‘Fly, Eagles, Fly’ is rally cry for Philly fans, players

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Brandon Graham grasped early in his career that “Fly, Eagles, Fly” would become a litmus test of sorts.

“When I went out to learn about the fans and learn about the city, I said to myself, ‘I have to learn the song,’ ” said the Eagles defensive end who has spent his entire eight-season NFL career in Philadelphia. “You are going to be put on a spot sometimes. People want you to show you really care. I wanted to make sure at least I knew the fight song.”

Moments later, USA TODAY did put him on the spot at Monday’s Super Bowl Opening Night — and Graham nailed the song that is played after every Eagles touchdown and several other times during home games.

“For me it’s about loyalty,” Graham said when asked why he chose to memorize the lyrics. “... It’s my (duty) to go out there to learn what the city is all about.”

The roots of the Eagles’ fight song can be traced to the 1940s, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer story from

2003. The lyrics that appeared in Eagles game programs in the 1950s were credited to Charles J. Borrelli and Roger Courtland, described in the article as two Philadelphia ad men.

This was an era when fight songs — performed by bands at the stadium — were the norm. But there was something the original version of the song lacked: The actual words “Fly, Eagles, Fly.” The initial version of the song actually read, “Fight, Eagles, Fight.”

The song’s popularity faded over the decades before the Eagles Pep Band, led by Bobby Mansure, brought it back — with some reworked lyrics — more than 20 years ago.

“We just changed it to ‘Fly, Eagles, Fly,’” Mansure told the Philadelphia

Business Journal in 2012. “It just sounded cool, instead of repeating the same thing, ‘Fight, Eagles, Fight.’”

Instead of a 220-member band that had played the song in its heyday in the

1960s, the Philadelphia Eagles Pep Band of four musicians would lead the crowd this time around.

The band started the “Learn Your Fight Song” initiative in 1997, and it began to catch on a year later with the backing of Len Komoroski, who was senior vice president for business operations for the Eagles at the time and now serves as CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It’s safe to say Eagles fans know their fight song by now. After the Eagles’ victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC title game, there was no stopping the crowd when Fox Sports’ Terry Bradshaw started singing the song as he handed team owner Jeffrey Lurie the George Halas Trophy.