Original version
1908 Version:
Katie Casey was baseball mad
Had the fever and had it bad
Just to root for the home town crew
Every 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
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
1927 Version:
Nelly Kelly loved baseball games
Knew the players, knew all their names
You could see her there every day
Shout "Hurray" when they'd play
Her boyfriend by the name of Joe
Said, "To Coney Isle, dear, let's go"
Then Nelly started to fret and pout
And to him, I heard her shout
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
Nelly Kelly was sure some fan
She would root just like any man
Told the umpire he was wrong
All along, good and strong
When the score was just two to two
Nelly Kelly knew what to do
Just to cheer up the boys she knew
She made the gang sing this song
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
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME is an early-20th century song which became a classic as America's signature song for baseball. The words were written in 1908 by Jack Norworth and set to music by Albert Von Tilzer. Norworth wrote an alternative version of the song in 1927, keeping the chorus and making changes to two verses (see lyrics above).
Bruce Springsteen performed TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME live a few times in 1973 and 2003. See the live 13 Jun 1973 version for more details.
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]