UCLA Fight Songs: A Tradition of Triumph and Spirit
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) boasts a rich tradition of spirited fight songs that ignite school pride and rally support for its athletic teams, the Bruins. These songs, performed by the 250-member UCLA Bruin Marching Band, serve as anthems of victory and athletic excellence, energizing crowds at sports events and solidifying UCLA's vibrant campus culture.
"Mighty Bruins": The Official Anthem
"Mighty Bruins" stands as the official fight song for UCLA's athletic teams. Commissioned in 1984 by the UCLA Alumni Association, it was intended to create a unique and original fight song for UCLA, distinct from the previously shared "Sons of Westwood" with UC Berkeley. Alumni Barbara Lamb (class of 1966) and Don Holley (class of 1984) contributed the lyrics, which were then combined by composer Bill Conti.
The lyrics of "Mighty Bruins" emphasize institutional pride, declaring the Bruins as "the best team in the West," evoking a sense of regional identity tied to UCLA's location and athletic heritage. They also highlight themes of conquest and triumph, with imagery of marching to victory and an enduring roar symbolizing unstoppable momentum and communal strength. The structure of the lyrics is simple and repetitive, with parallel phrasing in the verses ("We are the Mighty Bruins") to facilitate group participation.
A key tradition involves the band playing "The Mighty Bruins" - incorporating its rousing chorus - on first downs during football games, prompting fans in the student section (The Den) and throughout the stadium to join in with the iconic 8-clap cheer: "U-C-L-A, Fight! Fight!" The band further integrates "The Mighty Bruins" into halftime shows at these events, showcasing choreographed formations that highlight UCLA's athletic spirit and engage spectators in collective participation.
"Sons of Westwood": A Shared History
Prior to "Mighty Bruins," "Sons of Westwood" held prominence as a historical fight song for UCLA. Its origins trace back to the University of California, Berkeley's "Big C," adapted in 1959 by F. Kelley James, then Associate Director of the UCLA Band and alumnus of the Cal Band.
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The controversy surrounding "Sons of Westwood" stemmed from the "All University Weekend," an annual event that began around 1948 and lasted into the 1960s. This event featured a double-header football game that pitted Cal against UCLA and UC Davis against UC Santa Barbara. In one of the last "All U Weekends," James arranged a version of "Big C" for the combined half-time show.
Afterward, UCLA continued using his arrangement of "Big C," adding its own lyrics and renaming it "Sons of Westwood." The UCLA Band began playing it regularly as their new fight song. James Berdahl, then director of the Cal Band, was incensed over what he felt was a violation of the sanctity of Cal songs. A bitter exchange ensued between Berdahl and James for the next several years concerning the legal and ethical grounds under which "Big C" was appropriated.
The matter came to a head on February 18, 1969, when Irwin Coster, working on behalf of the UCLA cause, received official word from the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress that "Big C" had never been copyrighted, and thus it was in the Public Domain. Public Domain status meant that only adaptations and arrangements of the song could be copyrighted, so UCLA had every legal right to "steal" the song.
Some regents and UCLA administrators thought it quite reasonable that this "little sister" of Cal maintain "Sons of Westwood" as a "reaffirmation [of the University of California's] solidarity." However, ardent students and alumni at Cal were never happy with the situation, especially Berdahl, who continued to fight for the abolition of "Sons of Westwood" through the remainder of his tenure as director.
Other Fight Songs in UCLA History
In addition to "Mighty Bruins" and "Sons of Westwood," UCLA has utilized other fight songs throughout its history to inspire enthusiasm during athletic events. These include:
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- "Fight on Men of Westwood": Simply known as "Fight," this song uses the tune "Fight on, Pennsylvania!," a fight song of the University of Pennsylvania. It was written by David B. Zoob.
- "By the Old Pacific's Rolling Waters": Also known as "By," this song was composed in 1922 by Thomas Vickers ‘Vic’ Beall ’26, then the newly appointed leader of the ROTC Band. It served as UCLA’s main fight song until Sons of Westwood overtook it in 1962.
- "Sing U.C.L.A."
- "Team, Hear our Song"
One of the reasons for commissioning "Mighty Bruins" was to give UCLA its own fight song, separate from the University of California, Berkeley, and to replace some other lesser-known UCLA fight songs.
UCLA's Alma Maters and Ceremonial Anthems
UCLA's non-fight school songs primarily encompass its alma maters and ceremonial anthems, which emphasize institutional pride, nostalgia, and communal unity rather than the competitive energy of athletic fight songs. These compositions are typically performed at commencements, formal gatherings, and post-event reflections to honor the university's heritage and foster a sense of enduring loyalty among alumni and students.
The historical alma mater, "Hail Blue and Gold," was composed in 1925 by a UCLA student amid the institution's separation from shared University of California traditions with UC Berkeley. It served as the official alma mater for over three decades, symbolizing the university's blue and gold colors and its emerging distinct identity in Southern California.
In 1960, "Hail to the Hills of Westwood" became and remains UCLA's current official alma mater, written by alumna Jeane Margaret Emerson in 1959 to better capture the campus's unique Westwood setting and Pacific proximity. Traditionally, outstretched fingers in the form of a “V” should be held high over the head while singing the alma mater after sporting events. Performed with outstretched "V" gestures signifying victory and unity, it is sung at graduations, memorials, and the conclusion of athletic events to invoke lasting allegiance to the university.
Another notable non-fight tradition involves adaptations of broader California anthems, such as the university system's shared "Hail to California," originally written in 1907 by Clinton R. Morse. This piece celebrates the statewide UC heritage and is occasionally performed by UCLA glee clubs to affirm roots in the Golden State, evoking unity across campuses without the combative tone of sports anthems.
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Other Songs Associated with the University of California, Berkeley
- "Big C": Written in 1913 by Harold P. Williams and N. Loyall McLaren, arranged by Robert O. Briggs, “Big C” is unquestionably the most famous and controversial Cal song. It was written to commemorate the creation of the large cement “C” built on the “rugged Eastern foothills” of the Berkeley campus in 1905, and the song was later entered in the Daily Californian’s then annual school song competition.
- "Hail to California": Written in 1907 by Clinton R. “Brick” Morse; arranged by Charles C. Cushing. Morse was asked by University President Benjamin Ide Wheeler and Professor Gayley to write songs for the rooting section, and “Hail to California” was one of many he composed. Indeed, “Hail to California” is used as the Alma Mater of UC Davis, UCLA, and of the UC system as a whole.
- "All Hail Blue and Gold": Written in 1905 by Harold W. Bingham, arranged by Robert O. Briggs. The University of California had no Alma Mater until “All Hail Blue and Gold” was written by Harold W. Bingham in 1905. “All Hail Blue and Gold” was popularized by the Budweiser Quartet and the California Glee Club (both of which Bingham was a member), achieving the status of unofficial California Hymn.
- "California Drinking Song": Compilation of various songs (California, Oh Didn’t He Ramble, Rambled Into) circa 1939, arranged by Larry Austin. Copyright UC Regents. The “California Drinking Song” is one of the most popular Cal songs among students and alumni - everyone knows the words to this song!
- "The Golden Bear": Written in 1895 by Charles Mills Gayley; arranged by Jonathan B. Elkus. The oldest song currently in the Cal Band’s repertoire is “The Golden Bear,” with lyrics written in 1895 by Professor Charles Mills Gayley.
- "Make Way for the Bear": Written in 1965 by Ted E. Haley; arranged by Larry Austin. “Make Way for the Bear” was written in 1965 by Ted E. Haley for the fiftieth anniversary of his graduating class, the class of 1915. The Band immediately took up the song in a Larry Austin arrangement and recorded it as part of the 1966 “Spirit of Cal” recording.
- "Roll On": Written in 1961 by Paul Yoder and Larry Mandel. “Roll On” was written by the professional composer Paul Yoder in 1961 for University of California High School Band Day. David Mandel won a competition held within the band to write lyrics for the song.
- "Palms of Victory": Written in 1896 by Stuart L. Rawlings; arranged by Robert O. Briggs. In 1896, Stuart L. Rawlings took a popular tune of the time, “Springtime in Dixieland” (or “Happy Days in Dixieland”), and added lyrics, titling it “Football Song.”
- "California, We’re For You": Written in 1921 (?) by Sydney K. Russell, arranged by W. D. Denny. The music and lyrics to “California, We’re For You” were written by Sydney K. Russell. The year it was first played is unknown, but it first appeared in the California Songbook in 1921.
- "Cal Band March": Written in 1978 by Jonathan B. Elkus, Robert Bramson, and Susan Mattson; arranged by Larry Austin. In 1978 the Tellefsen Hall Directors commissioned Jonathan Elkus to compose “Cal Band March” in memory of Chris Tellefsen. The lyrics of “Cal Band March” were adapted shortly after the piece was written.
- "California Triumph": Written in 2004 by Hirokazu Hiraiwa and Aaron Alcala-Mosley. In the Spring of 2004, the Executive Committee of the Band decided to hold a competition to commission a new spirit song for Cal.
- "Fight": Written in 1909 by Earl Elleson McCoy, Robert N. Fitch; arranged by Robert O. Means.
- "The Stanford Jonah": Written in 1913 by Ted E. Haley; arranged by Robert O. Briggs.
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