War Chant
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The war chant is a traditional melody and gesture associated with the Florida State University, specifically its athletic teams the Seminoles, since approximately 1984.
Tradition holds that the war chant began in 1984 when the Seminole football team was playing the Auburn University Tigers. The Marching Chiefs, the marching band for Florida State, performed what was a shortened version of the then popular Seminole melody "massacre". Students and fans of the Seminoles, some claim the Fraternity section of the stadium at Doak Campbell Stadium, joined in and continued to sing the melody once the band had stopped playing. This is what has now become known as the "war chant". The chant grew in popularity and by 1986 was a staple of Seminole football games.
The tradition followed Atlanta Braves baseball player, and former Seminoles football and baseball player, Deion Sanders to Atlanta where it was adopted and renamed the "tomahawk chop". Next, the NFL football team, the Kansas City Chiefs adopted it after hearing the Northwest Missouri State marching band, which was then directed by Florida State alumnus and graduate Al Sergel, perform the war chant while the Chiefs players were warming up for a game against the San Diego Chargers.
The war chant was used in a scene near the end of Mel Brooks's 1993 comedy Robin Hood: Men in Tights (It was simply called "the chop" in the film).
The war chant was also sampled in Nelly's 2003 hit song "Shake Ya Tailfeather," which was featured on the Bad Boys II soundtrack.
