Tessie
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"Tessie" is the title of a Broadway song, as well as another song about how the singing of "Tessie" helped the Boston Red Sox win the first World Series in 1903. The name Tessie itself is a diminutive form used with several names, including Esther, Tess, and Theresa.
[edit] Broadway & Royal Rooters version
The original version of "Tessie (You Are the Only, Only, Only)" was written by Will R. Anderson and was featured in the Broadway musical The Silver Slipper[1], which ran for 160 performances between October 27, 1902 and March 14, 1903. The song was about a woman singing to her beloved parakeet "Tessie".
While a popular tune, the song gained greater notoriety when it was adopted as a rallying cry by the Royal Rooters, a collection of loyal Southie fans led by Michael T. McGreevy, or Michael "Nuff Said" McGreevy, owner of the 3rd Base saloon. (McGreevy earned his nickname "'Nuff Said" due to the way he kept peace in his bar; when he grew frustrated with arguments over the Red Sox and the Boston Braves, he would pound his hand on the bar and declare "Nuff Said!") Boston Mayor John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, grandfather of President John F. Kennedy, was another member of the Royal Rooters.
After the first four games of the 1903 World Series, Boston was down 1-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. (It was a best of 9 series; 5 wins were needed to win the series.) The Royal Rooters began rallying their team with every song they could think of; ultimately "Tessie" helped win the day. Pittsburgh outfielder Tommy Leach credited at least part of Boston's win to "that damn 'Tessie' song." He continued: "It was a real hum-dinger of a song, but it sort of got on your nerves after a while." (Boston won Game 5 and went on to win Games 6, 7, and 8 to win the series 5–3; however, Boston only won two out of four at home and three of four at Pittsburgh, so the true impact of their home-town fans' song is uncertain.)
The chorus to the original "Tessie" goes:
Tessie, you make me feel so badly.
Why don't you turn around?
Tessie, you know I love you madly.
Babe, my heart weighs about a pound.
Don't blame me if I ever doubt you,
You know I wouldn't live without you.
Tessie, you are the only, only, only.
The fans began inventing their own lyrics to taunt the Pittsburgh players, such as
Honus, why do you hit so badly?
etc.
The Rooters stopped singing in 1918. The Red Sox won the World Series in 1918 but then endured an 86-year drought before winning again in 2004, the same year a re-release of "Tessie" was issued by the Dropkick Murphys.
[edit] Dropkick Murphys version
In 2004, the Boston-area punk rock group Dropkick Murphys recorded a cover of "Tessie," released on a five-cut CD single of the same name (and also featured as the bonus track on their June, 2005 release, "The Warrior's Code"). The Murphys said it was their intent to "bring back the spirit of the Rooters and to put the Red Sox back on top." Oddly enough, the goal of the Murphys was realized when later that year the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years.
The second "Tessie" — which featured backing vocals from Red Sox players Johnny Damon, Bronson Arroyo, and Lenny DiNardo, Red Sox Vice President of Public Affairs Dr. Charles Steinberg; and Boston Herald sportswriter Jeff Horrigan (who co-wrote the new lyrics with the Murphys) — has become a theme song for the Red Sox and tells the story of how the Royal Rooters stormed the park one time when they found the game was already sold out:
The Rooters showed up at the grounds one day
Found their seats had all been sold
McGreevy led the charge into the park
Stormed the gates and put the game on hold
The chorus to the Dropkick Murphys' version of "Tessie" goes:
"Tessie, 'nuff said" McGreevy shouted
We're not here to mess around
Boston, you know we love you madly
Hear the crowd roar to your sound
Don't blame us if we ever doubt you
You know we couldn't live without you
Tessie, you are the only, only, only
The song is featured in the soundtrack to the 2005 movie, Fever Pitch, and is the song used in the closing credits to the VHS and DVD review of the 2004 World Series, a video that was produced by Major League Baseball Productions. The video game MVP Baseball 2005 features the song.
In addition to the straight version of "Tessie," the CD single includes "The Fields of Athenry," "Nut Rocker" (the instrumental rock version of The Nutcracker's overture, which later inspired The Ventures' similar work named 'Nutty', which itself is closely identified with the Boston Bruins pro ice hockey team), "The Burden" as performed live on WBCN, "Tessie (Old Timey Baseball Version)" in which the song is accompanied primarily by a ballpark organ, as well as a music video for "Tessie." Proceeds from the sale of the CD went to benefit the Red Sox Foundation.
Tessie is one of three songs played after every Red Sox victory at Fenway Park, the first being Dirty Water by The Standells. The third being Joy To The World by Three Dog Night.
The Dropkicks tell this version of the story in the liner notes for The Warrior's Code:
We recorded this song in June 2004 and after giving it to the Red Sox told anyone that would listen that this song would guarantee a World Series victory. Obviously no one listened to us or took us seriously. We were three outs away from elimination in game 4 at the hands of the Yankees and receiving death threats from friends, family, & strangers telling us to stay away from the Red Sox and any other Boston sports team and get out of town. Luckily for us things turned around for the Red Sox and the rest is history.
