Sportsong of the Week #24

"Joltin' Joe DiMaggio"

Les Brown & His Orch. (vocal: Betty Bonney)

1942

(Ben Homer / Alan Courtney)

This is not the first baseball sport song posted here and probably not the last either. Because they love(d) making songs about the biggest stars in their prime and time! Sportsong of the Week #24 is about one of the best known baseball players ever. It's Joltin' Joe DiMaggio recorded by Les Brown & His Orchestra with vocals by Betty Bonney.

Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, was nicknamed "Joltin' Joe" and "The Yankee Clipper". He was an American Major League Baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career for the New York Yankees. During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships.He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955, and was voted the sport's greatest living player in a poll taken during the baseball centennial year of 1969.He is perhaps best known for his 56-game hitting streak (May 15 – July 16, 1941), a record that still stands!

Lester Raymond "Les" Brown, Sr. (1912 – 2001) was an American clarinetist, saxophonist, big band leader and composer, best known for his nearly seven decades of work with the big band Les Brown and His Band of Renown (1938–2001). Les worked often with singer Betty Bonney, an accomplished band singer during the final years of the swing era. Bonney’s main claim to fame was that she sang on the catchy novelty hit Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio.

This song is probably going to make you move, or at the least tap your feet on the floor. Just let it happen, smile and keep joltin'!

Full lyrics "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" - (Ben Homer / Alan Courtney) Les Brown & His Orch. (vocal: Betty Bonney) - 1942

Hello Joe, whatta you know?

(We need a hit, so here I go)

(Ball one, Yea!)

(Ball two, Yea!)

(Strike one, Booo!)

(Strike two, Kill that umpire!)

(Yea! A case of Wheaties)

He started baseball's famous streak

That's got us all aglow

He's just a man and not a freak

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio

(Joe, Joe DiMaggio)

(We want you on our side)

He tied the mark at forty-four J

uly the 1st, you know

Since then he's hit a good twelve more

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio

(Joe, Joe DiMaggio)

(We want you on our side)

>From coast to coast that's all you'll hear

Of Joe the one man show

He's glorified the horsehide sphere

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio

(Joe, Joe DiMaggio)

(We want you on our side)

He'll live in baseball's Hall of Fame

He got there blow by blow

Our kids will tell their kids his name

Joltin' Joe DiMaggio

(We dream of Joey with the light brown bat)

(Joe, Joe DiMaggio)

We want you on our side

And now they speak in whispers low

Of how they stopped our Joe

One night in Cleveland,

Oh, Oh, Oh Goodbye streak DiMaggio