for the University of Alabama,

As a longtime resident and native Alabamian, who is also a graduate of Florida State University, I’ve come to collect the spoils of battle. Don’t panic, all I’ll take is a one-year lease on the song Dixieland Delight. I’ve always loved it and never realized the University of Alabama somehow finagled faux ownership of the tune, which was actually written and performed by the band Alabama for the entire world, not just a single school. 

The song was playing in my car when a friend commented that she didn’t realize I had graduated from UA.
“Why would you possibly think that? Please observe my FSU ‘State of Alabama’ tag on the back of this car, which my husband actually designed and presented to the state legislature.” (Yet another reason to love him). 

She explained the confusion—Dixieland Delight was played at every home football game in Tuscaloosa and is considered “their” song. How was I to know? With a tear in her eye, she lamented that the song had been tarnished by naughty-mouthed fraternity boys, yet was still played at tailgate meals, and other hot University party spots. “It’s still our song” she declared. 
Ahh. Tuscaloosa. She was stunned when I admitted I’ve never been there. I confessed that I always thought “T-Town” meant Tallahassee. She began choking and I had to pull the car over. 

“But it’s a song about Tennessee,” I pointed out. She didn’t care. Then I filled her in on the fact that the FSU Marching Chiefs have played Sweet Home Alabama and even Rocky Top. So really, songs get passed around like game-day whiskey. “Look,” I said, “y’all can use Florida Georgia Line tunes anytime you want. Even though our T-town is smack dab on the Florida Georgia line, we realize they don’t belong to us alone.  

Still, victory means plunder. Bragging rights are a given, though we’ll keep them modest since we know what it feels like to be humbled. We’re cautiously proud, fully aware that things change season to season. However, in addition to bragging rights, we’ll take the song. For one year, Dixieland Delight is ours. If the University of Alabama cheats and plays it, their fans will be haunted by visions of our majestic symbol — not mascot — Osceola, atop Renegade, belting it out himself.

The FSU Phi Mus may also want to claim a one-week swap in the gorgeous UA Phi Mu house. The friendly sorority teasing will only escalate to the FSU coeds leaving behind little cellophane bags of garnet and gold M&M’s. Gotcha!  

The game’s outcome was a surprise, the torrential Florida rainstorm added to the drama, and as the story continues, we’ll meet again next year in T-Town (not Tallahassee). That kind of fun fits my life, oh so right, my Dixieland Delight. 

Leslie Anne Tarabella is a columnist and the author. You can read more from her at https://leslieannetarabella.com

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