I saw Steve Goodman perform in a college gymnasium in 1981. Sadly, the crowd was sparse. Rather than go onstage, Steve pulled up a metal chair and had us gather around him on the gym floor. He played this song and, of course, City of New Orleans. He also played a new song he'd just written called "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request" (Steve was a lifelong Cubs fan). What virtually nobody knew at the time was that the song was autobiographical. Steve was dying of leukemia. He passed away in September 1984, just four days before the Cubs clinched a spot in the postseason for the first time since 1945 (Steve was born in 1948). I will always treasure the memory of seeing him perform in person.
I was on my friend’s sailboat out of Beverly Massachusetts when we heard on the radio that Steve died. The station then continued to play Steve’s songs all afternoon. Sad day but Steve’s humor helped.
@@ListentoFolkMusic My brother saw Steve at a small venue in Atlanta. When they closed due to time restrictions, Steve went out and sang on the sidewalk. He did Red Red Robin and my brother was delighted when I found his version on You Tube. He was a big fan and I became one too.
We saw Steve many times in Chicago; my friend threw my straw cowboy hat on stage when Steve sang the greatest country song ever written. Surprisingly I got it back after ten rows of people passed it back. Steve was such a great entertainer! At the Parkwest Theater in Chicago we heard him sing A Dying Cub Fans Last Request which he had just written on the flight from California that day. We were seated at the first table about 10 feet away from him at the nightclub Parkwest theater. Always loved his performances!! What an entertainer!!! The City of New Orleans song still my favorite.
I had the joy and privilege to see Steve 6/times as a teenager in the late 70s. He remains to most vivid and happy warriors I have ever seen. If I could be half that happy and half that sincerely a bringer of joy to others I would count my life full up. I am almost 20 years older than Goodman at his death and every time I go back to these songs I get happy, not sad though Imwish he were still here. And John Prine, and others.
I wish I had a chance to see Steve Goodman in concert. He is having so much fun with this song that you can't help but be mesmerized by his personality and talent. Hand to heart, rest in peace Mr Musicman extraordinaire!
Saw this in high school and taped it off the air…onto 8-track. Just played this for my 15 yr old daughter. I’m old. Took a friend of mine to see him and John P. in Seattle a few years before he passed. Sometimes an artist just touches you, for whatever reason. Steve was that for me. Just special. 👍🤪🏳️🌈
He wrote the best damn country song......this one. The best damn train song..........City of New Orleans. And the best damn anti-war song.........Penny Evans.
Just heard Prine sing it on YT minutes ago in 2023...they both did the song justice. He does it in a lite hearted way but i imagine he was in serious sad shape when Prine came back to the hotel.
Steve Goodman opened a show for Waylon Jennings years ago at the Universal Amphitheater, we lost a great storyteller when he passed away much too young. I loved the middle part when he fakes a musical interlude reminiscent of the late great Roger Miller. RIP old friend.
Only the good die young! If you want another great Steve Goodman song, listen to "City of New Orleans", recorded by Woody Guthrie and covered (greatly) by Willie Nelson.
I ordered a phone in the name of Gregor Samsa in Red Hook, Brooklyn ca. 1988. not long after his death. Next year I was Allen Ginsburgs research fellow (a kind of snitch of admin asst. bottom dollar for college profs. I still have a beautiful set of Steinbeck's works from the Library of America, and Allen gave me some hash even today in our somewhat enlightened chemical world was actually hallucinatory. NYNEX or NY Bell obliged with a certain gadget called a network interface in I believe March. Steevie was a good man,yuck,and told other stories about that song that Coe and Prine probably dont even know. Now that Prine has gone on to his reward (which should be large, dont you think?) I take out the old Brooklyn White Pages and look around for some things. . .
