OMG while double checking the lyrics, I found out about a bunch of different versions of the song! I had no idea there were verses- I've never seen the music printed like that! Read on if you're interested!
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Katie Casey was baseball mad.
Had the fever and had it bad;
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev'ry sou Katie blew.
On a Saturday, he 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:
(back to chorus)
And another version!
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Nelly Kelly love baseball games,
Knew the players, knew all their names,
You could see her there ev'ry day,
Shout 'Hurray,' when they'd play.
Her boy friend 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.
(chorus)
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.
(chorus)
And here's some trivia I never knew either!
For one thing, the song was written in the early 1900's (1908)- but here's the history of it being sung at games!
Harry Caray, who is credited with singing it first at a ball game in 1971, once said, 'I would always sing it, because I think it's the only song I knew the words to!' On Opening Day in 1976 Bill Veeck noticed the fans were singing along with Caray so a secret microphone was placed in the broadcast booth the following day to allow ALL the fans to hear him. Veeck explained to Caray, 'Harry, anybody in the ballpark hearing you sing 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' knows that he can sing as well as you can. Probably better than you can. So he or she sings along. Hell, if you had a good singing voice you'd intimidate them, and nobody would join in!'
