take me out to the ballgame

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:24 pm

hello fellow tubenetters,

How can I find out if the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is public domain? It was first written in 1908, which should make it PD but I didn't know if there was any other reason it would not be PD.

I searched on Harry Fox, ASCAP and the US copyright webpages and came up empty.

ken k

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:40 pm

The version with the 1908 lyrics is PD; but not the 1927 version. The chorus is the same in any case.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.n ... fault.html

eupher61 · Post by **eupher61** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:35 pm

that's fun to do on the gig. Just stop and stare at each other when the lyrics run out, then start back in time on the next chorus.

oh, we of simple minds...

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:49 pm

I assume that this stunt applies to the chorus and not the verse?

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:24 pm

So if I did a brass quintet arrangment starting from the PD version, do I violate copyright on the other version?

MA

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:55 pm

I don't think so. As far as I can tell, only the lyrics are different between the two--and that, only in the verse, not the chorus. Stay with the music in the PD version and you'll be fine.

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:12 pm

MaryAnn wrote:So if I did a brass quintet arrangment starting from the PD version, do I violate copyright on the other version?

MA

that is my question as well.

ken k

eupher61 · Post by **eupher61** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:17 pm

nope. PD is PD. Anyone can do an arrangement on a PD piece. You wanna edit some the Joplin rags? Just find a copy with a pre-1923 date. Then, you can copyright your arrangement/edition. There are a lot of editions of Sousa marches out there, most only add a dynamic or articulation or something.