Take the A Train: A Musical Inspiration for Planners

"Take the A Train" is a beautiful celebration of rail transit, urban sophistication, and the Harlem Renaissance all packed into the most danceable 2:54 minutes of musical teamwork ever recorded on a 78 disk. It's my inspiration for great planning!

2 minute read

August 16, 2021, 7:00 AM PDT

By Todd Litman


New York Subway

"Take the A Train" played on a gramophone. | littlenySTOCK / Shutterstock

I was recently interviewed by Andy Keeton for a Between the Lines podcast titled, Why Smart Planning for Emerging Transportation Technologies Will Help Save the Planet? We discussed key concepts from my book, The New Mobilities: Smart Planning for Emerging Transportation Technologies, which critically evaluates the benefits, costs and equity impacts of emerging transportation technologies and services.

Andy ended the session with an interesting question, “What is your favorite commuting song?” Expanding the definition of commuting to include travel for dining, drinking and entertainment, I chose the Duke Ellington Orchestra’s signature song, Take the A Train, a beautiful celebration of rail transit, urban sophistication and the Harlem Renaissance all packed into the most danceable 2:54 minutes of musical teamwork ever recorded on a 78 rpm disk. 

Ellington is one of my personal heroes. He was a skilled musician, a terrific and generous band leader, and a man of great dignity and style. I wish I had been able to see his Orchestra perform at one of Harlem’s famous night clubs. Ellington and his musicians often traveled by train; his music conveys the rhythms, sounds and excitement of rail travel.

Here are the full lyrics:

You must take the "A" train

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



You must take the "A" train

To go to Sugar Hill, way up in Harlem

You must take the "A" train

To go to Sugar Hill, way up in Harlem

If you miss the "A" train

You'll miss the quickest way to Harlem



Hurry, get on board, it's comin'

Listen to those rails a-thrumming

All aboard, get on the "A" train

Soon you will be on Sugar Hill in Harlem



Harlem, boy

Next stop is Harlem

Next stop, Harlem

Come on, get aboard the "A" train



Get aboard

Next stop is Harlem

Take the "A" train

Here is a video of the song played on my gramophone. For more information see the PBS documentary The Story of “Take the A Train,” Duke Ellington’s Signature. This video shows "A Train" composer Billy Strayhorn taking a bow. Thanks Billy! Thanks Duke!

What music would you choose? What song inspires your work as a planner?


Todd Litman

Todd Litman is founder and executive director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, an independent research organization dedicated to developing innovative solutions to transport problems. His work helps to expand the range of impacts and options considered in transportation decision-making, improve evaluation methods, and make specialized technical concepts accessible to a larger audience. His research is used worldwide in transport planning and policy analysis.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

6 hours ago - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

7 hours ago - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square