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All the Way (Eddie Vedder song)
Encyclopedia
"All the Way" is a song written and performed by Evanston, Illinois
native and Pearl Jam
vocalist Eddie Vedder
about the Chicago Cubs
. It was first performed in public on August 2, 2007, recorded on August 21, 2008 and August 22, 2008, and released as a single on September 18, 2008.
The Cubs franchise last won the World Series in 1908
, and Vedder has been a lifelong Cubs fan. The song, which fondly looks forward to the Cubs' next World Series victory, was written with the encouragement of certain Chicago Cubs, most notably Ernie Banks
. The song was first performed in Chicago and was recorded over two nights in 2008 at the end Vedder's first solo tour.
vocalist Eddie Vedder
, who was raised in Evanston, Illinois and later San Diego County, California
, is closely associated with grunge music
, he has been a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. He has performed the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
" during the seventh-inning stretch
at several Cubs games and thrown out the ceremonial first pitch
at Wrigley Field
. His first seventh-inning stretch performance had been on Independence Day
(July 4) 1998.
Vedder has attended the Cubs fantasy camp for several years. While attending the camp one year, former Cubs shortstop
and first baseman
Ernie Banks requested that Vedder write a song about the Cubs. Vedder wrote "All the Way" the night before the camp started and first performed it at Pearl Jam's August 2, 2007 concert at The Vic Theatre in Chicago with Cubs pitcher
Kerry Wood
and other Cubs players in attendance. On August 3, 2007, one day after "All the Way" was premiered live, Vedder performed "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field for the fourth time and threw out the first pitch for the first time. Vedder's band, Pearl Jam, was in Chicago that week to perform at Lollapalooza
, where the band was the headlining act for the three day festival that ended on August 5, 2007.
The version of "All the Way" heard on the commercial single release is mixed from recordings of the August 21, 2008 and August 22, 2008 solo performances of the song by Vedder at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Vedder performed at the Auditorium Theatre on August 21 and August 22, 2008 on a three-week extension of his solo tour that began in Boston, Massachusetts at the Boston Opera House (1980)
and ended in Chicago. The solo tour had originally begun in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
at The Centre on April 2, 2008. This tour was Vedder's first solo tour.
genre, and it is perceived as a sing-along sea chantey
or drinking song
. The lyrics to the song include lines such as "Our heroes wear pinstripes/Pinstripes in blue/Give us a chance to feel like heroes, too." The song makes references to Ernie Banks, Wrigley Field, and a specific reference to Banks' catch phrase
of "Let's play two!" The refrain
includes the phrase "Someday we'll go all the way, Yeah, someday we'll go all the way," which anticipates the day the Cubs win the World Series
, gives the song its name.
On September 18, 2008, "All the Way" was made available for digital download
via Pearl Jam's official website for US$0.99. On approximately September 30, 2008, a CD single
version was made available for purchase at select stores in the Chicago area. A souvenir 45 single format version is also a possibility. The digital download and CD single have been released with an associated single cover art
image that is a modified version of the Wrigley Field outfield
wall.
Philip K. Wrigley
had employee Bill Veeck, Jr.
add ivy to the outfield walls of Wrigley Field in September 1937. Wrigley Field is the home stadium for the Chicago Cubs, and its wall is well-known for being covered in ivy
except for a few select places where signs are present as well as doors to locker rooms and such. The brick is visible under the ivy at the stadium in locations where the signs designate the distance from the wall to home plate measured in feet. The cover art image replaces the distance with the words "All the Way".
By the time of the single release, local Chicago radio stations and sports bars had begun to play the song in anticipation of the 2008 Cubs'
playoff run. The song is considered to be an earnest tribute to the Cubs. According to at least one source, the song is reminiscent of "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall
" by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan
and much less upbeat than the song "Go, Cubs, Go
" by American folk music
singer-songwriter Steve Goodman
. The Huffington Post
encourages listeners to compare the song to Goodman's "Go, Cubs, Go". Another source compares the song to American country-folk singer-songwriter John Prine
's 1974 song "Dear Abby" in terms of melody
and cadence
as well as the theme
of Goodman's "A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request".
At The Smashing Pumpkins
' November 20, 2008 concert at the Chicago Theatre
, frontman Billy Corgan
criticized Vedder and the song. Corgan stated, "If the Cubs did have a chance this last year that just passed, fuckin’ Eddie Vedder killed that shit dead. Last I checked Eddie ain’t living here, okay? Eddie ain’t living here to write a song about my fuckin’ team."
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
native and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
vocalist Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
about the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. It was first performed in public on August 2, 2007, recorded on August 21, 2008 and August 22, 2008, and released as a single on September 18, 2008.
The Cubs franchise last won the World Series in 1908
1908 World Series
The 1908 World Series matched the defending champion Chicago Cubs against the Detroit Tigers in a rematch of the 1907 Series. In this first-ever rematch of this young event, the Cubs won in five games for their second consecutive title....
, and Vedder has been a lifelong Cubs fan. The song, which fondly looks forward to the Cubs' next World Series victory, was written with the encouragement of certain Chicago Cubs, most notably Ernie Banks
Ernie Banks
Ernest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
. The song was first performed in Chicago and was recorded over two nights in 2008 at the end Vedder's first solo tour.
Origin and recording
Although Pearl JamPearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
vocalist Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
, who was raised in Evanston, Illinois and later San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
, is closely associated with grunge music
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, he has been a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. He has performed the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...
" during the seventh-inning stretch
Seventh-inning stretch
The seventh-inning stretch is a tradition in baseball that takes place between the halves of the seventh inning of any game – in the middle of the seventh inning. Fans generally stand up and stretch out their arms and legs and sometimes walk around. It is a popular time to get a late-game snack as...
at several Cubs games and thrown out the ceremonial first pitch
Ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team...
at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
. His first seventh-inning stretch performance had been on Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
(July 4) 1998.
Vedder has attended the Cubs fantasy camp for several years. While attending the camp one year, former Cubs shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Ernie Banks requested that Vedder write a song about the Cubs. Vedder wrote "All the Way" the night before the camp started and first performed it at Pearl Jam's August 2, 2007 concert at The Vic Theatre in Chicago with Cubs pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Kerry Wood
Kerry Wood
Kerry Lee Wood is a National Major League Baseball relief pitcher. Wood recorded over 200 strikeouts in four out of his first five seasons, with a high of 266 in 2003....
and other Cubs players in attendance. On August 3, 2007, one day after "All the Way" was premiered live, Vedder performed "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field for the fourth time and threw out the first pitch for the first time. Vedder's band, Pearl Jam, was in Chicago that week to perform at Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
, where the band was the headlining act for the three day festival that ended on August 5, 2007.
Boston Opera House (1980)
The Boston Opera House is a performing arts venue located at 538 Washington St. in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally built as a movie palace, it opened on October 29, 1928 and was rededicated in 1980 as a home for the Opera Company of Boston...
and ended in Chicago. The solo tour had originally begun in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at The Centre on April 2, 2008. This tour was Vedder's first solo tour.
Lyrics
The 3:39 song is in the folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
genre, and it is perceived as a sing-along sea chantey
Sea shanty
A shanty is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. Shanties became ubiquitous in the 19th century era of the wind-driven packet and clipper ships...
or drinking song
Drinking song
A drinking song is a song sung while drinking alcohol. Most drinking songs are folk songs, and may be varied from person to person and region to region, in both the lyrics and in the music...
. The lyrics to the song include lines such as "Our heroes wear pinstripes/Pinstripes in blue/Give us a chance to feel like heroes, too." The song makes references to Ernie Banks, Wrigley Field, and a specific reference to Banks' catch phrase
Catch phrase
A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...
of "Let's play two!" The refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
includes the phrase "Someday we'll go all the way, Yeah, someday we'll go all the way," which anticipates the day the Cubs win the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, gives the song its name.
Release and reception
Digital distribution
Online distribution, digital distribution, or electronic software distribution is the practice of delivering content without the use of physical media, typically by downloading via the internet directly to a consumer's device. Online distribution bypasses conventional physical distribution media,...
via Pearl Jam's official website for US$0.99. On approximately September 30, 2008, a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
version was made available for purchase at select stores in the Chicago area. A souvenir 45 single format version is also a possibility. The digital download and CD single have been released with an associated single cover art
Cover art
Cover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
image that is a modified version of the Wrigley Field outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
wall.
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip K. Wrigley
Philip Knight Wrigley , sometimes also called P.K. or Phil. Born in Chicago, he was an American chewing gum manufacturer and executive in Major League Baseball, inheriting both those roles as the quiet son of his much more flamboyant father, William Wrigley Jr. After his father died in 1932, Philip...
had employee Bill Veeck, Jr.
Bill Veeck
William Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
add ivy to the outfield walls of Wrigley Field in September 1937. Wrigley Field is the home stadium for the Chicago Cubs, and its wall is well-known for being covered in ivy
Ivy
Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...
except for a few select places where signs are present as well as doors to locker rooms and such. The brick is visible under the ivy at the stadium in locations where the signs designate the distance from the wall to home plate measured in feet. The cover art image replaces the distance with the words "All the Way".
By the time of the single release, local Chicago radio stations and sports bars had begun to play the song in anticipation of the 2008 Cubs'
2008 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 2008 season was the 136th season for the Chicago Cubs. It is considered one of their most impressive regular seasons in the entire history of the franchise. Despite 97 regular season wins—the most since 1945—they failed to make it past the first round of the playoffs, losing 3-0...
playoff run. The song is considered to be an earnest tribute to the Cubs. According to at least one source, the song is reminiscent of "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall
A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is a song written by Bob Dylan in the summer of 1962. It was first recorded in Columbia Records' Studio A on 6 December 1962 for his second album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. The lyric structure is based on the question and answer form of the traditional ballad "Lord...
" by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and much less upbeat than the song "Go, Cubs, Go
Go, Cubs, Go
"Go Cubs Go", "Go, Cubs, Go" or "Go, Cubs, Go!" is a song written by Steve Goodman in 1984. At various times the Goodman version of the song has been the official Chicago Cubs team song and the official Cubs victory song. The Goodman version of the song is now referred to as the official Chicago...
" by American folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer-songwriter Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
. The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
encourages listeners to compare the song to Goodman's "Go, Cubs, Go". Another source compares the song to American country-folk singer-songwriter John Prine
John Prine
John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
's 1974 song "Dear Abby" in terms of melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
and cadence
Cadence (music)
In Western musical theory, a cadence is, "a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of repose or resolution [finality or pause]." A harmonic cadence is a progression of two chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music...
as well as the theme
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
of Goodman's "A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request".
At The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
' November 20, 2008 concert at the Chicago Theatre
Chicago Theatre
The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban and Katz group of theaters run by A. J. Balaban, his brother...
, frontman Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
criticized Vedder and the song. Corgan stated, "If the Cubs did have a chance this last year that just passed, fuckin’ Eddie Vedder killed that shit dead. Last I checked Eddie ain’t living here, okay? Eddie ain’t living here to write a song about my fuckin’ team."