Origins: City of New Orleans

Subject: RE: Origins: City of New Orleans
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 02 May 23 - 01:34 PM

CND: Was responding to that last guest post above and when Steve Goodman, train rider, fit in. In that context, the more one dials it back the more Jim Crow the 20th century and the unions will be. That's the history.

Goodman the songwriter could write whatever he thought he could get away with. His old black men were imagined. And listeners are free to imagine and argue anything they please. That's the fun.

Subject: RE: Origins: City of New Orleans
From: meself
Date: 02 May 23 - 01:53 PM

Okay, I realize I inserted myself into a consideration of the 'railyards full of old Black men' image specifically - no opinion on that, other than that I always assumed it was a realistic detail of "the present times of its songwriting", but I never rode on the City of New Orleans, so don't know.

Subject: RE: Origins: City of New Orleans
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 07 May 23 - 12:58 AM

In 1970 The City of New Orleans service was just one year older than Steve Goodman. Different service, same locomotive type: Lyr Add: Texas-1947 (Guy Clark).

Amtrak will probably never have the same huge payroll again but they're still out there.

Subject: RE: Origins: City of New Orleans
From: Neighmond
Date: 09 May 23 - 10:41 PM

I been doing it wrong for my whole life! My old pal Steve stanford always wanted to sing it and we sang : "....passin' trains that have no name, the graveyards full of old brakemen, and the graveyards of the rusted automobiles!"

Subject: RE: Origins: City of New Orleans
From: Anglo
Date: 10 May 23 - 01:09 AM

Someone asked whether Steve or Arlo recorded it first. I have Steve's earlier recording on "Gathering at the Earl of Old Town" released
in 1971. As I recall Jack McGann played guitar on that recording.