Blue Eagle, The King!

This is Blue Eagle, The King.

Immortal fight song written for the undying Ateneo Fighting Spirit by one of our own. When the future senator Raul Manglapus wrote Blue Eagle, The King in 1939 he was a senior in the Ateneo. 75 years later, Blue Eagle, The King remains singular: even as every other college in the Philippines borrowed fight songs from American schools, "Blue Eagle, the King" is the first and so far as we know the only fight song written for and by Filipinos that was borrowed in turn to inspire thousands of young hearts and minds in America.

This music video of Blue Eagle, The King was done from concept to completion in 8 days, from September 23-30, 2014. Produced, directed, starred in and lovingly sung entirely by a groundswell of volunteers from all corners of the Ateneo community. It is released on September 30, 2014, the eve of Ateneo's favorite month of the October Medal.

We dedicate this video first to Senator Raul Manglapus. Thank you, sir, for your immortal words and music, for all you have done for our dear old Ateneo and for all you have given for our country and people. It is one of the most cherished parts of this video that we are joined by Senator Manglapus' son, Francis Manglapus, and the Senator's grand-daughter, Cara Manglapus, whose purity and lift of voice when she sings "Blue Eagle fly and carry our cry across the sky" so perfectly captures the inspiration and fight the young Raul Manglapus must have envisioned when he wrote this song into immortality.

We dedicate this video in a special way to all Ateneans who have carried the fight across the generations. To our men and women for others who must lead and serve so many others in so many fields of battle, both in sport and in life. Blue Eagle, The King - as with the Ateneo Fighting Tradition it represents - is not a call to win and succeed at all costs, because failure is part of life and there is virtue in defeat. But rather, in any field of battle, to fight with pride, honor and courage to the end - as Manglapus did, as Atenean generations have, following the examples of our pantheon of heroes. From Rizal to Ninoy, Javier to Jopson, Recto to Roces, the Ateneo fighting spirit will conquer.

This the Ateneo Way. Born of the sword of Ignatius, offered in kneeling allegiance to Our Lady, a prayer for generosity to fight and not to heed the wounds.

And so finally, we dedicate this video and immortal song to Our Lady, on the eve of October, the month of the Rosary. Mary for you, for your White and Blue!

ANIMO ATENEO. Always and in every battlefield, ONE! BIG!! FIGHT!!!

Fly high! Blue Eagle fly
And carry our cry across the sky.
Cast your shadow below,
Swoop down on the foe
And sweep up the fields away!

Fly high! Over the trees
Make known through the breeze
Our victories.
Spread wide each wing
For you are the King
Blue Eagle, the King!

Oh, the Eagle's the King of them all,
And his blue feathers never will fall.
For the Blue and the White
And the Eagle in flight
ATENEO WILL FIGHT TODAY!

Words and music (1939) by Senator Raul S. Manglapus Ateneo GS 31, HS 35, AB 39