How did a train trip to Boston inspire George Gershwin while composing Rhapsody in Blue?

While composing Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin traveled by train from New York to Boston for the opening of a new musical. He later credited the train’s rhythmic sounds—which he described as "steely rhythms" and a "rattle-ty bang"—as a major source of inspiration that helped him visualize the composition's structure.1

Gershwin noted that he often found musical inspiration within the "heart of noise," and during this specific trip, he heard and mentally mapped out the entire piece from beginning to end. He envisioned the work as a "musical kaleidoscope of America," capturing the energy of the nation's "vast melting pot" and "metropolitan madness." By the time he arrived in Boston, he had established the definite plot of the Rhapsody in Blue, which he then composed at a furious pace to meet the deadline for Paul Whiteman’s concert.21