Popular Song Anniversaries - A Celebration of Significant Songs and Songwriters

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A very beautiful and melancholy song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music by Henry Mancini from the 1962 film with the same title. The song receive an Oscar as Best Song from a Film. The best known version of the song was by Andy Williams and released on an LP album with the the same title as the song. This album was a huge seller and on the Billboard charts for 16 weeks in 1963. For more about the song, see Wikipedia.

This song was published in 1912 with words by L. Wolfe Gilbert and Lewis F. Muir. It was introduced at the Winter Garden in New York by the very popular singer, Al Jolson, who became famous for his starring role in the first film with spoken dialogue and songs, THE JAZZ SINGER (1927). This song was sung in that film but by Bobbie Gordon instead of Jolson. It was later sung by Judy Garland in the Hollywood musical, BABES ON BROADWAY (1941), and by Jolson's dubbed voice in THE JOLSON STORY (1946).

This song was one of the numbers probably played on the fateful first and final voyage of the Titanic in 1912.

Hear "Waiting For The Robert E. Lee" and "Songe d'Automne" on these two recommended CDs:

Music From The Titanic: 21 Authentic Songs From The Epic Journey
Mary Jane Newman and the Southhampton Pier Players

This very popular Irish-flavored song was published by M. Witmark & Sons in New York in 1912 was performed in the play, The Isle O' Dreams. The lyrics were written by Chauncey Olcott & George Graff Jr.

The music was composed by Ernest R. Ball and dedicated to his wife, actress Maude Lambert. The song has had long-lasting appeal and was used in several films.

The song was sung by Bernadene Hayes in the Hopalong Cassidy western film, NORTH OF THE RIO GRANDE (1937), which also featured another Irish-themed song, "Wearing of the Green," sung by Walter Long.

In 1944, singer Dick Haymes played songwriter Ernest Ball in WHEN IRISH EYES ARE SMILING (1944). Actor Dennis Morgan played Chauncey Olcott in MY WILD IRISH ROSE (1947).

Both songs published in 1912 ("Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling") are available in this recommended sheet music collection from Dover Publications:

70th anniversary of the milestone music event
with dozens of famous songwriters performing their own music
now available on a 4 CD box set titled:

This famous song had lyrics by Jack Norworth (1879-1959) and
music by Albert Von Tilzer (1878-1956)

Norworth said he wrote his lyrics after seeing a sign that read:

"Baseball Today -- Polo Grounds"

He then gave his lyrics to Albert Von Tilzer who set it to music. Norworth also said he actually wrote both words & music, but that wasn't until the fiftieth anniversary in 1958, a few years after Von Tilzer had died and thus couldn't dispute his claim. Tilzer had said that he was the one who first suggested that Norworth write the lyrics to the baseball song. Which story is true? We may never know. Many of these claims are discussed in the wonderful book, Baseball's Greatest Hit [listed below].

The song was copyrighted on May 2, 1908 and was first sung by Jack Norworth's wife, Nora Bayes. He later wrote different verses for the song in 1927.

Vintage Recordings

One of the first recordings of the song was made in October of 1908 by Edison's National Phonograph Company. The song is actually in waltz tempo and was sung by Edison staff announcer, Edward Meeker.

You can hear this rare cylinder recording at this link:

"Take Me Out To The Ball Game"

But the biggest hit recording was by The Haydn Quartet
which first charted on October 24, 1908 and remained at No. 1 for 7 weeks.
It became the biggest hit of that year.
--from Joel Whitburn's authoritative book, Pop Memories 1890 - 1954

There was a later performance by songwriter Albert Von Tilzer playing piano and singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" with the original 1908 lyrics.

This wonderful rare performance was given at a special ASCAP concert
on San Francisco's Treasure Island in 1940.

Some of the songs were later released on an LP album and then they were included on a terrific 4 CD set, with many well known songs performed by such songwriters as Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer and many others.

The 4 CD set is titled:

Carousel of American Music:
The Fabled 24 September 1940 San Francisco Concerts

Modern Recordings

"In selecting the musical tracks we have tried to capture the essence of our film series, to recapitulate and distill the progression from traditional folk music to 1990's rock and roll that the film celebrates, and to honor two of our country's treasures -- our music and our national game." -- Ken Burns and Lynn Novick

From the acclaimed PBS TV series is this CD with numerous versions
of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame":

BASEBALL: A Film by Ken Burns - Original Soundtrack Recording

Hollywood Musical

There was a popular 1949 MGM musical using the 1927 lyrics by Norworth starring Esther Williams, Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra with the same song title:

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (2000 DVD)

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME (2008 DVD)

About the Song

You can read the background about the song in this fact-filled illustrated book, that also has a CD with it:

Baseball's Greatest Hit: The Story of Take Me Out to the Ball Game
by Andy Strasberg, Bob Thompson, Tim Wiles

Music From The Titanic: 21 Authentic Songs From The Epic Journey Mary Jane Newman and the Southhampton Pier Players

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Music From The Titanic: 21 Authentic Songs From The Epic Journey
Mary Jane Newman and the Southhampton Pier Players