M.T.A. (song)

"M.T.A.", often called "The MTA Song", is a 1949 song by Jacqueline Steiner and Bess Lomax Hawes. Known informally as "Charlie on the MTA", the song's lyrics tell an absurd tale of a man named Charlie trapped on Boston's subway system, which was then known as the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). The song was originally recorded as a mayoral campaign song for Progressive Party candidate Walter A. O'Brien. A version of the song with the candidate's name changed became a 1959 hit when recorded and released by The Kingston Trio, an American folk singing group.[1]

The song has become so entrenched in Boston lore that the Boston-area transit authority named its electronic card-based fare collection system the "CharlieCard" as a tribute to this song.[2] The transit organization, now called the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), held a dedication ceremony for the card system in 2004 which featured a performance of the song by the Kingston Trio, attended by then-governor Mitt Romney.[1][3]

  1. ^ a b Moskowitz, Eric (December 26, 2010). "Charlie's true history moves out from the underground". The Boston Globe.
  2. ^ This can be seen on various billboards throughout the T system, notably at the Woodland T Station.
  3. ^ "Kingston Trio Tribute Photos". The Kingston Trio. 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2010.