One of the great American songs of the late twentieth century is “City of New Orleans.” The song was originally written and recorded by Steve Goodman but made famous by Arlo Guthrie.
“City of New Orleans” was a top 20 hit for Guthrie in 1972, and numerous artists have performed and recorded “City of New Orleans.” While the song recounts the story of the Illinois Central Railroad’s City of New Orleans train, one might read a little more into the story by knowing more about the songwriter.
Steve Goodman and “City of New Orleans”
Goodman was born on July 25, 1948, and when he was in college, he was diagnosed with leukemia. While the disease was often in remission, Goodman always recognized he was living on borrowed time.
Goodman died at the young age of 34 on September 20, 1984. Knowing about his diagnosis, one may see more in the sadness of the song about the end of the life of a train.
The Real Train
The City of New Orleans itself was a train that the Illinois Central Railroad began operating in April 1947, a little more than a year from Goodman’s birth. The overnight train had the longest daytime regularly scheduled route in the country for a time. The train went between New Orleans, Louisiana and Goodman’s birthplace and hometown, Chicago, Illinois.
In May 1971, though, Amtrak took over the City of New Orleans train. The company converted it to a nighttime route, renaming it the Panama Limited.
Goodman reportedly came up with the idea for a song about the train while riding on a trip. But it is hard not to see some heartfelt connections between Goodman’s life and the train in his most famous song.
“Half way home, we’ll be there by morning,
Through the Mississippi darkness. . . .
This train’s got the disappearing railroad blues.”
Below is Goodman performing the song live in 1972.
Arlo Guthrie’s Version: Changed Lyrics
While Arlo Guthrie’s famous verion of the song follows Steve Goodman’s lyrics, there is one exception. Note in the video above, Goodman sings about “passing towns that have no name.” In Guthrie’s famous version, he sings about “passing trains that have no names.”
One commentator has explained that the difference between the two versions comes from Goodman’s knowledge of train travel. Goodman would know that traveling on the train, one would go through many towns without seeing any signs. But perhaps Guthrie did not understand or he thought city listeners would not understand a train traveling through nameless towns. Or maybe Guthrie just wanted to contrast regular nameless trains with the train named “City of New Orleans.”
In this video, a young Guthrie performs “City of New Orleans.”
“City of New Orleans” Today
Sometimes we all forget that we have a limited time on earth to make a difference, but Goodman’s leukemia diagnosis at a young age made him want to do as much with his life as he could. And his song about a train did make a difference.
After the song “City of New Orleans” became popular in the 1970s, Amtrak, hoping to capitalize on the song’s popularity, brought back the “City of New Orleans” train name in 1981. Thanks to Steve Goodman, you may still take a ride on the City of New Orleans today. And thanks to him, you may also sing along to one of the great American songs.
And that’s the story behind the song.
Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
Musical tribute to Steve Goodman, Arlo Guthrie and the people of New Orleans https://soundcloud.com/hillipsand/when-the-levees-broke
Great, thanks for the link Joe!
There is another change in lyrics by Guthrie. Original version (note Caps)
And the sons of pullman porters
And the sons of engineers
Ride their father’s magic carpets made of STEAM.
Mothers with their babes asleep,
Are rockin’ to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they DREAM.
Guthrie changed to:
And the sons of pullman porters
And the sons of engineers
Ride their father’s magic carpets made of STEEL.
Mothers with their babes asleep
Are rockin’ to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they FEEL
Thanks. Good catch! Maybe it is because I’ve heard Guthrie’s version so many times, but I like his change. Magic carpets would be underneath you, as would the steel of the train; and feeling rhythm makes sense. Take care.
According to the Sept 2021 Smithsonian it was the train many blues singers traveled north on from New Orleans to try their luck in Chicago. That might shed some light on some other lyrics references..
Interesting additional piece of information. Thanks!
To Me, Its one of those songs that reminds me of my childhood. I would wonder what the rest of the world looked like and I would wonder in my mind what it would be like to wonder about with just me.
“Passing trains that have no name” also makes sense. Replacing “Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe” or “Wabash Cannonball” with meaningless numbers could give anyone the disappearing railroad blues
I am reading a story about Emmet Till the 14 year old black boy who was killed in Mississippi back in the 1950’s supposedly for whistling at a white woman. Emmet lived in Georgia but decided to go visit Mississippi with a relative from there who had been visiting folks in Chicago. To get there they traveled on the train called The City of New Orleans. I was instantly struck by the thought of one of my most favorite songs; the song of the same name sung by Guthrie. So I did some research into the meaning of the song but could find no connection to the horrible crime that occurred in Mississippi. Why do I love that song so much? I don’t know. I only know the passion and feelings that it makes me feel. It was the first sippet of song I sang to my newborn grandson and I continue to sing to him. Not your normal lullaby. But Calvin seems to enjoy it.
While in college, I Road “the city of New Orleans“ from Chicago to Champaign Illinois, much as Steve Goodman might have at some point. My parents lived in Kankakee Illinois, through wish the train traveled.
This is poetry put to music, and has meaning at the surface and Deeper meaning if applied to Mr. Goodman’s life. The song as sung and put music beautifully reproduces the rhythm of riding that train.
Years ago on NPR, I heard a story on Steve Goodman, with interviews of people in his life. Arlo Guthrie said that he was playing a show, and between sets he went to the bar for a drink. Goodman approached him and said that he had a song that Guthrie might want to sing. Guthrie said, “You buy me a beer, and I’ll sit and listen to anything you want to sing for as long as that beer lasts.” So Goodman bought the beer and sang “City of New Orleans” After a moment of retrospection, Guthrie told the interviewer, “That was the best beer I ever had.”
I got caught up on this song, lately.
My two cents: The song strikes me as an allegory on America. In large measure this country was built on rails – from connecting two continents, to delivering troops and equipment during the civil war, to opening the interior for settlement and development – and in some sense the decline of the railroads reflects the transformation from industrial powerhouse to rust belt – the graveyards of rusted automobiles – itself a commentary on the transformation from permanent transportation (“sons of Pullman Porters”) to transitory, nameless disposable junk or people.
In addition, musically, so much of what became Chicago blues travelled north from New Orleans along and up the big muddy, and here we have Steve and wife going the other way (presumably a concert or concerts). Interesting the train stops in Memphis, home of Beale street, and Graceland, and iconic in the development of modern rock and roll.