Modern Resurgence
The song has had a resurgence in tandem with the success of the 2007 and 2008 Chicago Cubs, who won consecutive National League Central Division regular season championships, and the May 2007 release of the biography of Steve Goodman, Steve Goodman: Facing the Music (ISBN 1-55022-732-7). In recent years, broadcasts on WGN-TV and CSN Chicago have begun delaying postgame commentary to enables viewers to hear Goodman's song and to watch fans at Wrigley listening and singing along. Cubs management decided to incorporate the song into the stadium experience following the team's annual winter conference (not to be confused with baseball's winter meetings) in which attendees dropped everything they were doing to sing along.
More recently, in the 2012 season, Chicago band The Fold used the lyric "Go Cubs Go" in their winning track for WGN Radio's 2012 Season, "Let's Go Cubbies".
In the first week of October 2007, it was the most popular folk music digital download on iTunes. With the Cubs in playoff contention for the first time in 3 years, the Cubs' victory tune, Go Cubs Go! became more popular among the fans. Due to the song's growing popularity, after wins at home, Cubs TV broadcasters Len Kasper and Bob Brenly would have their microphones shut off, while the camera pans around the stadium to view the jubilant fans singing Go Cubs Go! playing in the background. During that season, it was known as the unofficial Chicago Cubs victory song and it was played at Wrigley Field after each Cubs victory. There were 44 such victories during the 2007 regular season. On October 5, 2007, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn declared the day "Steve Goodman Day" throughout the state.
On August 1, 2008, WGN Radio and Vibes Media released a ringtone version of the song for purchase by text message for a cost of US$2.99. At that time it was described as the official Cubs victory song. Also in 2008, the song was included on the album Take Me Out To A Cubs Game which was subtitled "Music For The Cubs Fan". The album is a 17-song album with a total run time of 55 minutes and 35 seconds that includes the September 21, 1997 Harry Caray performance of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", which was his last. The album was produced in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Cubs 1908 World Series victory and contains sounds and songs of the Cubs and Wrigley Field. The album is an officially licensed Major League Baseball music CD. Neither of Goodman's other notable songs about the Cubs ("A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" or "When the Cubs Go Marching In") was included on the album.
Also in 2008, the song was released by Manic Sewing Circle. It was performed for the first time live on WGN-TV at the Skybox on Sheffield, located directly across from Wrigley Field on opening day 2008. Their cover version of the song was released with proceeds going to official charities of the Chicago Cubs and WGN-Radio: Cubs Care and Neediest Kids Fund. The Manic Sewing Circle version of the song is also available on iTunes by digital download, and they publicized this version throughout Chicago. Although the original Goodman version of the song is 2:51, the new Manic Sewing Circle version is only 2:23 long.
In September 2008, prompted by the Cubs' 2008 season and a piece by Mike Leonard on the NBC Today Show about Steve Goodman, Red Pajamas Records issued a 4-cut EP titled The Baseball Singles with Goodman's performances of "Go Cubs Go", "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request", "When The Cubs Go Marching In", and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".
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