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Commencing in Chattanooga Lyrics by Brandon Victor Dixon

The Scottsboro Boys (Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording)

2010

[CLARENCE]
Commencing in Chattanooga
[ALL]
Commencing in Chattanooga
[CLARENCE]
On the southern railroad line
[ALL]
On the southern railroad line
[ANDY, spoken]
Come on Roy, grab on!
[ROY, spoken]
Where we goin’, Andy?
[ANDY, spoken]
Who cares? Just don’t fall off!
[HAYWOOD]
I got up in the morning when my sleep was done
And I felt that cherry Chattanooga sun
Then I thanked the Lord above that I was still alive
And I waited for the “six-o-five”
[ALL]
Commencing in Chattanooga
[HAYWOOD]
And it chugga-chugga’d in and I said “there you are”
And I scrambled in the old box car
Then I settled back believin’ that the world was fine
I was travelin’ on the southern linе
[ALL]
Commencing in Chattanooga
On the southern railroad linе
[HAYWOOD]
Now you can take your B and O
And you can take your Santa Fe
And you can take your old Rock Island line
[ALL]
And throw them all away
[HAYWOOD]
And if the Pennsylvania calls
Just say you want your money back
And if the New Your Central’s on the phone
[ALL]
Tell them they’re way off the track
Commencing in Chattanooga
(Commencing in Chattanooga)
I said we’re commencing in Chattanooga
On the southern railroad line
On the southern railroad line
[INTERLOCUTOR, spoken]
Thank you boys, now, one more time!
[HAYWOOD, OLEN, OZIE & CLARENCE]
Now, you can take your B and O
[HAYWOOD, CHARLIE, ANDY & EUGENE]
And you can take your Santa Fe
[HAYWOOD, ROY, OZIE & WILLIE]
And you can take your old Rock Island line
[ALL]
And throw them all away
[OLEN]
And if the Pennsylvania calls
[ROY]
Just say you want your money back
[ANDY]
And if the New York Central’s on the phone
[OLEN, ROY & ANDY]
Tell ‘em they’re way off the track
[ALL]
Commencing in Chattanooga
[HAYWOOD, spoken]
Faraway places, they’re in my bones! I know the states! Southeast to Georgia, down to Pensacola, North to Knoxville, West to Arkansas and straight on to Shreveport! I know the train schedules! When the freights leave, when they arrive! I can light a butt in the wind on top of a moving boxcar! I am free! I am free! I am free!
(singing)
There ain’t a soul can hold be back
Cause I am just as free as air
As long as I got legs and train got wheels
I could arrive me anywhere
And if the Lord above comes down
And asks you where the hell I am
Just answer “No one knows where Haywood goes”
Cause I’m a box car baby lamb
[ALL]
Commencing in Chattanooga
Commencing in Chattanooga
On the southern railroad line
[ROY, spoken]
Why’s this train slowin’ down Andy?
[ANDY, spoken]
This train ain’t supposed to stop ‘til Memphis
[ROY, spoken]
We a long way from Memphis
Credits
Brandon Victor Dixon

Brandon Victor Dixon

About “Commencing in Chattanooga” by Brandon Victor Dixon

Read the complete lyrics to "Commencing in Chattanooga" by Brandon Victor Dixon from the album "The Scottsboro Boys (Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2010. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Off-Broadway, Pop, Musicals.

"Commencing in Chattanooga" is performed by Brandon Victor Dixon. from the album "The Scottsboro Boys (Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2010 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Commencing in Chattanooga", explore more songs by Brandon Victor Dixon using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Commencing in Chattanooga" is credited to Brandon Victor Dixon. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Commencing in Chattanooga" appears on "The Scottsboro Boys (Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording)" in 2010.

Visit the Brandon Victor Dixon artist page at /artist/brandon-victor-dixon for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.