Eye of the Tiger.
What can I say? I am a sucker for the music from the Rocky movies. Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” possibly leads the pack. It is a mainstay of my daily workout mix. How can it not motivate? Taking chances. Going the distance. Fighting to keep dreams alive. Rising up. Staying hungry. Surviving. This is life! This is the pursuit of an (extra)ordinary success!
I love this song and the effect it has on me. Whether I am working out or just going through my day, this song releases the adrenaline and gets the heart pumping. At 5 AM, it is (almost) as good as coffee.
It is the thrill of the fight. It is true that few of us are stepping into the ring with Clubber Lang. Metaphorically, however, we step into the ring of life everyday—“rising up to the challenge of our rival”. Carpe momento!
“Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I’m back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
It’s the eye of the tiger
It’s the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger
Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds still we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive
It’s the eye of the tiger
It’s the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger
Rising up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I’m not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive
It’s the eye of the tiger
It’s the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger”
(Written by Frank Sullivan, Jim Peterik, Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.)