I heard John Prine sing this song in the home of Glenn Ohrlin in Mountain View Arkansas in about 1970 or 71 and I swear he recited a version of the "spoken" section reported above as copied from the David Alan Coe album. I was sure at the time that Prine was claiming that he had told Goodman about needing trains/prison/mama etc., and in fact I thought Prine claimed he (Prine)then wrote the last verse, which he sang that night just as transcribed above from the Coe version. He certainly didn't do anything to dispel the impression that he had helped write the song. That same night he sang Dear Abbey, and a couple of other goofy sangs, so I agree the "too goofy" argument doesn't hold water.