In 1908, Jack Norworth, a 29-year-old songwriter, was riding a subway to Manhattan, New York. The impulse to write all started when Norworth glanced out the window and saw a billboard that read “Baseball today—polo grounds.” With a spark of inspiration, he wrote out the lyrics to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

It took him 15 minutes to write out the lyrics on a scrap of paper. His composer friend Albert Von Tilzer added the melody, which in turn was published by the New York music company. They were both part of the Tin Pan Alley musicians of New York at that time.

It Was an Instant Hit

The baseball melody was an instant hit in 1908. Edward Meeker recorded the song for Edison Phonograph Company; it became the hit record top song in the country for seven weeks, and it was the most popular song of that year.