Big Orange Country
The Story
There is nothing in sports quite like game day in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Vol Walk. The Vol Navy. General Neyland's Game Maxims. The Pride of the Southland Band. The checkerboards. The legendary players and coaches. The exhilarating wins, the heartbreaking losses, and generations of fans who keep showing up wearing orange through all of it.
If you've experienced a Saturday in Knoxville, you understand that Tennessee football is about more than what happens between the sidelines. It's tradition. Family. Pride. History. And for a whole lot of us, it's part of who we are.
“Big Orange Country” is my love letter to the University of Tennessee football program and to Vol Nation everywhere.
Go Vols!
Lyrics
Tailgates rockin', Neyland's callin
Orange, white, and the Power T on
Everybody's hyped up on this feelin'
It's gonna be one helluva season.
Vol Navy's rollin' down the river
Rocky Top blarin' across the water
Checkerboard flags wavin' in the air
Vol Nation's rollin' in from everywhere
Vol Walk is just startin'
Smokey's fired up, he's howlin'
Pride of the Southland Band's marchin'
Down Peyton Manning Pass
This is Big Orange Country
Where the Volunteers of Tennessee play
We stand united together
One hundred thousand here today
We got our game day crew in Knoxville
Ain't no better place I'd rather be
The legend John Ward said it best
It's football time in Tennessee
The General's ghost still walks these halls
Seven Maxims hangin' on the wall
Tap that sign got to make 'em pay
I'll give my all for Tennessee today
Poundin' the rock right down their throats
Give him six, that safety got smoked
Third and long, our blitz is comin'
Turn em loose, ain't they somethin'
Sun's gone down we're on the prowl
Neyland's really rockin' now
Everyone's screamin', stompin' their feet
These Vols got em beat
This is Big Orange Country
Where the Volunteers of Tennessee play
We stand united together
One hundred thousand here today
We got our game day crew in Knoxville
Ain't no better place I'd rather be
The legend John Ward said it best
It's football time in Tennessee
The Rock's painted up just right
S E C under Neyland's lights
Giving everything we got tonight
One heartbeat, we're Vols for Life
This is Big Orange Country
Where the Volunteers of Tennessee play
We stand united together
One hundred thousand here today
We got our game day crew in Knoxville
Ain't no better place I'd rather be
The legend John Ward said it best
It's football time in Tennessee
Words and music by Blake Wilder · © 2026 Blake Wilder · All rights reserved