The Ballad of Bevo
After reading the letter from Franklin “Gus” Harris Jr. ’66 in the fall issue of Spirit, I wanted to share an additional story surrounding the events of Bevo’s capture.
In November 1963, a few Texas A&M students and myself were listening to a local AM radio station in a small rent house on Poplar Street when we heard a broadcast that alleged the Aggies had stolen Bevo from The University of Texas. Naturally, we became intrigued.
Inspired by the events, I quickly wrote a three-chord song in about 15 minutes. I only knew three cords: C, G7 and Dammit F. Dammit F was the hardest of the chords to play, and I usually ended up not quite playing it or almost playing it, whichever came first. The entire Poplar Street assembly was so enraptured by this song that we decided to record it.
The next day, Jesse “Clark” Coleman ’61 and I went to the student center and borrowed one of those reel-to-reel tape recorders from the Singing Cadets. Returning to Poplar House, we recorded “The Ballad of Bevo” in about 30 minutes under the name “The Louis and Clark Expedition.” I was strumming those three chords on my antique GWB Kalamazoo guitar, while Clark loped a Vega 5 string banjo and made a few cow bellowing noises as I called for Bevo.
After finishing, we went to Loupot’s Bookstore to give Old Army Lou (Judson Loupot Sr. ’32) the tape. We knew that he had helped the cadets sneak off with the longhorn mascot, and he was immediately interested in the song, fronting the funds to have it produced as a single-sided 45 in a recording studio in Houston.
We took the tape down to the local radio station, and the rest is history. The record took off, staying at the No. 1 spot in Bryan-College Station for almost four weeks. They were playing it nonstop for the first week and by the third week, still about every hour. Every Aggie in the surrounding counties was laughing about the “Ballad of Bevo,” and many were buying it. After the madness was over, Loupot and others had sold about 1,000 records.
Clark and I enjoyed a portion of the profits—some “lunch money” for two college students, you might say. The song catapulted us to local immediate fame followed quickly by extinction.
Don Louis Ivey ’62
a.k.a. Brazos Highwayman
Bryan, Texas
The Ballad of Bevo Lyrics
Beeeeeeeee Vooooooooooo!
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Beeeeeeeee Vooooooooooo!
Chorus:
Bevo, Bevo, that docile little cow.
Bevo, Bevo, Oh where are you now.
Now listen all you Aggies
I’ll tell this story well
About a longhorn steer
Who caused unshirted hell.
This longhorn’s name was Bevo,
And when he flew the coup
He had the K K’s baffled
And Rangers by the troop.
The 12th day of November
A mighty truck did roll
And headed out to Austin
To the hog farm by the road.
Well 13 fearless Aggies
With a record of 4 and 0
Loaded up old Bevo
And brought that varmint home.
Chorus
Johnny he told Mary,
Mary she told Dick
And Dick was a silver spur
Who spread the word right quick.
The Rangers came a runnin,
The Campus cops were yelling.
They all converged on Loupots
And drank coffee by the gallon.
The silvery spurs were cryin
At Loupots things got stormy
And Loupot made them right at home
With cries of “Gig ‘em Army.”
Chorus
The inquisition started
Two Ags got 4th degree
They grilled them 40 hours
Before they set them free.
Beyond human endurance
Two stalwart sophomores cracked
They told them where Bevo was
South by the S.P. tracks
Now Bevo’s back in Austin
And TU ought to know
At liberating mascots
Old Army’s 5 and 0.
Beeeeeeeee Vooooooooooo!
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaa!