A lot of great songs mention Chattanooga.
That’s because, aside from being a great city with some unique history, it’s also just a fun word to say. Legendary songwriters like Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, and Jason Isbell have name-dropped our city over the years, but very few of these songs are actually about Chattanooga.
Even the most famous Chattanooga song of all time, Glen Miller’s "Chattanooga Choo Choo"’ isn’t really about Chattanooga – it’s about a train ride in which more lyrics are dedicated to the breakfast of ham and eggs than the namesake city.
But there are plenty of songs that are actually set in Chattanooga and explore its culture and place in history. Here are five great ones (and one kinda weird one).
“Chattanooga Blues” by Ida Cox
Growing up in rural north Georgia, Chattanooga must have seemed like New York to a young Ida Cox. That’s the impression one gets from her 1923 song “Going to Chattanooga.” Her hunt for a philandering boyfriend takes her from Fort Oglethorpe to Market & McCallie, up 9th Street, and all the way to the dam on the river (presumably Hales Bar since the Chickamauga Dam wasn’t built until the 1940s).
She finally finds him at Tannery Flats, sporting a new suit and Stetson hat. He refuses to return to her, and she heads home alone. But in the song’s unexpectedly upbeat final verse, she fondly reminisces about her time in Chattanooga and hopes to one day move there herself.
So by the end of the song, we learn that the “Chattanooga Blues” aren’t the blues of romantic heartbreak, but rather the feeling of longing a small town girl has for the big city and all the excitement and possibility it represents.
“Chattanooga” by Slim Pickens Bluegrass
Much Like ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo” this song by Randy Steele’s Slim Pickens Bluegrass Band is about traveling home to Chattanooga. But whereas that song was more about the journey, this one is definitely about the destination. You can hear the longing in his voice as he pines for the bend of the river, the cool creeks, and the warm blue skies that await him.
The song’s narrator vividly describes a scene any Chattanoogan knows well, driving home and seeing Lookout Mountain emerge from the horizon. The final verse depicts the homestretch of a similar journey through death and up to the pearly gates of heaven, where he expects to find a ‘Welcome to Chattanooga’ sign.
As with any of Randy Steele’s musical ventures, all the players are outstanding, and the instrumental solo breaks are as delightful as Randy’s soulful voice.
“Live From Chattanooga” by YGTUT
For nearly a decade YGTUT has been releasing great albums that are sonically diverse, lyrically dense, and always personal. And like other great MCs in hip hop history, his story and the story of his city can’t be separated.
There’s no better example than this song from his debut album, Preacher’s Son. From hustling in the streets to floating in the lake to hotboxing a Cadillac with some buds, he paints a picture of hardship, perseverance, and simple hard-fought joys.
The music itself is also a fantastic expression of the city’s diversity, mixing hip hop beats, upright bass, jazz piano, and some greasy Appalachian fiddle hooks that immediately let you know you aren’t in LA or NYC. Mix that white sauce and that hot sauce, as Tut would say.
“Chattzilla” by Good Cop/Rad Cop
Hometown heroes Good Cop/Rad Cop have been playing some bigger stages recently, opening for comedy legend Bobcat Goldthwait. But back when they were regulars at JJ’s they penned this little ditty about Godzilla’s calamitous visit to Chattanooga.
The lyrics are hilarious, but thankfully Good Cop/Rad Cop isn’t content with just being funny. The music is also great too, with catchy melodies and vocal harmonies that are way better than they have to be. The song is a roll call of Chattanooga institutions like the Comedy Catch, the Alpine Railway, and Riverbend’s Coke Stage.
But the biggest laugh comes when Good Cop (or was it Rad Cop?) recounts a chance encounter with Hulk Hogan at Goony Golf in 2004.
“The Walking Band” by Clyde Stubblefield
Samuel L. Jackson may be the most famous name to ever come out of Chattanooga, but the most famous music to come from Chattanooga was made by Clyde ‘the Funky Drummer’ Stubblefield. As James Brown’s drummer during his creative peak, Stubblefield’s beats went on to be sampled by artists like Public Enemy, Run DMC, NWA, Nas, and A Tribe Called Quest.
Later in life he put out a few solo albums, one of which included a jazzy spoken word remembrance of his first band, The Walking Band of Chattanooga Tennessee. The name originated from the fact that none of the musicians had a car, and when it was time to perform a gig, they had no choice but to carry their instruments in a parade down 9th Street (now MLK).
This is the musical version of a regional history museum.
(The YouTube videos are mislabeled for this album, so “The Walking Band” was erroneously posted under the title “The Difference.” But trust me – this is actually “The Walking Band.”)
“Chattanooga” by Canada
In 1988 a French band named Canada wrote a song called Chattanooga. Yes, you read that correctly: in 1988 a French band named Canada wrote a song called Chattanooga.
The music sounds like… well, pretty much like you’d expect from some French guys imitating country music in the 80s. The album art is a hoot, with bushy mullets and skin-tight Wranglers all photoshopped against a neon backdrop. Despite the presence of an acoustic guitar, banjo and some vocal harmonies, this song could never for a moment pass as actual country music.
On the other hand, the lyrics are as country as Roger Alan Wade doing promos for a classic country radio station. They tell the story of a young Southerner whose objection to slavery forces him to leave home and join the Union army, only to return home for the Battle of Chattanooga.
The storyteller lingers on the mutual fear soldiers on both sides felt, and their shared desire to simply return home:
Chattanooga Tennessee is crying
Soldiers’ red rivers
Powder volcanoes awaken
The souls leaving in showers of sparks.
The meter and rhyme of the verse gets lost in translation, but the imagery is just as potent. And there aren’t many country songwriters in Nashville today who know enough about American history to make a lyrical reference to Appomattox.
It’s a fascinating work of art even if the music itself is so weird that it probably won’t make it onto anyone’s summertime playlist.