“Take the ‘A’ Train” written by Billy Strayhorn was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra. First recorded in January 1941, the title refers to a subway service in NYC that ran from Brooklyn to Harlem on an express track.
Take the A Train
Jul 3, 2013
Excellent song. Did it have anything to do with the war?
“Take the ‘A’ Train” was composed in 1939, after Ellington offered Billy Strayhorn a job in his organization and gave him money to travel from Pittsburgh to New York City. Ellington wrote directions for Strayhorn to get to his house by subway, directions that began, “Take the A Train” – a relatively new subway service that ran through New York City, going from eastern Brooklyn up into Harlem and northern Manhattan.