Darryl Rivers hopes that his song “Eagles Super Bowl Champions” gets accepted into the catalogue of accepted Eagles anthems.
Approximately two weeks before Super Bowl LII, Moorestown resident Darryl Rivers was working in the produce section at ShopRite of Marlton when “Fly, Eagles, Fly” came on. Rivers said several of his fellow employees and shoppers expressed how exhausted they had become of the song, so Rivers told his coworkers he was going to write a new Eagles song. He did just that.
Rivers’ song “Eagles Super Bowl Champions” declared the Eagles would win the Super Bowl before the players stepped foot on the field. The song played in five South Jersey grocery stores owned by Ravitz Family Markets in the days leading up to the big game and will echo through the stores once again when the season gets underway this fall. Rivers said his hope is that the song one day gets accepted into the catalogue of accepted Eagles anthems alongside “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”
Despite never having written a song before, Rivers said he returned home from work that day in January and instantly felt inspired. He said he felt confident that the Eagles would win, so he started simply with the words “Eagles, we are Super Bowl Champions.”
As he sat looking at a photo of an eagle, it became apparent to him that an eagle is a “seriously dangerous” animal, so he added those words into the mix. He said while most people sing about Eagles flying, he was more interested in how eagles “swoop down” to catch their prey, so he included “swoop down” into the song.
When the song was complete, Rivers contacted his cousin, Raymond Earl, who runs a production studio in Trenton. The next day, Rivers travelled upstate to record the song with his cousin, who incorporated the sound of an eagle and other production noises into the mix. Every voice on the track is Rivers, who said he had never sung prior to recording the track.
Excited by his creation, Rivers approached his boss and friend Ken Brahl, senior director of labor relations for Ravitz Family Markets, about playing the song in a few ShopRite stores. Brahl said he was happy to support Rivers, and in the days leading up to the game, the song played at stores in Marlton, Mount Laurel and Cherry Hill. He said he anticipates playing the song again in the fall.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he came up with this [song],” Brahl said. “He’s a unique, creative individual. He’s full of energy.”
Brahl said Rivers has something of a following at the ShopRite in Marlton. He said customers walk into the store and are happy to see him.
“If you shop in that Marlton store, you’ve seen Darryl and you know him,” Brahl said. “He’s got a fan base.”
Rivers said some of his friends and coworkers were hesitant about the song “jinxing” the Eagles by declaring them champions before the game, but he said he had no doubt they would win. He said watching the team adjust its plays throughout the season showed him this was a team equipped for a win.
“They know how to adjust; that’s how you play football,” Rivers said. “You don’t stay on one strict regimen.”
After the team won, Rivers rushed over to Trenton to create a YouTube video with Earl. He said they used Eagles’ free commerce images and had the video up on Earl’s YouTube page by 5 a.m. the day after the win.
As football season approaches, Rivers said he’s eager to write more songs about the Eagles. He said his hope is the song gets recognized by Eagles’ administration. He said one day he would love to sit in Lincoln Financial Stadium and lead the crow in a rendition of “Eagles Super Bowl Champions” as his favorite team makes its way onto the field.
To hear, “Eagles Super Bowl Champions” visit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5W62oQ3ATQ or search “Eagles Super Bowl Champions” in YouTube.
