Take Me Out to the Ball Game facts for kids
Take Me Out to the Ball Game is a very famous American song. It was written in 1908. Jack Norworth wrote the words. Albert Von Tilzer wrote the music. Interestingly, neither of them had ever been to a baseball game! This song has become like an unofficial theme song for baseball.
The most famous part of the song is its chorus. It is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch at baseball games. This happens between the top and bottom halves of the seventh inning. Fans usually sing along. At some baseball parks, the words "home team" are changed. They use the team's name instead. For example, the Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox do this. Many other Major League Baseball teams also do it.
The first time the song was recorded was by Edward Meeker. This recording was chosen by the Library of Congress in 2010. It was added to the National Recording Registry. The Registry picks recordings each year. They choose songs that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." This means they are important for culture, history, or art.
The Song's Words
The song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" has a well-known chorus. There have been a few different verses over the years. Here are the most common words, including the famous chorus:
[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.
The original 1908 version of the song had verses about a character named Katie Casey. She loved baseball very much. She would spend all her money on tickets. When her boyfriend asked her to a show, she said no. She wanted to go to the baseball game instead.
A later version from 1927 changed the character to Nelly Kelly. She also loved baseball games. She knew all the players' names. When her boyfriend Joe asked her to Coney Island, she got upset. She wanted to go to the ball game! Both Katie and Nelly would cheer loudly. They would even tell the umpire when they thought he was wrong! When the game was close, they would get everyone to sing the song.
See also
In Spanish: Take Me Out to the Ball Game (canción) para niños
