Live 13 Jun 1973 version
[Spoken intro:] There I was, in right field. There was a make-up game. It was a nice sunny morning... I had just rolled out of bed... I was standing out there thinking, "I hope nothing comes to me." No sooner did I saw that, than whssh, ooh! Here it came, highest ball I've ever seen in my life. It was scary. So I started running for it... Got underneath that devil... Down it came, glanced off my glove, and hit me in the head. Very embarrassing. I made believe I was knocked out and they carried me off the field. I'm wearing earphones up there, so take!
Me out to the ballgame (you can all sing, you know all the words)
Take me out to the crowd
Go buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks
I don't care if I never get back
So we root (root) root root for the home team (home team)
If they don't win it's a shame (it sucks!)
'Cause it's one
Two (two)
Three strikes you're out at the old ball game
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME is a 1908 song credited to Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer. See the original version for more details.
A version of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME parodying Bruce Springsteen was recorded and released by Bruce Springstone. See Bruce Springstone's version for more details.
The above lyrics are for the live 13 Jun 1973 performance of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, NY, during the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Tour. Only a snippet of the song was played.
This was a double-bill show, with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band opening for headliners Chicago. This was Springsteen's eleventh of thirteen consecutive shows opening for Chicago. A poor quality audience recording of this performance is in circulation among collectors.
Other versions of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME were also officially released.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME is known to have been performed at least once during what is considered the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Tour (October 1972 to September 1973). Many of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Tour.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME was performed 3 times during the 120-date-long The Rising Tour (120 dates, August 2002 to October 2003). On this tour, the song was played as an instrumental opener. The first of the three performances featured Danny Frederici, Nils Lofgren, and Roy Bittan on organ, while the remaining two featured Danny Frederici alone on organ. Audio for the live 07 Sep 2003 performance of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME at Fenway Park in Boston, MA, was released on the Live In Barcelona home video in 2003.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME on this website:
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME [Live 13 Jun 1973 version]
