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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, in spite of the technicality that it is written from the perspective of someone not currently watching a game. Fans are encouraged to sing along. The words were written in 1908 by Jack Norworth, otherwise best-known for writing "Shine On Harvest Moon". While riding a subway train, he was inspired by a sign that said "Baseball Today — Polo Grounds". After he wrote the lyrics, it was set to music by Albert Von Tilzer, although neither of them had ever seen a baseball game before. The song was first sung by Norworth's wife Nora Bayes, then further popularized by various vaudeville acts. The verses to the song are almost never heard, but the chorus is commonly held to be the third most-often-played song in the United States, after "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Happy Birthday". 1908 Version
Katie Casey was baseball mad,
Had the fever and had it bad.
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev'ry sou
Katie blew.
On a Saturday her young beau
Called to see if she'd like to go
To see a show
But Miss Kate said "No,
I'll tell you what you can do:"
| 1927 Version
Nelly Kelly loved baseball games,
Knew the players, knew all their names.
You could see her there ev'ry day,
Shout "Hurray"
When they'd play.
Her boyfriend by the name of Joe
Said, "To Coney Isle, dear, let's go",
Then Nelly started to fret and pout,
And to him, I heard her shout:
| | Chorus | Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game. | | Katie Casey saw all the games,
Knew the players by their first names.
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along,
Good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Katie Casey knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:
| Nelly Kelly was sure some fan,
She would root just like any man,
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along,
Good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Nelly Kelly knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:
| | Chorus | Among those particularly associated with the song is Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray, who led the singing at games in Wrigley Field from 1981 through 1997. In most Major League ballparks, the line "Let me root, root, root for the home team", "the home team" is replaced by the actual name of the home team. Some teams replace the words "Let me" with "So it's". For example, in San Francisco, it is sung "Let me root, root, root for the Giants". If the team name contains one syllable, the word "team" can be appended to the team name, or a two-syllable nickname can be used. For example, at Cubs games, the line is sung "So it's root, root, root for the Cubbies," and at Cincinnati Reds games, it is sung "So it's root, root, root for our Reds team." Recordings and references
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