The Unheard Music (Volume LI)

Back in August of 2007, I had the priviledge of seeing Pearl Jam perform at The Vic Theatre as a warmup gig for Lollopalooza.  If you wish, you can read about my impressions of the show by clicking here.  One of the songs Eddie Vedder played solo (before the rest of Pearl Jam joined him onstage) made quite an impression on me.  The song "Go All The Way" was written about my (and Eddie's) beloved Chicago Cubs.  It was an instant hit at The Vic and I wrote then that The Cubs should officially adopt it as the go-to Cubs song.  I mean we all (except Carla) love "Go Cubs Go!" but it's time to adopt a more comtemporary theme song.  Hell if he were still alive, even Steve Goodman himself would cede to Eddie Vedder's new song and tell you that "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request" was a far superior work in the admittedly small Cubs song genre.

I got to work and found a press release explaining the song written by Eddie himself:

January 31, 2007...Cubs Spring Training Facility, Mesa Arizona...Rain Delay.  While taking shelter in the clubhouse, Jose Cardenal introduces me to Ernie Banks...We sit down....Ernie hypnotizes me...He asks me for a song...It happens to be his birthday...Seventy fifth...Locking into his eyes, I listen...It's like having a conversation with Wrigley Field....Go back to my room under the spell of Mr. Cub...This beer drinking number wrote itself, per Ernie's request....Played it in Chicago last week...Recorded it so Ernie could hear...Hope he likes it....Dedicated to the Chicago Cubs and all who love them.

I'm not sure if you could find a better musical ambassador than Eddie Vedder.  With thanks to Jeff Vrabel for the mp3's, I present two versions of "Go All The Way" which should be available for download in the next week or so.  This was the one I heard at The Vic Theatre in August, 2007. And then when Eddie was here in Chicago in August for a few solo shows at The Auditorium Theatre, he recorded this version.  Enjoy the music, have a great weekend and (of course) Go Cubs! As of this writing, the magic number is 2, they could quite possibly clinch the NL Central today.

Comments

[Mike]

Jonathan Brandmeier has been playing this song for the last few days and, strangely enough, it was on just seconds before I read this post. I'm not a fan of the Cubs or Eddie Vedder, but I suppose they could do much worse.

[drcastrato]

its ok. maybe if i heard it more i'd like it more, but for now i'm sticking with "Go Cubs Go."

[Brian]

A Dying Cubs Fans Last Request tops this effort by Vedder. Although Eddie's version is a much better barroom sing-a-long.

[Scotty]

Its not bad but people aren't going to sing this after games. There are too many words. "Go Cubs Go" is about all Cub fans are going to be able bellow out. Two innings is not long enough for them to sober up.

[Betty Rocker]

This song is SOOOO much better than "Go Cubs Go"---I can't tell you how much I hate that song. Actually I can. I reworked the lyrics to sing:

Go Cubs Go,
Go Cubs Go,
Hey Chicago, Whaddya say?
Don't you think this song is GAY?

(And by gay, I mean lame. Not homosexual. Just to clear that up.)

And why do they sing "Cubs are gunna win today" after the Cubs have already won?

And what is it about baseball songs sung in Flats? Between "Go Cubs Go" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", everybody that sings them sounds drunk and tone deaf (Many are probably a little of both).

Eddie wrote a song I can get with. It's written with heart and soul. With no flats.