Song Clearance Sheet
6 sources citedTake Me Out to the Ball Game
Tin Pan Alley1900sPictured: Original sheet music (public domain) · source
D majKey
More in D major → · More “Public Domain” →
Key from published sheet music / hymnals
The verdict
Public Domain
In the public domain — but check the Rights Status below; a specific host's copy can carry its own caveat.
Used by independents?
Yes — it’s in the public domain — free for any independent artist to use, with no clearance needed.
A delightful irony
Neither Jack Norworth (lyrics) nor Albert Von Tilzer (music) had ever attended a baseball game when they wrote it — they saw their first Major League games 32 and 20 years later, respectively
Written on a train
Norworth was inspired by a subway ad reading "Baseball Today — Polo Grounds" and wrote the lyrics on scrap paper during a ~15-minute train ride into Manhattan
A direct link to another song here
First publicly sung by Norworth's then-wife Nora Bayes — the same performer behind “Shine On, Harvest Moon,” already on the site
A forgotten feminist framing
Per the LOC, the fictional heroine Katie Casey was likely inspired by suffragist Trixie Friganza; the original full song framed her as a woman who prioritized baseball over conventional dates — a framing "long forgotten" once the song was trimmed to its chorus
Rights Status
Licenses explained →Public domain is not one blanket badge — each source can carry its own caveat
The compositionPublic domain
The early recordingPublic domain
Cultural Impact
Documented covers, adaptations, and cultural echoes — each with a real, dated source
George M. Cohan tried to compete with it — and lost
Cohan (already on the site) wrote a rival, "Take Your Girl to the Ball Game," which flopped; he reportedly told Norworth, "I didn't write mine soon enough."
Baseball Hall of Fame · read it →
The seventh-inning-stretch singalong has a documented start
First performed live in a ballpark during the 1934 World Series, but the fan singalong didn't begin until the 1970s, when White Sox broadcaster Harry Caray began singing it over the loudspeaker at owner Bill Veeck's suggestion.
Mystic Stamp · read it →
Among the most recognizable songs in America
The Songwriters Hall of Fame ranks it second only to "Happy Birthday" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the most easily recognized song in the country.
Songwriters Hall of Fame · read it →
A composer's final melody was his own
Von Tilzer, 48 years after writing it, watched a tribute performance air on The Ed Sullivan Show from his hospital bed — and died later that same night.
Smithsonian Magazine · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?Yes — free to use without clearance
References
Every source cited on this page — 6 in total
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Page history · 3 updates
Jul 2026Key added from published sheet music / hymnals (documented source)
Jul 2026Page created — full PD research (batch NEW)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass