Bryson Stott walk-up song: How ‘A-O-K’ by Tai Verdes became a Phillies singalong tradition

When Tai Verdes released the song “A-O-K” in 2021, he probably didn’t imagine that it would become the unofficial anthem of a Phillies infielder.

Throughout the 2023 MLB playoffs, Philadelphia second baseman Bryson Stott’s trot to the plate has served as the signal for the Citizens Bank Park faithful to start singing. The earworm has taken on a life of its own and even caught the attention of the Phillies’ opponents. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen called “A-O-K” the “best walk-up song in baseball.”

“He gives the people what they want with that song,” Hazen said.

How did the “A-O-K” tradition start? And what does Verdes think about Stott playing the song before his at-bats?

MORE: How ‘Dancing on My Own’ became Phillies’ postseason anthem

Bryson Stott’s walk-up song ‘A-O-K’, explained

Stott has been using “A-O-K” since he made his MLB debut in April 2022. There wasn’t any particular reason why he chose the catchy tune. As he told MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, “I just liked the song.”

Well, it turns out that Phillies fans like it, too.

The echoes of “A-O-K” have only gotten louder as the season has progressed, culminating with an explosion when Stott hit a grand slam during Game 2 of Philadelphia’s National League wild card series matchup with Miami.

“It’s really cool, kind of locks me in,” Stott said when Morosi asked him about the crowd singing along with Verdes. “You almost can’t even hear the actual song. It’s just everybody else singing it, so it’s pretty cool. I love it.”

Tai Verdes’ reaction to Bryson Stott’s walk-up song

Verdes fully supports Stott’s use of “A-O-K,” calling the combination of the walk-up song and grand slam a “beautiful moment.” He also joked that he may have given Stott “some superpowers.”

“I’ve been all over the world performing that song and to see in the stadium, I mean, it’s where it belongs,” Verdes told MLB.com’s Matt Monagan. “It’s what it was meant to do. That pitcher had no chance. No chance.”

The 27-year-old said that he loves seeing thousands of people “vibrating on the same wavelength.” The tradition reminds him of the chants often heard at soccer stadiums.

“Baseball bringing that in, and especially with my music, having it be a little bit unorthodox — it’s a little bit like ‘Sweet Caroline,'” Verdes told Monagan. “The whole game stops because there’s like this ‘if you know, you know’ moment happening for a team.”

Lyrics for ‘A-O-K’ by Tai Verdes

Here are the lyrics for the chorus of “A-O-K”:

Living in this big blue worldWith my head up in outer spaceI know I’ll be a-o a-o-kI know I’ll be a-o a-o-kWhen I see trouble come my wayI’ll be making lemonadeI know I’ll be a-o a-o-kI know I’ll be a-o a-o-k

(Note: Explicit language in the clip below.)