[Baseball] Norworth, Jack. (1879 - 1959)
Take Me Out to the Ball-Game - SIGNED
New York: Broadway Music Corporation. Rare sheet music for “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” 10.5 x 13.5, signed and inscribed in blue ink on the cover by the American performer and songwriter best known for co-writing such standards as the baseball anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” and “Shine On, Harvest Moon.” Four small pin holes in the corners, otherwise fine.Written in 1908, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is Norworth’s most long-lasting hit, although he didn’t see a Major League baseball game until 1941. Norworth wrote the lyrics when he passed the Polo Grounds on an elevated train and saw a sign that read “Baseball Today.” The song was first sung by his wife Nora Bayes and popularized by various vaudeville acts. “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was the number one song in the country for seven weeks in 1908, the longest for any song that year, even though it didn’t chart until October 31, after the 1908 baseball season ended. The song is now traditionally played during the seventh inning stretch during major league games. A true piece of Americana, one of only a few signed copies we have seen. (9642)
Signed Document/Item Song