It’s a staple of Lowell Park. It rings over the speaker system before every game and after every win. A tune about the Kettleers, baseball and Cotuit. But what is this song and how did it come to be?
The song title is “Hey, Hey, Cotuit,” and the idea for a theme song came from coach Mike Roberts. When Roberts worked with the Chicago Cubs, he loved hearing “Go, Cubs, Go” after every home win and wanted something similar in Cotuit.
“It really comes out of tradition,” Roberts said. “We wanted to add a tradition that our fans and players could enjoy.”
Roberts started writing the lyrics in 2014 but had trouble making the ideas into a song. He enlisted the help of Michael O’Connell, a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State at the time, who went to the same church as Roberts in Durham, North Carolina. Roberts invited Michael over to his house to finish the lyrics, where Michael brought in his brother Ryan, a composer based in Hollywood, to help.
“[Michael and Ryan] began to research, and I gave them information about the village of Cotuit,” Roberts said. “They continued to mold it into some baseball stuff, some coaching, spin, signals, the COOP, the skiffs, no lights, and they molded it into beautiful lyrics.”
Ryan has done work with artists such as Bette Midler and Michael Bublé and co-wrote music for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland. He and Michael wrote the music for “Hey, Hey, Cotuit,” emulating the upbeat melody of “Go, Cubs, Go.”
“I wanted something that our fans of all ages could enjoy,” Roberts said. “From children to 80 year olds, and I thought [Michael and Ryan] did magnificently.”
Roberts said the song’s reception has been positive from players and fans.
“Some people might say it’s corny,” Roberts said. “But I think when they really listen to the lyrics and how it fits this gorgeous village, this gorgeous ballpark and this gorgeous team, I think you throw away the corny and say, ‘Wow, I mean, this is really good music.’”
Putting the lyrics on the screen is in the works, according to Roberts, as fans often don’t know the words to the song. He hopes that fans can sing along to “Hey, Hey, Cotuit” similarly to how fans sing “Go, Cubs, Go” at Wrigley Field. If you would like to practice singing to be prepared for the next Kettleers home game, “Hey, Hey, Cotuit” is available on SoundCloud and the lyrics are below.
[Verse 1]
Summer baseball’s underway
People get ready for a brand new day
So grab your hat and grab your glove
We got to cheer for the team we love
The ball’s racing down the line
Come on coach, give him a sign
The runner’s waiting, he’s ready to steal
The Kettleers are gonna seal the deal
[Chorus]
Hey, Cotuit! Hey, hey Cotuit!
We all know that the boys can do it
Hey, Cotuit! Hey, hey Cotuit!
We all know that the boys can do it
Playing baseball the Cape Cod way
Kettleers are gonna win today
[Verse 2]
So dock your skiff and take a walk
Past the COOP, it’s five o’clock
Head on down to Lowell Park
We’ll keep on playing ‘til it gets dark
But first we’ve got a game to win
Give that pitch plenty of spin
Let’s go boys, let’s get it done
We want to see a Cotuit home run
[Chorus]
Hey, Cotuit! Hey, hey Cotuit!
We all know that the boys can do it
Hey, Cotuit! Hey, hey Cotuit!
We all know that the boys can do it
Playing baseball the Cape Cod way
Kettleers are gonna win today
