There are birds more handsome,
There are birds more regal,
Like the Frenchman's rooster
And the U. S. eagle,
But the fightin' bird
That beats 'em to the draw is the
Two-gun Jayhawk from the banks of the Kaw.
He's a brain truster,
He's a block buster
And they fear him ev'rywhere;
He's a live wire,
He's a high flyer,
He's the king of land and air.
(repeat)
When the "Sunflower Song" became popular in 1948, Chancellor Deane Malott suggested that it be adapted as a K.U. song. The school turned once again to the talents of Professor Crafton who wrote the lyrics to the well-known Kansas song. The new title became "Song of the Jayhawk."