Take Me Out to the Ballgame, a Singable Picture Book, Inducted Into National Recording Registry

Posted by: Sing Books with Emily on: April 9, 2011

In: Uncategorized
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April 6, 2011, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” as recorded by Edward Meeker, is inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. From the LOC website:

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” Edward Meeker, accompanied by the Edison Orchestra (1908)
This popular song has become an unofficial national anthem of America’s national pastime. It was composed in 1908 and was recorded by all three of the major U.S. record companies, Victor, Columbia and Edison. Few copies of these recordings are now extant, which may indicate that initially the song was not as popular as it was to become later. Comic vocalist Edward Meeker, whose duties for Edison included announcing the titles and artists on hundreds of cylinder recordings, sings on this Edison cylinder recording. Meeker delivers the song in his stentorian, but good-natured baritone, including both verses, which remind us that the song is about a baseball-loving woman.

Link to Libreary of Congress announcement for the National Recording Registry:
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-073.html

Link to Library of Congress:
http://www.loc.gov/index.html

This video features Ed Meeker’s 1908 recording of the song with the original lyrics of all verses and accompanied by wonderful archival photographs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4-gsdLSSQ0
Edward Meeker’s 1908 recording of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” was inducted in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in April 2011. Read about it further down in this article, or click here:
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-073.html

We all sing just the chorus at the 7th inning stretch, but the song has two verses.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Words by Jack Norworth
Music by Albert Von Tilzer
Published by York Music Company

Katie Casey was base ball 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.”

“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:

Here are Singable Picture Books for “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,”

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Words by Jack Norworth
Music by Albert Von Tilzer
Illustrated by Jim Burke
(This book features printed music, extensive historical information about the song, and an introduction of Pete Hamill)

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Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Words by Jack Norworth
Music by Albert Von Tilzer
Illustrated by Alec Gillman

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Words by Jack Norworth
Music by Albert Von Tilzer
Edited by Ben Nussbaum
Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan
(From the Smithsonian American Favorites series published by SoundPrints)