In 1928 (on his 25th birthday) Hines began leading his own big band. For over 10 years his was "The Band" in Al Capone's Grand Terrace Cafe — Hines was Capone's "Mr Piano Man". Hines recorded for Victor in 1929, then after a gap for Brunswick from 1932-1934, Decca from 1934-1935, then after another gap, Vocalion from 1937-1938 and Bluebird from 1939-1942 (nearly all among the best Black Jazz of the era). From the Grand Terrace, The Earl Hines Orchestra (or "Organization" as he more happily referred to it) broadcast on "open mikes", sometimes five nights a week and over many years, coast to coast across America — Chicago being well placed to deal with the U.S. live-broadcasting time-zone problem. Hines's band became the most broadcast band in America. Sometimes Nat "King" Cole was Hines's relief pianist (though Cliff Smalls was his favorite) and it was here with Hines that Charlie Parker got his first professional job...until he was fired for his time-keeping — by which Hines meant Parker's inability to show up on time despite Parker resorting to sleeping under the Grand Terrace stage in his attempts to do so. Hines led his big band until 1947, taking time out to front the Duke Ellington orchestra in 1944 while Duke was ill...but the big-band era was over. (Thirty years later, Hines's 20 solo "transformative versions" of his "Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington" recorded in the 1970s were described by Ben Ratliff in the "New York Times" as "as good an example of the jazz process as anything out there".)
At the start of 1949 Hines rejoined Armstrong in the latter's "All Stars" "small band", where Hines stayed through 1951. He then led his own small combo around the States and Europe. At the start of the jazz-lean 1960s he settled in Oakland, California, opened a tobacconist's, and came close to giving up the profession. Then, in 1964 Hines was "suddenly rediscovered" following a series of concerts in New York. He was the 1965 "Critics' Choice" for Down Beat Magazine's "Hall of Fame". From then till he died he recorded endlessly both solo and with jazz notables like Cat Anderson, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Greer, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Budd Johnson, Jimmy Rushing, Stuff Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Venuti and Ben Webster. Possibly more surprising were Elvin Jones, Peggy Lee, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington — and Ry Cooder. But his most acclaimed recordings of this period were his dazzling and endlessly inventive solo performances, which could show him at his very best, "a whole orchestra by himself".[12] Solo tributes to Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin were all put on record in the 1970s. Hines also toured Europe again regularly at this time, and added Asia, Australia and the Soviet Union to his list of State Department–funded destinations. At the top of his form, Hines also displayed his endearing quirks (not to say grunts) in these performances. Sometimes he sang as he played, especially his own "They Never Believed I Could Do It - Neither Did I". In 1975 he made an hour-long "solo" film for British TV out-of-hours in a Washington nightclub: the "New York Herald Tribune" described it as "The greatest jazz-film ever made". He played solo in The White House and played solo for the Pope — and played (and sang) his last job a few days before he died in Oakland, quite likely somewhat older than he had always maintained.
Take the A Train
Earl Hines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
If you miss the "A" train
You`ll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem
Hurry, get on, now it`s coming
Listen to those rails a-thrumming
All aboard, get on the "A" train
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem
The lyrics of Earl Hines's song "Take the A Train" describe a journey from an unspecified location to the Sugar Hill neighborhood in Harlem. The song encourages listeners to take the "A" train as it is the quickest way to reach Sugar Hill, and the opening line of the song establishes that this is the only way to get there. The urgency of not missing the train is emphasized in the second line, with the implication that if you do miss it, you'll have to take a longer route to reach your destination.
The song's lyrics also create a sense of excitement and anticipation for the journey. The use of onomatopoeia in the line "Listen to those rails a-thrumming" gives the impression of the train hurtling down the tracks at high speed. The repeated exhortation to "hurry" and "get on" the train further emphasizes the sense of urgency and excitement.
Overall, the lyrics of "Take the A Train" create a mood of anticipation and urgency, and encourage listeners to join in the journey to Sugar Hill in Harlem.
Line by Line Meaning
You must take the "A" train
To reach Sugar Hill in Harlem, the most efficient mode of transportation is by taking the "A" train.
To go to Sugar Hill way up in Harlem
To get to the elevated neighborhood of Sugar Hill located in Harlem.
If you miss the "A" train
In the event of missing the "A" train, you will discover that the fastest path to Harlem is gone.
You`ll find you missed the quickest way to Harlem
You'll come to the realization that the most efficient way to arrive in Harlem has been missed.
Hurry, get on, now it`s coming
Quick, make haste and climb on board, the train is quickly arriving.
Listen to those rails a-thrumming
Take a moment to take in the sound of the train tracks reverberating.
All aboard, get on the "A" train
Everyone should board the "A" train now.
Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem
In no time, the train will transport you to the community of Sugar Hill in Harlem.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Billy Strayhorn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind