This song is about the disappearance of passenger rail in the U.S. It used to be the most common form of long-distance travel, but air travel and the interstate highway system have almost killed it off. Amtrak still exists, but people don't use it much. It's a big part of the country's history, but train travel is fading out of people's consciousness. That's what the lines you asked about refer to: "Good morning, America, how are you? Say, don't you know me, I'm your native son." America doesn't know trains any more. And in the last verse it's "Good night, America," meaning the train is bidding farewell to the country. It's a great song with lots of concrete imagery in the lyrics. One of my favorites.
Passenger trains were dying out... air travel and the interstate system was choking them out... the song is sad nostalgia... reminiscing; and the storyteller is the train itself... knowing the inevitable.
I have a feeling: Since airline travel is becoming no better than riding a subway in a city (anyone can fly, even in pajamas), train travel could come back if they spruced it up and brought back the romance.
The City of New Orleans is an Amtrak passenger train that operates on an overnight schedule between Chicago and New Orleans. The train is a successor to the Illinois Central Railroad's Panama Limited. The original City of New Orleans began in 1947 as part of the Illinois Central Railroad and was the longest daylight run in the United States. Wikipedia
Willie Nelson did a cover of this in the early 1980's. The song writer, Steve Goodman, won a posthumous Grammy for Best Country Song for Willie's version. The City of New Orleans was a passenger train that ran from Chicago and New Orleans owned by Illinois Central. After WW11, my parents and friends would board in Memphis and travel to New Orleans to enjoy the Big Easy. I think Amtrak has named their train that runs that route the City of New Orleans in honor of old train.
@Tupelo Honey That's good stuff right there. I'm gonna have to do a long train ride in my lifetime, since I've heard good things about it. I wonder why they named some trains or routes after cities--perhaps for the same reason they name some aircraft carriers after cities?
@@RockN2Country I think a long train trip would be amazing. I have friends that have done the Canadian Rockies and Alaskan train tours. They highly recommend!
"City of New Orleans" has many layers. The train is real, a regular line from Chicago to New Orleans. It follows the Mississippi, just as Huckleberry Finn rafted down it. And from one end to the other it's the story of American music --- from the urban sound of Chicago, the Memphis Blues, the Mississippi Delta, to New Orleans where both Jazz and Rock'n'Roll were born out of the swamps of Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco.
@Thompson & Mackenzie Thanks for the insight!! Makes sense, and the layering is one of the aspects of country and folk songs, that captivates me. The lyricism and syntax imparts such a deep flavoring to a song when done well, and those who do it well commonly leave me in awe.
@Quinton Andre Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and im trying it out now. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
This, to me, is by far the greatest piece of Americana in poetry. As you noticed, the details put you in the rail cars rocking along on their journey with al the porters, engineers and mothers with their babes asleep. Just wonderful imagery in one of the smoothest vocals and music to just kick back, close your eyes and picture yourself on the train on that long ride saying hello to America at the various stops along the way - a sadly gone era indeed..
Pure Americana. A comfort song set at a simpler time of a train traveling through midwest America, passing through the abundant farm fields and the small towns-each with its unique charm- located between the large cities where the train's journey begins and ends.
@Blasty That's the same vibe I got by the end of the song. It's funny how songs can take a while to reveal themselves, and in the end I realized it was a simple song about a train delivering the mail. Ha! Welcome aboard the channel, BTW!!
I would rate it 9.6 . This is one of my favorite songs. I believe I also suggested this song a while back. I think the phrase Good Morning etc. refers to peoples love and fascination with trains, and how the train figuratively greets each town as it passes through. I also love Alice's restaurant. It is long, but hilarious.
Ok my mind is blown because I’ve always thought that was a Willie Nielson original song but then I come to find out that Willie was doing a terrific cover of this song which is pretty unbelievable
My father was an engineer for the Southern Railroad. We lived and he worked out Greenville South Carolina. Me and mother would ride the southern crescent to Gastonia North Carolina to visit my grandparents. We rode for free on a pass . Twice my father was engineer taking us there. I was riding my fathers magic carpet made of steel. This song is about the decline of the American passenger train. It brings back so many memories.
This song was written by Steve Goodman, who was a good friend of John Price. Steve died of brain cancer but he kept performing even after enduring chemo. Steve is one that you should be familiar with. Good morning. The train makes an all night run. Arrives in the AM. Where are they going? Rail transport was dying out.
As a child, my mother took a train ride with me and my sister from Chicago to my father's family near Padukah KY. It is one of my favorite trips as a youth (mostly because there was no need to beg for Dad to stop so one of us could use a bathroom). I love the way Arlo could paint a picture using words - I see Jason Isbell in a similar vein, as well as Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of Drive-by Truckers (Jason Isbell is a former DBT member). "City of New Orleans" wasn't a typical protesting folk song - it's nostalgia for a simpler time of the past, and a dirge that their time as a major means of travel has come and gone, except for commuter routes around major cities.
Arlo said he was in a bar after a show and the bartender said a man wanted to sing him a song. He didn't want to but if he would by him a beer he can sing it and he would listen. He said it was the best beer he ever had.
The train dont sleep. Its working all night and sees America wake up every morning and go to sleep every night. Its just going about its business Thats what I think it means Don.
I am Amtrak conductor on #7 Empire Builder overnight from St. Cloud Minnesota to Minot ND and St. Cloud Minnesota to Winona Minnesota for 14 years. All day and every day and night
This song changed my life. First heard it when i was young and loved it. It literally made me want too ride the rails legally of course lol. Have been on the train 500 times easy. So soothing and peace full. When i got nothing too do in the winter where i live( i am in Ottawa Ontario Canada) i go jump on the train and head too Kingston Ontario for the day and come back same day. 2 hrs there 2hrs back 4 hrs of peace and tranquility. My fave tune of all time. Great tune like you said so detailed and vivid your on the train while being in your living room. Peace and love stay safe hi from Canada
Written by Steve Goodman. In the 1960-1970 trains were no longer THE way to travel. So there are only 25 passengers & a few sacks of mail not yet flown or trucked.
Steve Goodman wrote this song and also wrote the "perfect country and western song" for David Alan Coe. Goodman was a good friend of John Prine's. He provides harmony vocals on the Prine song "Souvenirs" and also covers it himself. "Souvenirs" would be a good Prine song to do next.
Back in the day when some specific trains had names, " The City of New Orleans " made that trip for perhaps 75 yrs. Arlo mentions, " the disappearing railroad blues " lamenting the trains decommissioning, progress right? Peace & stay safe Don ! 🤗
"Good Morning America..." was put in to show the daily travels of this train. At the end when it's reached it's destination of NOLA it says, "Good night America..." Many trains are named for one of the cities on it's route.
In 1967 Arlo was very famous with the "Hippie" era with his song and album called Alice's Restaurant, where you can get anything you want, except for Alice lol, great song, but not country by any means.
I was fortunate enough to ride the Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio overnight train from Chicago to Mobile(and back) with my grandmother when I was 10 to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins (she passed away 5 months later). The memories still stay with me as it was my first time to another region of the country. We changed cars in St. Louis instead of Memphis, but I still have memories of seeing and experiencing practically everything that Arlo sings (and Steve wrote) about. The beat of the music is so reminiscent of the wheels on the track.
It was a slower time back then. People had time to look at what was going on around them. Loved the picture of the cars stopped in traffic and the people were sitting there talking and singing. Seems like a picture of halted traffic today would be filled with angry people. The world goes so fast now that people have lost their ability to see the ride through the window.
I love this old tune, and always liked the down- home, American backwoods feel that grew out of his dad's influences in things like riding the rails, hopping trains. Woody was probably one of the original american folk singers. At least a well known one.
Clicked on this as soon as I saw it. This song was written by Steve Goodman (who also wrote Go Cubs Go for some useless trivia) and who was the best friend of a young John Prine before he passed away far too young himself. Ok. Enough babbling. Time to play the video.
glad to see Steve Goodman mentioned by you.really good songwriter and he really helped Prine get discovered.good story on youtube Prine tells of Goodman taking Kristofferson to see him one night in Chicago
That's right. Didn't Kris Kristofferson come to the Third Peg to hear Goodman and Goodman insisted he stick around to hear his friend John and the rest is history.
@@BilbusWilbury as I remember Prine was playing across town,can't remember the venue.the same night Goodman opened for Kristofferson.Kris told Steve how good he thought he was,but Steve told him if he thought he was good they had to go see his buddy.the story goes kinda long but Kristofferson really helped Goodman and Prine get record deals
Arlo Guthrie's Hobo's Lullaby album which this recording is from is in my top ten most influential albums in my life. Best songs on there for me are this one, Days Are Short, Whena the Ship Comes In, Shackles and Chains, and Somebody Turned on the Light.
WHY OH WHY is it so hard for people to understand this song? My God. . .WHY???????????????? It's OBVIOUS. . .Train travel was once the main method for Americans to travel long distances. But air travel eventually took over and dominated passenger travel in the USA. So, trains were losing their position as a primary means of travel, and this song is about the "disappearing railroad" influence that these once very busy trains had. Also, naming a means of travel was not unusual at all. In fact, American Airlines used to name their planes after cities just like train companies did. American named each of their passenger planes, for example, "Flagship Tulsa" or "Flagship Kansas City" or many other cities. This was done by train companies as well. This was a very poignant song about a once mighty passenger train beginning to fade into the background of US travel. I just don't understand why people have such a hard time picking up on this. I watched another "reaction" video of this song and the guy said he just didn't understand what this song was about. Really? In my opinion, this is one of the best little songs that tell a story that you'll ever hear.
Surely you've heard (or heard of) Alice's Restaurant - Arlo's most wonderful work. A Thanksgiving staple at my house. Can't carve the turkey until we've listened to Arlo. I saw him do this one and Alice's Restaurant live a couple of years back to celebrate 50 years. He's as good a storyteller as you get. Wish I could have seen him with John Prine. What a ticket that must have been.
@Rebecca S I grew up hearing the song, though I didn't understand it since I was pretty young. And you saw him doing it live at Alice's Restaurant is one of the best stories to come from the channel, and there have been a lot of great stories!! That's awesome! One thing that would have topped it would have been seeing John and Arlo together, but you already knew that. :-) Welcome aboard the channel, Rebecca!
Amtrak, in one of its early budget cuts, cancelled The City of New Orleans. About 30 DAYS later, this song became a hit for the first time. Almost everybody has done a cover version of it, Arlo's probably being the biggest hit. Amtrak reinstated the train. Last I heard, it was still running. In Steve Goodman's version, theblast verse ends : I'm the train they called the City of New Orleans, I'll be gone a Million miles when the day is done." I think long haul, premium, bamed passenger trains was an American thing, mostly.
Aŕlo was the front man for Shenandoah for a while in the latter 70's... if you want to listen to storytelling at its finest you should listen to Arlo's Alice's Restaurant, its the only Thanksgiving song I have ever heard
Folk songs are about life. Every country has its own folk songs. They tell a story. Woody Guthrie song called Deportee is a good one. Bobbie Gentry's Ode to Billy Joe is a ballad but also folksy also Louisiana Man. I think you would like them. I think this song is done from the prospective of a hobo riding the rails and would have been written during the depression. Woody Guthrie and Pete Seager sang it also. A lot of routes went out of business during that time.
Well, I would say 9.7, but I’ll stop and listen to Goodman‘s eulogy to the age of rail no matter if its Arlo, The Highwaymen, Judy Collins or John Denver singing. I believe the first “Good morning America,” is descriptive of leaving Chicago. The second one being more metaphorical for when steam replaced stagecoaches like The Butterfield Overland Mail, that for $200 gold would get you the 2700 miles from Memphis to San Francisco in 25 grueling days. And the “Good night” was the acknowledgement that now, long distance travelers would be leaving on a jet plane. The “500 miles” line echoes the older song “500 Miles” and it’s predecessor “900 Miles”. Or I could be wrong.
I always loved this song. I swear I beat you over the head with my comments about Shane Smith and the Saints but if you liked this song, then you should hear their song "New Orleans" The lead guitar player (formerly) Tim gets a unique sound by running a violin bow across the strings in the beginning to the create an amazing ambiance!
Don, here's a funny song you should listen. It's hard to kiss the lips at night (official video) by the Notorious Cherry Bombs. I think you'll love it.
@Frank Novack I did Vince Gill telling the story and singing the song, and it's hilarious the way he talks about telling Amy Grant, his wife, what song he'd been working on that day. Ha!! Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/EZFHh7CWJyE/v-deo.html
@John Deer Thanks for the rec, and welcome to the channel! I just put it on my list, but the list is long so please be patient with me. But I'll get there. Thanks again!
![Mark Chesnutt -- Too Cold At Home [REACTION/RATING]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wfejnJN6IUo/mqdefault.jpg)
This song is about the disappearance of passenger rail in the U.S. It used to be the most common form of long-distance travel, but air travel and the interstate highway system have almost killed it off. Amtrak still exists, but people don't use it much. It's a big part of the country's history, but train travel is fading out of people's consciousness. That's what the lines you asked about refer to: "Good morning, America, how are you? Say, don't you know me, I'm your native son." America doesn't know trains any more. And in the last verse it's "Good night, America," meaning the train is bidding farewell to the country.
It's a great song with lots of concrete imagery in the lyrics. One of my favorites.
Passenger trains were dying out... air travel and the interstate system was choking them out... the song is sad nostalgia... reminiscing; and the storyteller is the train itself... knowing the inevitable.
I have a feeling: Since airline travel is becoming no better than riding a subway in a city (anyone can fly, even in pajamas), train travel could come back if they spruced it up and brought back the romance.
Finally, someone gets it.
About the disappearance of rail travel. Beautiful nostalgia.
The City of New Orleans is an Amtrak passenger train that operates on an overnight schedule between Chicago and New Orleans. The train is a successor to the Illinois Central Railroad's Panama Limited. The original City of New Orleans began in 1947 as part of the Illinois Central Railroad and was the longest daylight run in the United States. Wikipedia
Willie Nelson did a cover of this in the early 1980's. The song writer, Steve Goodman, won a posthumous Grammy for Best Country Song for Willie's version. The City of New Orleans was a passenger train that ran from Chicago and New Orleans owned by Illinois Central. After WW11, my parents and friends would board in Memphis and travel to New Orleans to enjoy the Big Easy. I think Amtrak has named their train that runs that route the City of New Orleans in honor of old train.
@Tupelo Honey That's good stuff right there. I'm gonna have to do a long train ride in my lifetime, since I've heard good things about it. I wonder why they named some trains or routes after cities--perhaps for the same reason they name some aircraft carriers after cities?
@@RockN2Country I think a long train trip would be amazing. I have friends that have done the Canadian Rockies and Alaskan train tours. They highly recommend!
@@tupelohoney622 This song is an absolute masterpiece for so many reasons. Many have done this song, but this version is my favorite, BY FAR. Peace.
@@watchmanonthewall14 Arlo Guthrey captured the haunting sadness of the end of the City of New Orleans train better than Nelson.
"City of New Orleans" has many layers. The train is real, a regular line from Chicago to New Orleans. It follows the Mississippi, just as Huckleberry Finn rafted down it. And from one end to the other it's the story of American music --- from the urban sound of Chicago, the Memphis Blues, the Mississippi Delta, to New Orleans where both Jazz and Rock'n'Roll were born out of the swamps of Louisiana Cajun and Zydeco.
@Thompson & Mackenzie Thanks for the insight!! Makes sense, and the layering is one of the aspects of country and folk songs, that captivates me. The lyricism and syntax imparts such a deep flavoring to a song when done well, and those who do it well commonly leave me in awe.
Best cover I've ever heard of a song. He took a really good song and made it immortal.
This is Steve Goodman's song. Love Arlo. I've seen him in concert many a time, once with John Prine. Now that was a show!
@Callum Lian instablaster :)
@Quinton Andre Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and im trying it out now.
I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Quinton Andre It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much, you saved my ass !
@Callum Lian happy to help :)
This, to me, is by far the greatest piece of Americana in poetry. As you noticed, the details put you in the rail cars rocking along on their journey with al the porters, engineers and mothers with their babes asleep. Just wonderful imagery in one of the smoothest vocals and music to just kick back, close your eyes and picture yourself on the train on that long ride saying hello to America at the various stops along the way - a sadly gone era indeed..
This was written by the late great Steve Goodman. RIP Steve
Pure Americana. A comfort song set at a simpler time of a train traveling through midwest America, passing through the abundant farm fields and the small towns-each with its unique charm- located between the large cities where the train's journey begins and ends.
@Blasty That's the same vibe I got by the end of the song. It's funny how songs can take a while to reveal themselves, and in the end I realized it was a simple song about a train delivering the mail. Ha! Welcome aboard the channel, BTW!!
But, train travel was on a big decline...... "the train has got the disappearin railroad blues."
I had similar comments - truly great song about a bygone era.
I would rate it 9.6 . This is one of my favorite songs. I believe I also suggested this song a while back. I think the phrase Good Morning etc. refers to peoples love and fascination with trains, and how the train figuratively greets each town as it passes through. I also love Alice's restaurant. It is long, but hilarious.
And don't forget the Motorcycle Song. Classic.
Arlo is one of the great American treasures . He is as good of a person as a performer.
Ok my mind is blown because I’ve always thought that was a Willie Nielson original song but then I come to find out that Willie was doing a terrific cover of this song which is pretty unbelievable
My father was an engineer for the Southern Railroad. We lived and he worked out Greenville South Carolina. Me and mother would ride the southern crescent to Gastonia North Carolina to visit my grandparents. We rode for free on a pass . Twice my father was engineer taking us there. I was riding my fathers magic carpet made of steel. This song is about the decline of the American passenger train. It brings back so many memories.
His albums Hobo’s Lullaby and The Brooklyn Cowboy are 2 utterly perfect albums. After all these years I can still listen to them over and over again.
This song was written by Steve Goodman, who was a good friend of John Price. Steve died of brain cancer but he kept performing even after enduring chemo. Steve is one that you should be familiar with. Good morning. The train makes an all night run. Arrives in the AM. Where are they going? Rail transport was dying out.
'Good morning, America. How are you?' The train trip began in the morning in Kankakee, Illinois and ended the next morning in New Orleans.
My husband and I looked into riding it from Chicago to NO a few years ago and it really does leave at the crack of dawn.
Watched him live at Woodstock... I grew up listening to his father Woody Guthrie
the trains were just about done when he wrote this and was simply waxing nostalgic.
Arlo didn't write this...
As a child, my mother took a train ride with me and my sister from Chicago to my father's family near Padukah KY. It is one of my favorite trips as a youth (mostly because there was no need to beg for Dad to stop so one of us could use a bathroom). I love the way Arlo could paint a picture using words - I see Jason Isbell in a similar vein, as well as Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of Drive-by Truckers (Jason Isbell is a former DBT member). "City of New Orleans" wasn't a typical protesting folk song - it's nostalgia for a simpler time of the past, and a dirge that their time as a major means of travel has come and gone, except for commuter routes around major cities.
Arlo said he was in a bar after a show and the bartender said a man wanted to sing him a song. He didn't want to but if he would by him a beer he can sing it and he would listen. He said it was the best beer he ever had.
buy him a beer
The train dont sleep. Its working all night and sees America wake up every morning and go to sleep every night. Its just going about its business Thats what I think it means Don.
I am Amtrak conductor on #7 Empire Builder overnight from St. Cloud Minnesota to Minot ND and St. Cloud Minnesota to Winona Minnesota for 14 years. All day and every day and night
This song changed my life. First heard it when i was young and loved it. It literally made me want too ride the rails legally of course lol. Have been on the train 500 times easy. So soothing and peace full. When i got nothing too do in the winter where i live( i am in Ottawa Ontario Canada) i go jump on the train and head too Kingston Ontario for the day and come back same day. 2 hrs there 2hrs back 4 hrs of peace and tranquility. My fave tune of all time. Great tune like you said so detailed and vivid your on the train while being in your living room. Peace and love stay safe hi from Canada
Written by Steve Goodman. In the 1960-1970 trains were no longer THE way to travel. So there are only 25 passengers & a few sacks of mail not yet flown or trucked.
He’s riding this train from town to town through American So Hello American and Good Night American 😀
Great old classic tune, Thanks Don!
@CowTownCustoms You're welcome! And tomorrow I have another classic that is pretty much impossible not to like. You'll see. :-)
Steve Goodman wrote this song and also wrote the "perfect country and western song" for David Alan Coe. Goodman was a good friend of John Prine's. He provides harmony vocals on the Prine song "Souvenirs" and also covers it himself. "Souvenirs" would be a good Prine song to do next.
Randall Nelson agreed! Especially when you think about how it got written.. Great song
True fold singers are all story tellers, it's the 60's, the greatest era in music, we need them back.
Back in the day when some specific trains had names, " The City of New Orleans " made that trip for perhaps 75 yrs. Arlo mentions, " the disappearing railroad blues " lamenting the trains decommissioning, progress right? Peace & stay safe Don ! 🤗
I think of the Woodstock festival where he sang this song
My favorite Arlo Guthrie song is “the motorcycle song “ very different and fun to listen to. Check it out sometime.
I don't want a pickle
Just heard your question, what does Hello America mean. My feeling, this is about the heyday of the rails and then it's slow death.
Arlo is a very fond memory from my hippie days. Still enjoy listening to him.
Folk music tells a story.
Morning Don! I love this song! I listen to it often. Hope you are well and being extra safe. You rock!!!
@Bleu Skye Thanks, Bleu--you rock too, and always good seeing you in here!! My guess is you're gonna like tomorrow's song, too. ;-)
"Good Morning America..." was put in to show the daily travels of this train. At the end when it's reached it's destination of NOLA it says, "Good night America..." Many trains are named for one of the cities on it's route.
In 1967 Arlo was very famous with the "Hippie" era with his song and album called Alice's Restaurant, where you can get anything you want, except for Alice lol, great song, but not country by any means.
Definitely folk like his father
Folk music is basically stories put to music 🎶. They can be sad or happy 😊 poignant and thought provoking and beautiful.
I was fortunate enough to ride the Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio overnight train from Chicago to Mobile(and back) with my grandmother when I was 10 to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins (she passed away 5 months later). The memories still stay with me as it was my first time to another region of the country. We changed cars in St. Louis instead of Memphis, but I still have memories of seeing and experiencing practically everything that Arlo sings (and Steve wrote) about. The beat of the music is so reminiscent of the wheels on the track.
It was a slower time back then. People had time to look at what was going on around them. Loved the picture of the cars stopped in traffic and the people were sitting there talking and singing. Seems like a picture of halted traffic today would be filled with angry people. The world goes so fast now that people have lost their ability to see the ride through the window.
The "City of New Orleans " is still operating as an overnight run Chicago to New Orleans. Arlo's best-known work is "Alice's Restaurant"
I love this old tune, and always liked the down- home, American backwoods feel that grew out of his dad's influences in things like riding the rails, hopping trains. Woody was probably one of the original american folk singers. At least a well known one.
Clicked on this as soon as I saw it. This song was written by Steve Goodman (who also wrote Go Cubs Go for some useless trivia) and who was the best friend of a young John Prine before he passed away far too young himself. Ok. Enough babbling. Time to play the video.
glad to see Steve Goodman mentioned by you.really good songwriter and he really helped Prine get discovered.good story on youtube Prine tells of Goodman taking Kristofferson to see him one night in Chicago
@Billy McPherson I can't wait for you to see the images--one in particular--that I posted in the video. :-)
That's right. Didn't Kris Kristofferson come to the Third Peg to hear Goodman and Goodman insisted he stick around to hear his friend John and the rest is history.
@@RockN2Country Saw that. How incredible for those lucky enough to have made that show.
@@BilbusWilbury as I remember Prine was playing across town,can't remember the venue.the same night Goodman opened for Kristofferson.Kris told Steve how good he thought he was,but Steve told him if he thought he was good they had to go see his buddy.the story goes kinda long but Kristofferson really helped Goodman and Prine get record deals
Arlo Guthrie's Hobo's Lullaby album which this recording is from is in my top ten most influential albums in my life. Best songs on there for me are this one, Days Are Short, Whena the Ship Comes In, Shackles and Chains, and Somebody Turned on the Light.
WHY OH WHY is it so hard for people to understand this song? My God. . .WHY???????????????? It's OBVIOUS. . .Train travel was once the main method for Americans to travel long distances. But air travel eventually took over and dominated passenger travel in the USA. So, trains were losing their position as a primary means of travel, and this song is about the "disappearing railroad" influence that these once very busy trains had. Also, naming a means of travel was not unusual at all. In fact, American Airlines used to name their planes after cities just like train companies did. American named each of their passenger planes, for example, "Flagship Tulsa" or "Flagship Kansas City" or many other cities. This was done by train companies as well. This was a very poignant song about a once mighty passenger train beginning to fade into the background of US travel. I just don't understand why people have such a hard time picking up on this. I watched another "reaction" video of this song and the guy said he just didn't understand what this song was about. Really? In my opinion, this is one of the best little songs that tell a story that you'll ever hear.
Definately a 10 its a great song about America and seeing it upclose.
Would not have recognized the title... been awhile... ❤️ it
I know where you're coming from and you're right!!!
Try Steve Goodman: "A Dying Cub Fan Last Request".
Surely you've heard (or heard of) Alice's Restaurant - Arlo's most wonderful work. A Thanksgiving staple at my house. Can't carve the turkey until we've listened to Arlo. I saw him do this one and Alice's Restaurant live a couple of years back to celebrate 50 years. He's as good a storyteller as you get. Wish I could have seen him with John Prine. What a ticket that must have been.
@Rebecca S I grew up hearing the song, though I didn't understand it since I was pretty young. And you saw him doing it live at Alice's Restaurant is one of the best stories to come from the channel, and there have been a lot of great stories!! That's awesome! One thing that would have topped it would have been seeing John and Arlo together, but you already knew that. :-) Welcome aboard the channel, Rebecca!
I love this song!
Amtrak, in one of its early budget cuts, cancelled The City of New Orleans. About 30 DAYS later, this song became a hit for the first time. Almost everybody has done a cover version of it, Arlo's probably being the biggest hit. Amtrak reinstated the train. Last I heard, it was still running.
In Steve Goodman's version, theblast verse ends : I'm the train they called the City of New Orleans, I'll be gone a Million miles when the day is done."
I think long haul, premium, bamed passenger trains was an American thing, mostly.
Aŕlo was the front man for Shenandoah for a while in the latter 70's... if you want to listen to storytelling at its finest you should listen to Arlo's Alice's Restaurant, its the only Thanksgiving song I have ever heard
Dont sleep on John Prine .. RIP you Legend
Folk songs are about life. Every country has its own folk songs. They tell a story. Woody Guthrie song called Deportee is a good one. Bobbie Gentry's Ode to Billy Joe is a ballad but also folksy also Louisiana Man. I think you would like them. I think this song is done from the prospective of a hobo riding the rails and would have been written during the depression. Woody Guthrie and Pete Seager sang it also. A lot of routes went out of business during that time.
Well, I would say 9.7, but I’ll stop and listen to Goodman‘s eulogy to the age of rail no matter if its Arlo, The Highwaymen, Judy Collins or John Denver singing.
I believe the first “Good morning America,” is descriptive of leaving Chicago. The second one being more metaphorical for when steam replaced stagecoaches like The Butterfield Overland Mail, that for $200 gold would get you the 2700 miles from Memphis to San Francisco in 25 grueling days. And the “Good night” was the acknowledgement that now, long distance travelers would be leaving on a jet plane.
The “500 miles” line echoes the older song “500 Miles” and it’s predecessor “900 Miles”. Or I could be wrong.
The use to name trains.
I always loved this song.
I swear I beat you over the head with my comments about Shane Smith and the Saints but if you liked this song, then you should hear their song "New Orleans"
The lead guitar player (formerly) Tim gets a unique sound by running a violin bow across the strings in the beginning to the create an amazing ambiance!
@hella 530 Just added it to the list, but please be patient with me since the list is long. Thanks for hanging in there!
@@RockN2Country haha I just figure you probably have a lot of of em! I appreciate it though! And thanks for helping the quarantine not be so bad!
morning Don good hippie dippie song chain smoking joints this am HAKAD
Says it all.... Rail travel for passengers was at its worst in the USA..... On a good note Happy 50th Anniversary to Amtrak 1971-?
If you think this is detailed you should listen to his biggest hit "ALICE'S RESTAURANT ".
Steve Goodman's song.
Don, here's a funny song you should listen. It's hard to kiss the lips at night (official video) by the Notorious Cherry Bombs. I think you'll love it.
@Frank Novack I did Vince Gill telling the story and singing the song, and it's hilarious the way he talks about telling Amy Grant, his wife, what song he'd been working on that day. Ha!! Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/EZFHh7CWJyE/v-deo.html
Listen to "When a Soldier Makes it Home" by Arlo. You might want to grab a tissue.
Hes not country...but ill let that pass. Hes folk and loves our country the same as his punk rock cousin.
Yay Steve goodman! RIP .. His version of this song is way better imo.. Better tempo.. Just him and his guitar .. Great
She’s a ghost train.
Hey Don can you do George Jones bone dry
@John Deer Thanks for the rec, and welcome to the channel! I just put it on my list, but the list is long so please be patient with me. But I'll get there. Thanks again!
The Willie Nelson version of this song is better in my opinion
america lonely: people