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"Mighty Bruins" is a fight song of University of California, Los Angeles sports teams. Composed by Academy Award-winning composer Bill Conti (with lyrics from UCLA students Barbara Lamb and Don Holley), the song was commissioned by the UCLA Alumni Association on its fiftieth anniversary. It debuted in 1984 at the football game against Stanford University, with the school marching band conducted by Conti himself.
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UCLA uses the song as its "victory march"; it is usually played after touchdowns. As with UCLA's other fight song, Sons of Westwood, the Mighty Bruins prominently features the UCLA Eight Clap cheer.
Other UCLA fight songs
One of the reasons for commissioning the song was to give UCLA its own fight song, separate from the University of California, Berkeley. UCLA has used Sons of Westwood, taken from the Cal Big C tune, as its best known fight song since the All-California football weekends.
Another of the reasons for the commissioning was to replace some other lesser known UCLA fight songs such as Sing U.C.L.A., By the Old Pacific's Rolling Waters, Team, Hear our Song, and Fight on Men of Westwood.
Although the UCLA Band no longer performs Fight on Men of Westwood, Team, Hear Our Song, or Sing UCLA (By The Old Pacific is still heard occasionally, and is featured on the official band CDs), they are a part of the musical repertoire performed by the UCLA Alumni Band as part of their pre-game concert during every home game.
Mighty Bruins today
Currently, at football games the UCLA Band plays "Mighty Bruins" after touchdowns and uses UCLA's other fight song, "Sons of Westwood", after first downs. Mighty Bruins is also used as a high school fight song for Hendrickson High School.