Chattanooga Choo Choo - chords, tab and comments


This song was written by partners Harry Warren (music) and Mack Gordon (lyrics) for the 1941 film "Sun Valley Serenade". It was recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra 7th of May 1941, with vocals by Tex Beneke & The Modernaires. It became the first record to be certified a gold disc in 1942, for 1.2 million sales. It has also climbed up to be all time high covered song among *train* and *railroad* recordings.
The original starts with a dialogue, and most single performers skip this, of course. I've left it within brackets in the lyric's page. Also, I leave with you only basic chords. The song invites to do a helluwa lot of tricks (listen to Bette Midler's version!) so here we go, happy ridin'!
G              C                         G
pardon me boy  is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo
                  A7
yes  track twentynine
D7           D6         G  ...D7
boy you can give me a shine
           G   C                          G
can you afford to board the Chattanooga Choo Choo
             A7   D7           D6        G
I've got my fare  and just a trifle to spare

G7             C             G7             C          G
you leave the Pennsylvania station 'bout a quarter to four
C           G7                  C        C7
read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore
F              D7      C                A7
dinner in the diner : nothing could be finer
Fmaj7                              G6  G7
than to have your ham and eggs in Carolina

C                   G7            C             G
when you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar
C                   G7           C        C7
then you know that Tennessee is not very far
F                D7        C             A7
shuffle all the coal in : gotta keep it rollin'
Fmaj7                     G6   G7  C
whoo whoo Chattanooga : there you are

[D6       D7] G  C                        G 
there's gonna be a certain party at the station
           A7
satin and lace
D7         D6         G  ...D7
I used to call funny face
             G  C9                          C        ...A7
she's gonna cry until I tell her that I'll never roam
     G           Em
so Chattanooga Choo Choo
Cmaj7       D7          G  ...A7
won't you choo choo me home
Em            Em7
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Cmaj        D7          G
won't you choo choo me home
Chuckle ... Roy Rogers got a brand new pair of cowboy boots from his wife Dale for Christmas, and left them outside to find them gnawed by a mountain lion next morning. He saddled up Trigger, grabbed his rifle and rode out to kill the varmint. A couple of hours later he returned with a dead mountain lion tied across his saddle. Dale walked up to him and asked: "Pardon me, Roy. Is that the Cat That Chewed Your New Shoes?"
G major
G
G sixth
G6
G seventh
G7
C major
C
C seventh
C7
C major seventh
Cmaj7
C ninth
C9
D seventh
D7
D sixth
D6
A seventh
A7
F major
F
F major seventh
Fmaj7
E minor
Em
E minor seventh
Em7