Since its origins as a staple of American consciousness, baseball has enjoyed a close, symbiotic relationship with music. Over time, as baseball became a cultural icon, songs began to come out about the game, or even about specific players. As a result, we have a rich and interesting playlist of music that celebrates our game and has helped enrich it. Here are a few of my picks for the best baseball music.
Well, if you want to get to first base, you probably want to make a hit at the ballgame then. That’s all the girl singing this song is saying. Don’t you love the double-entendre? This quirky, fun ditty from the 1920’s is best known for being part of the soundtrack for the seminal Ken Burns documentary series Baseball. The music was written by William Held and the lyrics by William Welzel.
The first song to celebrate the Yankee Clipper would not be the last. More on that later. This song happened to coincide with the very peak of DiMaggio’s career, namely his brilliant 1941 campaign that would see his 56 game hitting streak. Powered by the Les Brown orchestra and sung by Betty Bonney, the song was written and put to words by Alan Courtney and Ben Homer. It is specifically about the streak and features a brief spoken cameo by the man himself.
A song that cleverly marries The Bible, clever puns, and baseball is bound to be a good listen, especially when carried by the timeless voice of Nat King Cole. This 1961 effort was the creative work of Cole and Ralph Carmichael and performed the usual class you would expect from such a legendary singer. The song is fun whilst also being sophisticated which is not easy to pull off and the melody is straightforwardly enjoyable.
The only song on this list that’s not really about baseball, it is nevertheless, here for a good reason. The Simon and Garfunkel hit from the film The Graduate only touches on baseball in one line, but the one line says so much about 1960’s America, and how one player, Joe DiMaggio, personified the old America that many looked back to with nostalgia, and still do. Paul Simon himself explores this idea in the New York Times piece he wrote reflecting on Mrs. Robinson shortly after DiMaggio’s death in 1999. It’s a good read, well worth a few minutes of your time.
As we approach the start of the season, I can’t think of a better song to get us pumped up for the year to come. John Fogerty of CCR fame hit a homer with this one. It’s a cultural icon in its own right; a rock anthem to America’s game. The song’s lyrics have a youthful exuberance to them, and they speak of the universal feeling of wanting to show what you can do, in whatever field you wish to excel in. Fogerty’s strong, raspy vocals sell this well and it makes for a great listen.
Obviously. Jack Norworth’s lyrics and Albert Von Tilzer’s music live forever in every ballpark.
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