What if Take Me Out to the Ball Game was Orchestral Pop

This 1908 baseball song starts with upright piano and a close, clear vocal, then opens into chamber strings, brushed drums, melodic bass, and short brass fanfares. The verses keep Katie Casey's character in focus; the chorus lands with the lift of a full studio-pop ensemble.

The score credits words to Jack Norworth and music to Albert Von Tilzer, with a 1908 publication date. 1 The lyric block follows the two-verse transcription in the Historic Sheet Music Collection score record. The U.S. Copyright Office says works published in the United States before January 1, 1931 are currently in the public domain. 2

Play it on a sunny drive, at a backyard game, or whenever the seventh-inning stretch needs a little more orchestra.

[Verse 1] 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:”

[Chorus] Take me out to the ball game, Take me out to 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.

[Verse 2] 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:

[Chorus] Take me out to the ball game, Take me out to 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.