I Thought About You
Ella Fitzgerald Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I took a trip on a train, and I thought about you
I passed a shadowy lane, and I thought about you
Two or three cars parked under the stars, a windin' stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, the same old dream
And every stop that we made, oh I thought about you
And when I pulled down the shade, then I really felt blue
I peaked through the crack and looked at the track
The one goin' back to you, and what did I do?
I thought about you

There were two or three cars parked under the stars, a windin' stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam, the same old dream

And then I peaked through the crack and I looked at that track




The one goin' back to you, and what did I do?
I thought about you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ella Fitzgerald's "I Thought About You" express feelings of nostalgia, longing and sadness as the singer recounts a trip she took on a train and recalls memories of someone she once loved. The song begins with the singer thinking about this person and how they would have enjoyed the train ride. The shadowy lane that she passes is a metaphor for the uncertainty and darkness of her thoughts about this person. As the train passes a little town, the moon shining down on it reminds her of her recurring dream about this person.


As the train makes each stop, the singer thinks about the person even more, and when she pulls down the shade to rest, she feels blue and sad. She looks out of the window and sees the tracks going back to the person she's thinking about, which makes her realize how desperately she misses them. The repetition of "And what did I do? I thought about you" reinforces the idea that the singer is unable to let go of her memories and is consumed by her feelings for this person.


Overall, "I Thought About You" is a poignant and melancholic love song that captures the bittersweet experience of memories and a longing for someone who is no longer present.


Line by Line Meaning

I took a trip on a train, and I thought about you
Reflecting on our memories, I thought about you as I took a train ride


I passed a shadowy lane, and I thought about you
As I passed the dark street, I remembered you


Two or three cars parked under the stars, a windin' stream
Under the shining stars, there were some cars parked beside a winding stream


Moon shining down on some little town, And with each beam, the same old dream
The moonlight illuminated a small town with the same old dream with each beam of light


And every stop that we made, oh I thought about you
At every stop I made on my journey, I thought about you


And when I pulled down the shade, then I really felt blue
When I closed the window and the shade, I felt very sad


I peaked through the crack and looked at the track, The one goin' back to you, and what did I do?
I took a glance through the crevice at the track leading back to you and what did I do?


I thought about you
I recollected our life's moments and thought about you




Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Van Heusen, Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@maryorji5380

Seems that I read or somebody said
That out of sight is out of mind
Maybe that's so but I tried to go
And leave you behind
What did I find?

I took a trip on a train
And I thought about you
I passed a shadowy lane
And I thought about you

Two or three cars parked under the stars
A winding stream
Moon shining down on some little town
And with each beam
Same old dream

At every stop that we made
Oh I thought about you
But when I pulled down the shade
Then I really felt blue

I peeked through the crack and looked at the track
The one going back to you and what did I do?
I leave it to you
Oh what did I do?
I thought about you



All comments from YouTube:

@ginamarie6977

Gorgeous. Stunning. She set the standard. I learn something new about singing every time I hear her. Thank you, Miss Fitzgerald.

@4bigdawgs4

Such a great voice!  She will be forever remembered.  I was fortunate enough to meet her years ago.  She was a very sweet, nice individual.  She truly was the "total" package!

@phillipprimrose8981

4bigdawgs4 Wow...You got to meet Ella Fitzgerald nice... and  yes I agree she was the total package!

@albertkaprielian7606

I never got to meet her but I was lucky enough to catch her in concert in Toronto. Such an amazing voice and I agree she seemed to be quite a sweet and down to earth person.

@noahandrewsandrews7830

How did she die

@sallymj8957

Ella is the Queen of Song. What a voice! And I love this simple yet heartfelt song. Love the lyrics. This song is a ride on a train itself. It starts in one place emotionally and travels to another very different place. W and her man had a fight, they took some time apart with a change of scenery, and came back together. Sounds like good therapy to me!

@jamesjordan5214

Ella is among my favorite singers, strong on emotion and pathos in her lovely ballads. She is gone, but here we are listening to her. Thank you Ella for all those wonderful songs.

@miss30427

I have sadness for those that gave Ella Fitzgerald a thumps down for her rendition of this classic. All other singers and renditions are secondary covers of her masterpiece.

@iside42

Just sublime...and thinking about Ella always makes me feel warm inside

@IvyB07

Just amazing..amazing !! Her voice was so darn gorgeous!

More Comments

More Versions