Go Cubs Go Song

Lore & Background

Goodman was a lifelong Cubs fan. The song was written at the request of WGN/720, the Cubs' radio broadcast partner. Goodman had previously recorded "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" in 1981, which was banned from Wrigley Field. WGN Program Director Dan Fabian requested the new song after being motivated by Cubs manager Dallas Green's effort to change team spirit. "Go, Cubs, Go" was recorded at the Chicago Recording Company with several team members participating in the chorus. It first became popular during 1984 when the Cubs won the National League East Division Championship. Goodman died from leukemia four days before the Cubs clinched the division title. In the next three years, 60,000 copies were sold with proceeds going to charity.

In Their Own Story

The seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field fades into memory as the bases load with two outs. The air is thick with humidity and anticipation. Suddenly, a single voice rises from the bleachers, quickly joined by hundreds, then thousands. "GO CUBS GO!" echoes off the ivy-covered brick walls, vibrating through the soles of cleats on the grass. The pitcher nods, sensing the shift in energy, as the crowd's unified roar swells into a deafening crescendo that seems to push the ball toward the glove.

Reader's Guide

The song is played after every Cubs home win at Wrigley Field. During the 2007 season, Cubs TV broadcasters Len Kasper and Bob Brenly would have their microphones shut off while the camera panned around the stadium as fans sang along. The song has been included on the 1994 Steve Goodman anthology album No Big Surprise: Anthology and the 2008 album Take Me Out To A Cubs Game. A ringtone version was released on August 1, 2008. The Manic Sewing Circle cover version (2:23) is a ska-punk rendition, unlike the original folk version (2:51). Several Cubs minor league affiliates also use the song, including the Tennessee Smokies and Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Did You Know?

• The song was written by Steve Goodman in 1984 at the request of WGN/720, the Cubs' radio broadcast partner.
• Goodman died from leukemia four days before the Cubs clinched the 1984 division title.
• The song peaked at number 3 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart in October 2016 during the postseason.
• An alternate 2008 version by Manic Sewing Circle is a ska-punk cover, released with proceeds going to Cubs Care and Neediest Kids Fund.
• The cast of the musical Hamilton in Chicago sang a rendition on November 3, 2016, and Cubs players performed it on Saturday Night Live on November 5, 2016.