Michael Howitt

This bittersweet and nostalgic song by the late Steve Goodman has been described as a masterwork of life in rural America from the vantage point of a train car. It describes a train ride from his hometown Chicago to New Orleans on the Illinois Central’s “City of New Orleans”. Goodman recorded the song on his debut album in 1971 but it didn’t become a hit until Arlo Guthrie covered it in 1972. Willie Nelson later covered, earning Goodman a posthumous Grammy for Best Country Song in 1985 (he passed away from leukaemia only months earlier). A cover of “The City of New Orleans”.

2 Responses

  1. Great rendition !It’s our favourite train song and the first song we open miced with !
    In 1969 I took a train ride from Philadelphia to Fort Lauderdale. That train ride was written. Up in Time Magazine a month later . Ask me about it sometime

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