The North Side of Chicago is a weird place. It’s a neighborhood where grown men wear pinstriped pajamas in public and people unironically eat hot dogs topped with a salad’s worth of vegetables but zero ketchup. But mostly, it’s the home of a song that somehow bridges the gap between a folk jingle and a religious hymn. If you’ve spent five minutes near Clark and Addison after a win, you’ve heard it. You've probably even screamed it until your throat felt like sandpaper. The lyrics Go Cubs Go are etched into the DNA of the city, but the story behind those words is way more interesting than just a catchy chorus.
It wasn't always a victory anthem. Honestly, for a long time, it was just a radio jingle.
Steve Goodman wrote it in 1984. He was a folk legend, a die-hard fan, and—tragically—he was dying of leukemia when he penned it. He didn't write it to be a stadium-shaking masterpiece. He wrote it because WGN Radio wanted something to play during the broadcasts. It’s upbeat. It’s relentlessly positive. In 1984, that was a big deal because the Cubs were actually good for a change. They won the division that year, but Goodman never got to see them play in the postseason; he passed away just days before the playoffs began.
The Weird Persistence of Lyrics Go Cubs Go
Most sports songs are aggressive. They talk about crushing the enemy or being the best. Think about "We Will Rock You" or "Thunderstruck." They’re designed to intimidate. But the lyrics Go Cubs Go are the exact opposite. They are wholesome. They are almost childlike in their simplicity.
Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today.
That’s the hook. It’s a question and an answer. It’s a conversation between the fan and the city. Steve Goodman was a genius because he captured the specific, delusional optimism that defines Cubs fans. We go into every season thinking "this is the year," even when the roster looks like a disaster. The song mirrors that feeling perfectly. It doesn’t demand a win; it predicts one with a shrug and a smile.
For years, the song sort of drifted. It wasn't the "official" post-game song for a long time. In the 90s, you’d hear it here and there, but it didn't have that mandatory, ritualistic feel it has now. That changed in the mid-2000s. The team started leaning into the nostalgia. They realized that fans didn't just want a baseball game; they wanted an experience that felt like their childhood. By 2007, the tradition was solidified. If the Cubs win, the song plays. If they lose, you get silence and the slow trek to the Red Line.
Breaking Down the Verse Structure
People usually only know the chorus, but the verses are where the real Chicago flavor sits.
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"They got the power, they got the speed / To be the best in the National League."
It’s almost funny how dated that sounds. Modern baseball is all about launch angles and exit velocity, but Goodman’s lyrics are rooted in that 1980s "whiteyball" style of play. Base running. Hustle. The fundamentals. Then there’s the line about "the field of 60,000," which is a bit of poetic license since Wrigley Field’s capacity has never actually been that high. It tops out closer to 41,000. But in the moment? When the sun is setting over the rooftops and the beer is flowing? It feels like 60,000. It feels like a million.
The song mentions WGN by name in the original version, too. "You can hear it all on WGN." That's a relic of a time when the Cubs were "The Superstation" team. You could be in a trailer park in Idaho or a high-rise in Florida and watch the Cubs every single day because of that broadcast reach. That’s how the Cubs became "America’s Team" alongside the Braves. The song helped cement that national identity.
Why Does a Folk Song Rank as a Top Sports Anthem?
If you look at "Rocky Top" for Tennessee or "Jump Around" for Wisconsin, they have a certain energy. They’re high-octane. Lyrics Go Cubs Go are different because they are narrative. They tell a story about a fan coming to the ballpark.
"Baseball time is here again / You can catch it all on WGN / So put your reading gown away / And let's go out to the ball ballgame."
Wait—reading gown? Who wears a reading gown? It’s such a specific, old-school Steve Goodman line. It’s quirky. It’s slightly dorky. And that is the essence of being a Cubs fan. We aren't the cool kids. We aren't the Yankees with their pinstripes and their 27 rings (at least we weren't for a century). We are the "Loveable Losers." Or we were. The song survived the transition from "losers" to "World Series Champions" in 2016, and that was the ultimate test.
When the Cubs finally won it all in 2016, the song shifted. It wasn't just a hopeful jingle anymore. It became a victory lap. Hearing five million people sing those lyrics at the victory rally in Grant Park—the largest gathering of humans in the Western Hemisphere at the time—changed the context forever. It went from a "maybe today" song to a "we finally did it" song.
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The Musicality of the Anthem
Musically, it’s a simple C-F-G chord progression. Anyone with three days of guitar practice can play it. This is crucial for its success. It’s "sing-along-able." You don't need a great voice. You just need to be able to shout.
It’s got that "oom-pah" rhythm. It’s essentially a polka masked as a folk song. Chicago has deep Polish roots, and that rhythmic structure resonates in the city’s bones. It feels like a street festival. It feels like a backyard BBQ in Logan Square.
- The song starts with a clean acoustic strum.
- The drums kick in with a simple backbeat.
- The horns add that "big band" flair that screams old-school Chicago.
- The choir of fans provides the "Go Cubs Go" shout.
It’s built for crowd participation. Even the "Hey Chicago, what do you say?" part is a call-and-response. It’s designed to make you feel like part of the team.
Controversies and Criticisms (Yes, Really)
Not everyone loves it. Some older fans find it a bit "Mickey Mouse." They prefer the grit of the 1969 team or the hard-nosed era of the 1900s. There’s a segment of the fan base that thinks the song is too soft. They want something more intimidating.
There was actually a brief period where the team tried to move away from it. It didn't work. The fans revolted. It turns out, when you’ve spent decades losing, you cling to the things that make you feel good. The lyrics Go Cubs Go are a comfort blanket.
There's also the "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request," which is Goodman's other famous Cubs song. That one is cynical, hilarious, and heartbreaking. It’s about a guy who wants his ashes scattered over Wrigley Field so he can finally see a winning team. For a long time, that was the "truer" song for the franchise. But as the team modernized, they needed the optimism of "Go Cubs Go" to sell the new era.
How to Experience the Song Like a Local
If you're heading to Wrigley, don't just stand there when they win. You have to participate. But there's an etiquette to it.
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First off, you don't sing it until the final out is recorded. Singing it in the 8th inning is a massive jinx. Don't be that person. Second, you have to point toward the field during the "Go Cubs Go" parts. It’s a directive. You’re telling the team to keep going.
The best place to hear it isn't actually inside the stadium. It's on the corner of Waveland and Sheffield. You hear the roar of the crowd, and then, a second later, the speakers kick in. The sound bounces off the brick walls and the rooftops. It’s an echo chamber of pure joy. Even the guys selling "Cubbies" shirts on the sidewalk stop to hum along.
Why It Matters for SEO and Culture
When people search for lyrics Go Cubs Go, they aren't just looking for words. They’re looking for a connection to a specific moment. Maybe they were there in 2016. Maybe their grandpa used to hum it. In 2026, as the team goes through another cycle of rebuilding and competing, the song is the one constant. Players change. Managers get fired. The ivy on the walls turns from green to brown and back again. But the song stays.
It’s a masterclass in branding, even if Goodman didn't intend it to be. It’s a sonic logo. It’s as recognizable as the red marquee or the "W" flag.
Actionable Steps for the Ultimate Fan Experience
If you want to dive deeper into the lore of the song or use it to enhance your next game day, here’s what you actually do.
- Learn the Second Verse: Everyone knows the chorus. If you can belt out the lines about the "reading gown" and the "National League," you’ll earn instant respect from the bleacher bums.
- Check out Steve Goodman’s Discography: Don't just stop at the anthem. Listen to "City of New Orleans." The man was a songwriting titan who happened to love a mediocre baseball team. Understanding his folk roots makes the anthem feel less like a corporate jingle and more like a gift to the city.
- Wait for the "W": Download a high-quality version of the song for your post-game tailgate. There’s a specific 1984 recording that has the authentic horn section sounds—that’s the one you want.
- Visit the Statue: Go to Wrigley and find the statues, but also take a moment to look at the tributes to the broadcasters like Harry Caray. The song is part of that same broadcast legacy.
- Watch the 2016 Parade Footage: If you ever doubt the power of these lyrics, watch the footage of the crowds singing it. It’s the closest thing to a collective spiritual experience you’ll find in sports.
The lyrics Go Cubs Go aren't just about baseball. They’re about the stubborn, beautiful hope that defines Chicago. It’s about the idea that no matter how bad things got yesterday, today might be the day we finally win. And even if we don't, we’ll be back tomorrow to sing it again.