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Musical Baseball
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s not just “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Baseball and music have a longstanding relationship. Though it wasn’t recorded back when Woody Guthrie wrote it in 1949, “Joe Dimaggio Done It Again” was finally recorded by Wilco and Billy Bragg on “Mermaid Avenue II” in 2000. Vocal group the Treniers had a 1954 hit with “Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song),” which included some dialogue from the great New York Giants outfielder.
Today, a group of musicians, including Peter Buck and longtime R.E.M. sideman Scott McCaughey, released “Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails” under the name “the Baseball Project, paying tribute to the game and some of its notable players. Here are a few more of our favorite baseball-related tunes:
“The Greatest” - Kenny Rogers
“Centerfield” — John Fogerty
“Swing” - Trace Adkins
“Cheap Seats” - Alabama
“Paradise by the Dashboard Light” - Meat Loaf (including the voice of Phil Rizzuto)
“A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request,” “When the Cubs Go Marching In” and “Go, Cubs, Go” - Steve Goodman
“Catfish” - Bob Dylan
“Cubs in Five” - The Mountain Goats
“Tessie” - Dropkick Murphys
“Walter Johnson” - Jonathan Richman
“Piazza, New York Catcher” by Belle and Sebastian
“Mrs. Robinson”— Simon and Garfunkel (“Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio…”)
“Don’t Ruin It for the Rest of Us” — Joe Nichols (in this one, the narrator is sitting in a bar watching the Braves)
And Wisconsin-born Atlanta resident and acclaimed folk troubadour John McCutcheon recently released “Sermon on the Mound,” an entire album dedicated to baseball. You can catch McCutcheon live at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur on July 11 and at the Crimson Moon in Dahlonega on July 12.
One that hasn’t been released yet: “The Negro Leagues Anthem” by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is scheduled to be part of a CD tribute to the Negro Leagues sponsored by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. They’re hoping to release it sometime this summer.
Did we miss your homerun hit? Tell us some of your favorite baseball songs.
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Comments
By DAGG
July 8, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this
Atlanta Children’s Rock and Roll artist Daddy A Go Go has a song called “Crying in the Dugout” about this sport from a Little Leaguer’s Perspective. (Not that a music writer at the AJC would know about it or anything.)
Check it out at http://www.daddyagogo.com
By Bdawg
July 8, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this
Of that list I love “Tessie” by the Dropkick Murphys. I have to say “Centerfield” is one of the most annoying songs played at the ballpark. And Trace Adkins’ song is the dumbest country song ever….and that is saying something since 90 percent of country music is dumb.
By Fred
July 8, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this
Somewhere between old and New York by Steve Warner for sheer baseball nostalgia. Then if you’re the games people watching…it’s the most fun when they play. YMCA by the village People. I love it when the children stand up and spell the letters out with their arms. It’s alot of fun.
By Luap Mison
July 8, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this
You have to be really stupid to define “Mrs. Robinson” as a baseball song.
By Shane Harrison
July 8, 2008 1:58 PM | Link to this
Just to clarify, these are “baseball-related tunes.” They don’t have to be all about baseball. “Mrs. Robinson” devotes a whole stanza to Joltin’ Joe, so that puts it in the ballpark. “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” isn’t about baseball, either, but that whole section with Phil Rizzuto calling the make-out session like it was a game is a pretty memorable baseball-related moment.
By Doug
July 8, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this
Not that this is on the subject either, but I like the songs stadiums play for the closer when he comes in, like “Thunderstruck” when Smoltz was our closer. San Diego plays “Hells Bells” for Trevor Hoffman.
By Amy
July 8, 2008 4:32 PM | Link to this
There is a song called “Talkin’ Baseball (Willie, Mickey and the Duke)” by Terry Cashman that pays tribute to some of the old-time ballplayers, especially the debate among New Yorkers of the time as to who was the best outfielder in the city/game: Willie Mays (Giants), Mickey Mantle (Yankees) or Duke Snider (Dodgers).
There also are a lot of great baseball and baseball-related songs on the CD soundtrack to Ken Burns’ outstanding documentary series. One is about Jackie Robinson, the Willie Mays song is on it, the complete lyrics of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” etc. One of my favorites is a very old-fashioned little song (“Gee, It’s a Wonderful Game”) comparing historical figures (Christopher Columbus and Napoleon) with baseball players (Christy Mathewson and Nap Lajoie) and determining that baseball is far more interesting. :-)
Can’t wait to see (and hear!) what’s on this new baseball tribute CD!
By ADL
July 8, 2008 4:58 PM | Link to this
“The Greatest” by Kenny Rogers is the WORST!!!
By ADL
July 8, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this
“The Greatest” by Kenny Rogers is the WORST!!!
By Gary Glitter
July 8, 2008 5:27 PM | Link to this
Who would of dreamed they’d be playing my one hit from back in 1972 in baseball stadiums across the USA to this day? It barely cracked the Top 10 when it came out. Am I getting paid for this?
By smitty
July 8, 2008 5:48 PM | Link to this
Bill Mallonee’s “You Give it All Your Heart” is the BEST baseball song out there.
I’m sure Bill would love you to take a listen at volsounds.com
By Kevin
July 8, 2008 6:42 PM | Link to this
If you can find the soundtrack to Ken Burns Baseball you can pick up “Take me out to the ballgame” on the bugle. Pretty cool. You can also find the spoken lyrics from Field of Dreams when Terrance Mann does his speech about “People will come Ray.”
By MB
July 8, 2008 7:27 PM | Link to this
BDawg, I’m with you…”Centerfield” is one of the most annoying songs around.
By Matt
July 8, 2008 7:31 PM | Link to this
Sweet Caroline..
By diane
July 8, 2008 10:15 PM | Link to this
Centerfield is one of my favorites…”Put me in coach,I’m ready to play today “…..and I love the beat,just puts me in a good mood even if it is not baseball season :)
By jh
July 8, 2008 10:38 PM | Link to this
best one of them all…. boys of summer by Don Henley
By DD
July 9, 2008 12:49 AM | Link to this
Elvin Bishop “Travelin’ Shoes” Where he takes Hank Aaron’s baseball bat and tenderizes his girlfriend’s head.
By Jason Becker
July 9, 2008 6:33 AM | Link to this
da da da da, da da da da, DA DA DA DA, DA DA DA DA, DADA DA DITA! CHARGE!
By Jason Becker
July 9, 2008 6:33 AM | Link to this
da da da da, da da da da, DA DA DA DA, DA DA DA DA, DADA DA DITA! CHARGE!
By Dan Matthews, Jr.
July 10, 2008 9:10 PM | Link to this
Song for the Dreamers by Danny and Dusty off the Lost Weekend LP