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Fly, Eagles Fly lyrics: A short history of the Eagles fight song

Conceived as fight song, evolved into an anthem, and now gone to the dogs: "Fly, Eagles, fly …"

Debleena Das a student at Widener University walks past the Kimmel Center on South Broad Street Sunday, February 04, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Debleena Das a student at Widener University walks past the Kimmel Center on South Broad Street Sunday, February 04, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/For The Philadelphia Inquirer)Read moreCain Images

You know the words by now (or at least most of them):

Fly, Eagles Fly!
On The Road To Victory! (Fight! Fight! Fight!)
Fight, Eagles fight!
Score a touchdown 1, 2, 3! (1! 2! 3!)
Hit 'em low!
Hit 'em high!
And watch our Eagles fly!
Fly, Eagles Fly!
On The Road To Victory!
E-A-G-L-E-S!
Eagles!

Conceived as a fight song, evolved into an anthem, now gone to the dogs (read to the end).

In less than two weeks, the Eagles will take their third shot at a Super Bowl win. Already, the song is ubiquitous.

Churches. Texas Walmarts. Cribs.

The creation of the classic battle cry is credited to Philadelphia ad men Charles J. Borrelli and Roger Courtland in the 1950s. Originally called the "Eagles Victory Song," it lasted five minutes and didn't go "Fly, Eagles, Fly."

It went "Fight, Eagles Fight," which is still a part of the song, but is often left out of the street versions.

In the `60s, it was performed inside the stadium by a 200-member marching band, calling itself the Eagles Sound of Brass.

But by the late `80s, the song had fallen out of favor with the Eagles faithful.

SHARE YOUR FAVORITE EAGLES FAN MEMORY We want to hear about your most memorable moment as an Eagles fan. Was it a victory at the Vet? Tailgating at the Linc? A party in the streets, or a tradition passed down within the family? Let us know, and we may publish it as part of our coverage leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. Send your story to
— audience@philly.com

It was rechristened in the late '90s, adding the notorious first stanza, as well as a slower tempo and new key. It was also shortened to 33 seconds, punctuated at the end with the spelling of the team's name.

And it was given to a new ensemble, the four-member Eagles Pep Band. The song was taught to tailgaters, and played in the stadium after touchdowns, its lyrics splashed across the scoreboards for those who might not be able to remember.

In 2014, it was named one of the 10 top NFL fight songs by Billboard. "Super-short and instantly memorable, 'Fly, Eagles, Fly' works more like a great jingle than a great fight song. There's not much musical pizzazz, but everybody at an Eagles game knows all the words," wrote Billboard's Jason Lipshutz.

It has been covered from everyone from the Roots …

… to the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Not to mention this singular classic, put together by Inquirer and Daily News artist Cynthia Greer, with help from SoundBible and inspiration from defensive end Chris Long and those great underdog masks we've been seeing.