In keeping with our musical theme for this issue, I decided to research music and baseball. I quickly came across an article in the Sports Illustrated archives, “The Music of Baseball” by Robert Cantwell (October 3, 1960). He covered the topic so thoroughly I was left with three choices:
1. Give up and find a new topic for my article.
2. Pick up where he left off and cover 1960 – today.
3. Find a new spin on the musical theme.
Topics and articles sometimes develop a life of their own during the writing process. Since this issue is dedicated to my son who found music in everything, giving up is not an option. I never realized so many songs were written about baseball. After reading about some of the songs he uncovered, I decided not to go down that rabbit hole (some songs were downright creepy).
While I was reading Cantwell’s article and doing more research, something stood out that I didn’t know before. Most of us (myself included) have only been singing the chorus to Jack Norworth’s and Albert Von Tilzer’s classic tune, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” If you knew that, points for you.
Jack Norworth got the idea for the lyrics while riding on a subway train. He saw the sign, “Baseball Today – Polo Grounds.” From that, Norworth created a story about a girl named Katie. Katie loved baseball. She was a baseball fanatic. She spent every waking moment thinking about the game and she spent every penny she had buying tickets to the games. According to the song, when Katie’s boyfriend offers to take her to a show, her response is the chorus of the song, “Take me out to the ball game…” That’s the part most of us know. Another Tin Pan Alley composer, Albert Von Tilzer from Indianapolis, wrote music to go along with the lyrics and the song was registered with the U.S. Copyright Office on May 2, 1908.
The lyrics of the 1908 version (which is in the public domain):
Katie Casey was baseball mad,
Had the fever and had it bad.
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev'ry sou1
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:"
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:
(Repeat the chorus)
Neither Norworth nor Von Tilzer had ever been to a professional baseball game. In fact, it would take Von Tilzer 20 years to see his first Major League baseball game while Norworth would wait 32 years.
Norworth’s second wife, Nora Bayes first sang the song as part of her Vaudeville act, and it became popular with other Vaudeville acts. The song wasn’t being sung at the ballpark at all. The first time “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was officially sung at a baseball game is believed to be at a high school baseball game in Los Angeles, California in 1934. It would later be sung at the fourth game of the 1934 World Series.
While reading Cantwell’s article about baseball songs, I noticed several songs were about taking your best gal to a baseball game. The lines that follow advise the young man to teach her about the game and explain the plays so she can understand what’s going on. This was followed by “She’ll thank you later (wink, wink).” Okay, I added the “wink, wink,” but you get the idea.
Compare those lyrics with the ones pinned by Norworth and you have the perfect twist for Women’s History Month and the opening day of baseball.
Katie probably knows the game as well as if not better than most of her male suitors. She doesn’t need a heaping helping of mansplaining with her peanuts and Cracker Jack.
For every woman who loves sports, Thank You, Jack Norworth!
That is all. I’m ready for my own 7th inning stretch.
Sources for this article:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1960/10/03/the-music-of-baseball
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_Me_Out_to_the_Ball_Game