"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a classic American song that was written over 100 years ago! That's right: in 1908, a man named Jack Norworth wrote the words while he was riding the subway and saw a sign announcing a baseball game. A funny fact is that he wrote this song about baseball even though he had never even seen a baseball game! He actually would never see a real baseball game until 1940 - 32 years later!
Soon after writing the words to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", Mr. Norworth met a man named Albert Von Tilzer, who composed the music to the song. Soon after, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" became a hit song. A "hit song" is a very popular song. This song continues to be sung at U.S. baseball games by the entire crowd and is a big part of the fun of going to baseball games in the U.S.
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" - written in 1908 by Jack Norworth
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,
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!
Comprehension Questions:
1. Where does the person in the song want to go?
2. What does the person in the song want to buy?
3. What does the person not care about?
4. What does he want to do for the home team?
5. How many strikes before you're out?
Answers:
1. The ball game
2. Peanuts and crackerjack. "Crackerjack" is a popular carmel-flavored popcorn in the U.S.
3. If he never gets back
4. Root ("Root" is a verb that means to cheer for a team or a person)
5. Three
Photo by Lino Khim Medrina