Baseball Related Songs: “Yankee Stadium” by Nils Lofgren
In this episode of “Baseball Related Songs”, we pay attention to “Yankee Stadium” performed by Nils Lofgren. I was made aware of this by a friend, because I never heard of this song.
As this friend is a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen, it is not strange that he came up with this song, since Nils Lofgren was part of the supporting band of Springsteen, the E-Street Band.
Born in Chicago in 1951 from a Swedish father and an Italian mother, Nils Lofgren is a multi-instrumentalist, rock singer, songwriter, and recording artist.
At the age of five, he started to learn to play the classical accordion. After studying classical music and jazz throughout his youth, Lofgren switched his emphasis to rock music, and focused on the piano and the guitar.
He had been a competitive gymnast in high school, a skill that was used on stage later in his performing career and reflected in the name of his 1985 album Flip.
Lofgren worked together with a broad variety of artists. Neil Young, the Beatles (in the movie Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band), by David Crosby, Graham Nash, Willie Nelson and Martin Sexton (all as guest appearances at Lofgren’s album Sacred Weapon), and of course Bruce Springsteen.
How did Lofgren get to write the song “Yankee Stadium?” Here is a quote from his website that explains it all: “My fabulous wife Amy (a Jersey girl), remains a life-long Yankee fan with a great, emotional history of experience in Yankee Stadium from childhood to present. Her concept and the song’s chorus; “everyone is beautiful in Yankee Stadium,” was born from those memories and experiences. She’s been asking me to write this song for a while and here it is. .
I’m a long time fan myself, especially of the mythical and mystical nature of old Yankee Stadium, which I’ve been fortunate to experience first hand. This song is an homage born of respect and gratitude for all the emotional and spiritual beauty Yankee Stadium has offered to so many, for so long.”
Here are the lyrics of “Yankee Stadium”:
Sweet Amy cheers in wide-eyed wonder
from her Daddy’s arms as Babe Ruth thunders
another home run out of the park
for all to see
Our hotdog vendor shouts and smiles
his peg leg from the real War
strolls these hallowed miles
we marvel at his endless stream
of funny wisecracks at the opposing team
In Yankee Stadium
in Yankee Stadium
in Yankee Stadium
everyone is beautiful
everyone is beautiful
The weary single Mom sits up straight
to her four young girls she radiates
a dignity
As DiMaggio storms the plate
a century of worship so commonplace
I squeeze my girl’s hand sit side on side
the Bronx twilight and her face collide
A picture so sweet I could cry
a joy and time stand still
In Yankee Stadium
in Yankee Stadium
in Yankee Stadium
everyone is beautiful
everyone is beautiful
In Yankee Stadium
For every soul who entered here
we raise a glass we shed a tear
A beauty in every face appears
hope and love’s alive tonight
In Yankee Stadium
in Yankee Stadium
in Yankee Stadium
everyone is beautiful
everyone is beautiful
(In Yankee Stadium) oh my Yankee Stadium
everyone is beautiful
everyone is beautiful
Oh my Yankee Stadium
goodbye my beautiful Yankee Stadium
A big shout out goes out to my buddy Einar Nordgaard, we made me aware of this song. A pack of moesselientjes will come your way. 😉