Freight - Starlight Express Broadway - March 1987 

I think the reaction is like this probably because the audience is shocked. This was a preview performance, Starlight was still new especially to a Broadway audience. Back in 1987 if you said I'm doing a musical about trains with rollerskates people would laugh as it is such an outlandish idea at the time. To be fair even though it seems that way they are still clapping, at least there weren't booing them that would be worse.

Literally, I'm so annoyed by anyone who had the ABSOLUTE PRIVILEDGE of seeing the OG cast productions of the West End or Broadway productions and didn't appreciate it. 😒

​@outlawssweetheart It's simplistic lyrics have been known to be ridiculously or extremely clever. I think even Richard Stilgoe caught wind of the negative audience reaction. Or he did this on purpose to contrast steam and make Freight look stupid. Hence, the simplistic lyrics. However, Richard Stillgyw when updating the book for the 1993 New Production of Starlight Express made the female characters trash talk about the Freight trains saying, "Did you make that up all by yourselves?" Either it was part of a collective unconsciousness that made Stilgke make fun of his own song. However, I think it was this AND he wanted the Freight grajns to look slow. Hence, when you're ksyghjng at these "Freight is great" lyrics, the lyricist is probably laughing with you. He dud this on purpose so audience members probably would say that Freight is not great This is just a theory and not necessarily true.

That's what makes the writing so clever; it ties in to the railroading of the areas the show is performed in.

@@ivanthevaluable2559 This song was used in all productions worldwide.

@@jaykobwalson1941 That I know, but what I mean is that it, like many other StEx songs, is a great metaphor for railroad logic and operations, in this case highlighting how rail transport is only focused on freight traffic, which is more profitable than passengers.