FORMER NEW YORK YANKEE BERNIE

Williams details the touching arrangement of the classic baseball tune on his latest album, Moving Forward. —Matt Blackett

“I can’t really explain the specifics of the arrangement process, but I can tell you how I was feeling,” says Williams. “I was two years removed from the game, and it was one of those nights where I was feeling a little melancholic about not playing. I couldn’t sleep, so I went down to play guitar. For some reason, that song popped in my head, so I started playing the melody and I got the idea to superimpose different chords over those notes. It was dark, it was late, and I missed the game, and the chords I chose made for a very introspective version, like I was saying goodbye. I was thanking the game for all the great things that happened in my life because of it.”