Harry Warren (December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American compo… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Warren (December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and lyricist. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway", "You'll Never Know" and "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe". He wrote the music for the first blockbuster film musical, 42nd Street, directed and choreographed by Busby Berkeley, with whom he would collaborate on many musical films.

Over a career spanning four decades, Warren wrote over 800 songs. Other well-known Warren hits included "I Only Have Eyes for You", "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", "Jeepers Creepers", "The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)", "That's Amore" and "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (the last of which was the first gold record in history). One of America's most prolific film composers, Warren's songs have been featured in over 300 films.

Chattanooga Choo Choo
Harry Warren Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?
Track twenty nine, boy you can gimme a shine
I can afford to board a Chattanooga Choo Choo
I've got my fare and just a trifle to spare

You leave the Pennsylvania station 'bout a quarter to four
Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore
Dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer

Than to have your ham 'n' eggs in Carolina

When you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar
Then you know that Tennessee is not very far
Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep it rollin'
Woo, woo, Chattanooga, there you are

There's gonna be a certain party at the station

Satin and lace, I used to call funny face
She's gonna cry until I tell her that I'll never roam

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harry Warren's Chattanooga Choo Choo paint the picture of a man eager to ride on a train to Chattanooga. The song invites listeners to an adventurous trip highlighting the joy of travel and the excitement of the destination. The song's first section shows the first-person narrator asking a uniformed boy for directions to an awaited train. He mentions having his fare and a bit more money to board the train, exemplifying his readiness to travel.

The second section of the song describes the train's journey, from leaving the Pennsylvania station to arriving at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Along the way, the singer talks about reading the magazine and the joy of eating ham and eggs in Carolina. He talks about how the whistle's blow indicates they are not far from Tennessee, and the coal should be shoveled in to keep the train moving.

Finally, the song's last section gives the listener insight into the singer's motivation for the trip. He mentions that there will be a party at the station, and he plans to meet a lady who he used to call "funny face." He leaves no room to guess as to his intentions with this lady as he assures her that he will never leave her.

Line by Line Meaning

Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?
Excuse me, train attendent, is that the train to Chattanooga?

Track twenty nine, boy you can gimme a shine
I am at the correct platform already and would like a shoe shine.

I can afford to board a Chattanooga Choo Choo
I have enough money to purchase a train ticket and ride the Chattanooga train.

I've got my fare and just a trifle to spare
I have my train ticket and a small amount of extra money.

You leave the Pennsylvania station 'bout a quarter to four
The train departs from Pennsylvania Station at approximately 3:45.

Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore
During the journey, one can read a magazine and before long, arrive in Baltimore.

Dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer
Eating dinner in the train's dining car is a delightful experience.

Than to have your ham 'n' eggs in Carolina
There is no better place than Carolina to enjoy some ham and eggs during dinner on the train.

When you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar
The sound of the train whistle blowing eight times means that Tennessee is not far away.

Then you know that Tennessee is not very far
When you hear the whistle blowing eight times, it is a sign that the train will soon arrive in Tennessee.

Shovel all the coal in, gotta keep it rollin'
The train needs to keep moving and the coal needs to be continuously shoveled into the engine to keep it going.

Woo, woo, Chattanooga, there you are
The train has finally arrived in Chattanooga and the passengers can now disembark.

There's gonna be a certain party at the station
There is a particular celebration taking place at the train station.

Satin and lace, I used to call funny face
The person the singer is addressing used to be called 'funny face' and is now wearing satin and lace attire.

She's gonna cry until I tell her that I'll never roam
The person the singer is addressing will cry until they are assured that the singer will not leave them again.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mack Gordon, Harry Warren

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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