Take the "A" Train is a jazz standard composed in 1939 by Billy Strayhorn and became the signature tune of Duke Ellington's orchestra. It was first recorded commercially on February 15, 1941, and appears on the Duke Ellington Hollywood era recordings. The tune grew from subway directions Ellington gave Strayhorn to reach his Harlem home, with the title referring to the new A train that ran to Sugar Hill in Harlem; it is written in AABA form and is a classic example of the big band swing Ellington made famous. Lyrics were added later by Joya Sherrill in 1944, after an earlier lyrics version existed with the Delta Rhythm Boys. The piece has endured as a jazz staple, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1976, and is widely covered by artists from Ella Fitzgerald to Ray Nance; NPR named it one of the NPR 100, the hundred most important American musical works of the 20th century.
