Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is an early 20th century Tin Pan Alley song which became the unofficial anthem of baseball. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of a baseball game. Between the first, or "top" and second, or "bottom" halves of the seventh inning, fans are invited to stand and stretch their legs, and sing along.The words were written in 1908 by Jack Norworth who spotted a sign that said "Ballgame Today at the Polo Grounds" while riding a New York City subway train. Some baseball-related lyrics popped into his head, which were later set to some music by Albert Von Tilzer. Neither Norworth nor Von Tilzer had ever been to a baseball game at the time the song was written. The song was introduced in vaudeville acts, and became a popular hit of the era.
Among those particularly associated with the song is Chicago Cubs television announcer Harry Caray, who led the singing at games in Wrigley Field from 1981 through 1997.
The Verses to the song are no longer often heard, but the chorus continues to be very familiar to most people in the United States.
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2 Quotes 3 Hear the tune 4 External Link |
Verse:
Third Verse:
Note: Sometimes "Cracker Jack" is pluralized, "never" is replaced with "ever", and "For" is replaced with "'Cause". The name "Katie Casey" is sometimes substituted for "Nelly Kelly".
Full Lyrics
Chorus:
Second Verse:
(repeat Chorus)
(repeat Chorus)Quotes
-- Larry Andersen, major league ballplayerHear the tune
External Link
