“Chicago” (Sung to the tune of …. well …. “Chicago”)
Chicago – Chicago – that toddling town
Chicago – Chicago – I will show you around
I love it – bet your bottom dollar – you’ll lose – the blues in – Chicago – Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday – couldn’t shut down
On State Street – that great street – I just want to say
They do things – that they don’t do – on Broadway
They have the time – the time of their life
I saw a man – he danced with his wife in – Chicago – Chicago – my home town
Chicago – Chicago – that toddling town
Chicago – Chicago – I’ll show you around
I love it – bet your bottom dollar – you’ll lose – the blues – in Chicago – Chicago
The town that Billy Sunday – could not shut down
On State Street – that great street – I just want to say
They do things – that they never do – on Broadway – say
They have the time – the time of their life
I saw a man – and he danced with his wife – in Chicago
Chicago – Chicago – my – home – town
“The Ballad of Billy Sunday” to these ancient ears always has been the great Frank Sinatra version of “Chicago” by Writer(s): Nowak, Fisher, Roy Hawkins, Lorenz Hart, Samuel L. Nestico, Rick R. Darnell, Sammy Cahn, Francois Joseph Charles Salabert, Fred Fisher and Richard Rodgers. – Some of their names read immediately like a membership list from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The others live on more anonymously in their endless ride with the famous on the way from here to eternity.
In case you want more. ….
The Frank Sinatra You-Tube version of “Chicago” —->
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoKn7vkSMBc
The Evangelical Life of Billy Sunday —->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Sunday
The Baseball Record of Billy Sunday —->
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sundabi01.shtml
The Pecan Park Eagle again wishes to thank the Brothers Blair, Robert and Daryl, for their contribution of the card image that inspired the happy creation of this fun-to-put-together memoir of another great character from the early history of baseball, the dead ball era predecessor or even a possible inspiration for a later born fictional character named “Elmer Gantry”, The Reverend Billy Sunday.
Tags: Remembering Billy Sunday
The Pecan Park Eagle 
February 26, 2015 at 4:41 am |
By strange coincidence, I just purchased (at what I think was a steal) a signed copy of The Real Billy Sunday (1914) somewhat water damaged, it is still readable, physically and as a biography.
* * *
From pages 40-41 –
Every morning the White Stocking boys went to the Ball Park for practice. After his conversion Sunday went to the Park expecting to be greeted with ridicule, because of the stand he had taken for Christ. In one of his sermons he thus tells what happened.
“I shall never forget it! I slipped my key into the wicket, and the first to meet me after I got inside was Mike Kelly. He came up, and in a most cordial and brotherly manner said:
“‘Bill, I’m proud of you. Religion ain’t my long suit, but I’ll help you all I can.’
“Up came Anson, the best ball player ever in the game; and after him Pfeffer, Clarkson, Flint, Jimmy McCormick, Burns, Williamson and Dalrymple. There wasn’t a fellow in that team who knocked; but every one had a word of encouragement for me.
* * *
Sunday’s influence and showman style really can’t be understated.
He includes three sermons at the end of the book. Two are unremarkable, but one of the three is something that could be preached effectively in any Christian pulpit.
Sumner
Postscript – His conversion happened at Pacific Garden Mission, which is *still* going strong.