Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball

Words and music by Woodrow Buddy Johnson, June 1949
 

Excerpt*

Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball?
It went zoom in cross the left field wall.
Yeah boy, yes, yes. Jackie hit that ball.

And when he swung his bat,
the crowd went wild,
because he knocked that ball a solid mile.
Yeah boy, yes, yes. Jackie hit that ball.
Satchel Page [i.e., Paige] is mellow,

So is Campanella,
Newcombe and Doby, too.
But it's a natural fact,
when Jackie comes to bat,
the other team is through.

Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball?
Did he hit it boy, and that ain't all.
He stole home.
Yes, yes, Jackie's real gone.

 

This excerpt is from the original recording by the Buddy Johnson Orchestra  that rose to No. 13 on the national charts in the summer of 1949,

Count Basie also recorded a version with a vocal by Taps Miller.  That version has become the standard more commonly heard today.

 

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