"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" Lyrics and History

Written By: The Good and the Beautiful Published On:

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is one of America’s favorite songs! All who love baseball are familiar with the lyrics and tune. Keep reading to learn the story behind the song sung by baseball enthusiasts young and old and to download our FREE printable game!

  • “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” Lyrics

    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.

  • Click the image to download an adorable PDF of the “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” lyrics and “Play Baseball” game!

    Click Here for FREE Download

Sing along with this illustrated video of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” from The Good and the Beautiful Kids YouTube channel!

Story of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”

In the summer of 1908, entertainer and songwriter Jack Norworth was riding a New York subway when he saw a sign advertising the New York Giants baseball game. He quickly scratched out a verse and the now-popular chorus to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” 

Norworth took his scribbled wording to well-known composer Albert Von Tilzer, and together the two collaborated on a song that first became popular as sheet music and recordings on the Edison wax cylinder. Today, the original hand-written lyrics are on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Interesting Facts About the Song

  • Neither Jack Norworth nor Albert Von Tilzer were baseball fans, and neither had ever attended a game before writing the song. 
  • “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was originally played at movie houses (old movie theaters)—not baseball games—during reel changes. 
  • The song didn’t make its big league debut until the 1934 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers.

  • Cracker Jack was well received when it was first introduced at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The mention of the caramel popcorn and peanut snack in the song lyrics drove sales through the roof, and it became a beloved snack at baseball games nationwide.
  • The tradition of the “seventh-inning stretch” began in 1910 when President William Howard Taft needed to stand up and stretch at a baseball game, and the crowd followed his lead.
  • “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” had become the unofficial “seventh-inning stretch” song by the 1950s.

The next time you are enjoying a game of baseball with your friends and family, don’t forget the “seventh-inning stretch” with a good round of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” on our Kids YouTube channel. What is your favorite position to play or watch in baseball? Tell us in the comments below!

  • Click the image to download a printable PDF of the “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” lyrics!

    Click Here for FREE Download

Want to learn more about sports and how to keep your body healthy and strong? Check out these resources!

  • Motion in Sports by David Wiseman | The Good and the Beautiful

Frequently Asked Questions About “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”

Who wrote “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”?

Songwriter and entertainer Jack Norworth wrote the lyrics to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in the summer of 1908. Even though he’d never been to a baseball game before, he scribbled down the catchy words to his now-beloved song when he saw a sign advertising a New York Giants baseball game.

When do people sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”?

Baseball fans traditionally sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch, which became a cherished custom in 1910 when US President William Taft needed to stand and stretch during a baseball game, and fans followed his lead. By the 1950s, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” had become inseparable from baseball fans’ stretch break.

Where was “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” originally played?

Believe it or not, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was originally played during reel changes at movie houses (old movie theaters)—not baseball games.

When was “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” first sung at a major league baseball game?

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” didn’t make its big league debut until the 1934 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Detroit Tigers.

Where can I get a free download of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” lyrics and a printable baseball game?

The “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” blog post from The Good and the Beautiful offers a free PDF of the song’s lyrics and an exciting two player dice baseball game that you can print for free!

Where can I listen to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” for free?

Watch and sing along with “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in this charmingly illustrated video found on The Good and the Beautiful Kids channel on YouTube.

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