Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song. The words were written by Jack Norworth. The music was written by Albert Von Tilzer. Neither of the writers had been to a baseball game. The song has become the unofficial anthem of baseball.[1]
The chorus is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of a baseball game. Fans are generally encouraged to sing along. At some ballparks, the words "home team" are replaced with the team name, as is the case with the Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers and several other Major League Baseball teams.
The first recorded version of the song was made by Edward Meeker. Meeker's recording was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry. The Registry picks recordings once a year that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[2]
Words
change1908 Version | 1927 Version |
---|---|
Katie Casey was baseball mad, |
Nelly Kelly loved baseball games, |
[Chorus] | |
Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd; | |
Katie Casey saw all the games, Knew the players by their first names. |
Nelly Kelly was sure some fan, |
[repeat Chorus] |
Notes
change- ↑ "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Performing Arts Encyclopedia. Library of Congress. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ↑ "The National Recording Registry 2010". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
- ↑ Sou was a slang term for a coin similar in value to a penny