Who wrote City Of New Orleans
Karyn Brooks
lyrics anyone?
than you
daniel r. reitman, attorney to be
des...@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Karyn Brooks) writes:
>Steve Goodman?
Yes
>lyrics anyone?
In Rise Up Singing.
Daniel Reitman
"The examples of so-called bookkeeping for a so-called public financial
institution that were presented to us as evidence could easily warrant for a
half-dozen or so loan officers an other-worldly judgment of perdition, forever
condemning them to scramble about the floor of Pandemonium, each looking for
the missing beads of his shattered abacus."
In re Lanza, 51 B.R. 125, 126 (Bankr. D.N.J. 1985).
John Lupton
: Steve Goodman?
: lyrics anyone?
: than you
If you look at the album jacket of John Denver's early 70s release
"Aerie", on which he recorded "The City of New Orleans", you will find
that he claims to have co-written this song with Steve Goodman. I
remember seeing Denver in concert around '73 or so and hearing him
introduce the song by saying he had written it with Goodman in a hotel
room one night, but that Arlo Guthrie's hit version had come out before
he could record it himself and have a hit with it - "pissed me off..."
said Denver, in what was supposed to be mock anger.
Goodman is said to have been very generous about sharing credits with
other writers for minimal contributions. Exactly how much of "CONO" is
the result of Denver's talents is probably known only by Denver, since
Goodman is sadly no longer around to comment. But, as far as I know
neither Goodman nor his estate have ever brought any legal action against
Denver, so there must be some truth to it.
______________________________________________________________________________
John Lupton, LAN Specialist |Internet:jlu...@mail.sas.upenn.edu
Communications & Network Services |3401 Walnut St., Suite 321A
School of Arts & Sciences |Philadelphia PA 19104-6228
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________________________________________|_____________________________________
John S. Painter
lyrics are around in hard copy, somewhere. I vaguely recall a
gopher hole that has lyrics available to download to pc.
KO...@cunyvm.cuny.edu
album called "Gathering at the Earl of Old Town". It's a collection of
material from various Chicago musicians and I believe it predates any of
Steve Goodman's solo albums. According to the liner notes:
"Steve Goodman's sharp wit and keen eye constantly show
up in his performances and in compositions like 'City of
New Orleans", which he wrote while riding that train one
morning."
It's a good example of early '70's liner note style, but it doesn't
say that he was in a car with John Denver.
Deborah
Paul Beck
> If you look at the album jacket of John Denver's early 70s release
> "Aerie", on which he recorded "The City of New Orleans", you will find
> that he claims to have co-written this song with Steve Goodman.
from the song as everybody else sings it. A couple of the changes are minor
(e.g. "old gray men" in place of "old black men"), but Denver included a whole
bridge that is not in any other version I've ever heard. I've always assumed
(with nothing else to go on) that this bridge is John Denver's "contribution" to
the song. The song, for what it's worth, is far better off without the bridge.
It's also a bit of a thin excuse for putting his name forward as a co-author;
I have no idea whether he made more of a contribution to the song or not.
-----------
Paul Beck
Paul Beck
Steve Goldfield
Paul Beck <paul...@zko.mts.dec.com> wrote:
#>In article <3bnbsl$8...@netnews.upenn.edu>
#>jlu...@mail1.sas.upenn.edu (John Lupton) wrote:
#>
#>> If you look at the album jacket of John Denver's early 70s release
#>> "Aerie", on which he recorded "The City of New Orleans", you will find
#>> that he claims to have co-written this song with Steve Goodman.
That probably means that he changed the lyrics or added some of
his own, not that he had a role in composing the song in the first
place.
Arlo Guthrie tells a great story about people approaching him
all the time with songs. One time this guy came up to him in
a bar. Arlo told him he had the time it would take Arlo to
finish his beer. The guy (who was Steve Goodman) sang him
"City of New Orleans." The rest is history, and John Denver
obviously comes into it later on.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Steve Goldfield :<{ {>: s...@coe.berkeley.edu
University of California at Berkeley Richmond Field Station
Susan Krauss
>If you look at the album jacket of John Denver's early
>70s release "Aerie", on which he recorded "The City of
>New Orleans", you will find that he claims to have
>co-written this song with Steve Goodman.
John Denver is a liar. Steve Goodman wrote "City Of New
Orleans" all by himself on a train trip with his wife. The new
Steve Goodman anthology includes a photo of the hand written
lyrics of the song (cross outs and all) and the following,
written by Nancy Goodman:
"Steve wrote one of the best train songs ever while we rode
south on the Illinois Central's "City of New Orleans." We
weren't bound for New Orleans, but to see my grandmother, who
was living in a Shriner home in Mattoon, Illinois, after my
grandfather had lost all their money and died. But we
sometimes travel in parallel universes, and Steve went all the
way to the delta on that train -- even though we both got off
in Mattoon."
In the same booklet, Arlo tells the now famous story of Steve
singing "City of New Orleans" to him while Arlo sat at the bar
of the club Arlo'd just played.
No one but John Denver has ever said that John Denver ever had
anything to do with that song. And he lied.
Susan Krauss | Krauss Research
skr...@hooked.net
Russ Jennings
: Steve Goodman?
: lyrics anyone?
: than you
Yes, it was the late Steve Goodman. There are several
albums that contain that song. I recently found an album called:
Steve Goodman, City Of New Orleans. It has 19 songs (70:50)
Jan Ekeland
Karyn....:-)
From Nevada:
From g...@asterix.lbl.gov (Gil Rivlis)
Subject: CRD: City of New Orleans (performed by Arlo Guthrie)
Date: 20 Jan 1993 03:58:23 GMT
Anyone has the chords for Black Water by the Doobie Brothers?
ObCrd
*******
City of New Orleans (As performed by Arlo Guthrie)
Into:
| G / / / | G / / / |
| G / D / | G / / / |
Riding on the City of New Orleans
| Em / C / | G / / / |
Illinois Central Monday morning rail
| G / D / | G / / / |
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
| Em / D / | G / / / |
Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.
| Em / / / | Bm / / / |
All along the south bound odyssey, the train pulls out of Kenkakee
| D / / / | A / / / |
Rolls along past houses farms and fields
| Em / / / | Bm / / / |
Passing trains that have no name, freight yards of old black men
| D / D7 / | G / / / |
And graveyards of rusted automobiles.
Chorus:
| C / D7 / | G / / / |
Good morning America, how are you?
1/2 1/2
| Em / C / | G / / D7 D9 |
Say, don't you know me, I'm your native son.
| G / D / | Em Em7 A7 / |
I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans
| Bb C D D9 | G / / / |
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
Dealing card games with the old men in the club car
Penny a point ain't noone keeping score
Pass the paper bag but hold the bottle
Feel the wheels rumbling 'neath the floor
And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers
Ride their father's magic carpets made of steel
Mother with her babes asleep rocking to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.
Chorus. (As above)
Nightime on the City of New Orleans
Changing cars in Memphis Tennessee
Half way home we'll be there by morning
through the Mississippi darkness rolling down to the sea.
But all the towns and people seem to fade into a dark dream
And the steel rail still ain't heard the news
The conductor sings his songs again, the passagers will please refrain
This train got the disappearing railroad blues.
Chorus:
Good night America, How are you?
Say, don't you know me, I'm your native son.
I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
G 3 2 0 0 0 3 (or 3 2 0 0 3 3 or 3 5 5 4 3 3 )
D x x 0 2 3 2 (or x 5 4 2 3 2)
Em 0 2 2 0 0 0
C x 3 2 0 1 0 (or x 3 5 5 5 3)
Bm x 2 4 4 3 2
A x 0 2 2 2 0
D7 x x 0 2 1 2 (or x 5 4 5 3 x)
D9 x x 0 2 1 0
Em7 0 2 0 0 0 0 (or 0 2 2 0 3 0)
A7 x 0 2 0 2 0
Bb x 1 3 3 3 1
--
----------------------------------------------------------------
#005
{title:City of New Orleans}
{st:Steve Goodman}
{c:(capo 3)}
[G]Riding on the [D]City of New Or[G]leans,
[Em]Illinois Central, [C]Monday morning [G]rail,
[G]Fifteen cars and fi[D]fteen restless [G]riders,
Three con[Em]ductors, and t[D]wenty five sacks of [G]mail.
All a[Em]long the southbound odyssey,
The [Bm]train pulls out of Kankakee,
And [D]rolls along the houses, farms and [A]fields.
[Em]Passing trains that have no name,
And [Bm]freight yards full of old black men,
And [D]graveyards of the rusted automo[G]biles.
{c:Chorus:}
[C]Good morning Am[D]erica, how a[G]re you?
Say [Em]don't you know me, [C]I'm your native [G]son.
[D]I'm the [G]train they call the [D]City of New [Em]Orleans,
I'll be gon[F]e five [C]hundred miles[D] when the day is [G]done.
Dealing card games with the old men in the club cars,
A penny a point, ain't no one keeping score.
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle,
And feel the wheels rumbling 'neath the floor.
And the sons of Pullman porters,
And the sons of engineers,
Ride their fathers' magic carpet made of steel.
Mothers with their babes asleep,
Rocking to the gentle beat,
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.
{c:Chorus.}
Nighttime on the City of New Orleans,
Changing cars in Memphis, Tennesee.
Halfway home, and we'll be there by morning,
Through the Misissippi darkness, rolling down to the sea.
But all the towns and people seem
To fade into a bad dream,
The steel rail still ain't heard the news.
The conductor sings his songs again,
The passengers will please refrain,
This train's got the disappearin' railroad blues.
{c:Chorus:}
Goodnight America, how are you?
Say don't you know me, I'm your native son.
I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
#
# Submitted to the ftp.nevada.edu:/pub/guitar archives
# by Steve Putz <pu...@parc.xerox.com>
# 7 September 1992
Jan.
************************************************************************
* Jan Ekeland, | jeke...@bbb.no | ...and lovin' her was *
* Boelum, | J_EK...@BBB1.BBB.NO | easier than anything *
* 3073 Galleberg, | ja...@winix.no | I'll ever do again... *
* Norway. | j...@amanda.bbb.no | Kris K. *
************************************************************************
ghost
>jlu...@mail1.sas.upenn.edu (John Lupton) wrote:
>
->>If you look at the album jacket of John Denver's early
->>70s release "Aerie", on which he recorded "The City of
->>New Orleans", you will find that he claims to have
->>co-written this song with Steve Goodman.
->John Denver is a liar. Steve Goodman wrote "City Of New
->Orleans" all by himself on a train trip with his wife. The new
->Steve Goodman anthology includes a photo of the hand written
->lyrics of the song (cross outs and all) and the following,
->written by Nancy Goodman:
->"Steve wrote one of the best train songs ever while we rode
->south on the Illinois Central's "City of New Orleans." We
->weren't bound for New Orleans, but to see my grandmother, who
->was living in a Shriner home in Mattoon, Illinois, after my
->grandfather had lost all their money and died. But we
->sometimes travel in parallel universes, and Steve went all the
->way to the delta on that train -- even though we both got off
->in Mattoon."
Goodman used to tell audiences in Cambridge that he took that train to
college in another part of Illinois, but thought it a shame to write a song
about a train that went 500 miles & stop the song at 100 miles out just
because he got off there.
Dave Draeger
>
>I believe John Denver made up an additional verse
>to CONY and that's why he grafted his name onto the writing
>credit on the 'Aerie' album. I'll check the album jacket
>over the weekend.
>
Oops, that should read 'CONO'. Sorry for the inconvenience.
My apologies to any New Orleansians (Orleansites? Orleaners?).
--
Dave Draeger dra...@groucho.network.com (612) 424-1665
Network Systems Corp. 7600 Boone Ave. N. Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
Opinions expressed above are not necessarily those of Network Systems Corp.
Opinions expressed above, with a quarter, will get you a cup of coffee.
Dave Draeger
>In article <3c266a$6...@get.hooked.net> skr...@get.hooked.net (Susan Krauss) writes:
>>jlu...@mail1.sas.upenn.edu (John Lupton) wrote:
>>
>->>If you look at the album jacket of John Denver's early
>->>70s release "Aerie", on which he recorded "The City of
>->>New Orleans", you will find that he claims to have
>->>co-written this song with Steve Goodman.
>
>->John Denver is a liar. Steve Goodman wrote "City Of New
>->Orleans" all by himself on a train trip with his wife. The new
>->Steve Goodman anthology includes a photo of the hand written
>->lyrics of the song (cross outs and all) and the following,
>->written by Nancy Goodman:
>
I believe John Denver made up an additional verse
to CONY and that's why he grafted his name onto the writing
credit on the 'Aerie' album. I'll check the album jacket
over the weekend.
dan.ha...@syntex.com
In article <3c266a$6...@get.hooked.net>, <skr...@get.hooked.net> writes:
> From: skr...@get.hooked.net (Susan Krauss)
>
> >If you look at the album jacket of John Denver's early
> >70s release "Aerie", on which he recorded "The City of
> >New Orleans", you will find that he claims to have
> >co-written this song with Steve Goodman.
>
> John Denver is a liar. Steve Goodman wrote "City Of New
> Orleans" all by himself......
I agree that John Denver did not write City. However, in a radio interview
with Steve Goodman that I have on tape somewhere (I think the show originated
in Chicago) he states that John did alter or add a verse (I forget which). He
also states that he didn't think that gave John the right to claim
co-authorship. He also conceeded that having the song appear on John's LP made
Steve popular. He also gave John credit for singing the song well. Whether
this makes John a "liar" I'll leave up to the legal guru's, but I don't think
he should have billed himself as an author.
Dan Hartford
John Hommel
as the author of the song. John Denver's version is good, but others are
better (Goodman's own and Willie Nelson's for instance). I don't know if
Denver is a liar, but he did NOT write that song.
John in Texas
jo...@netcom.com
Right, Goodman wrote it. I heard him sing it at the Winnipeg Folk Festival
lo these many years ago; it was quite a privilege.
Didn't Denver's version have a different ending? It's been a number of
years since I was a John Denver fan, though I blushingly admit I used to
go to his live concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheater when I was a teenager
-- but I seem to remember that he changed the last chorus to "Good night
America, I love you." If that's true, and it may perfectly well not be,
it _might_ be the basis on which he claims co-authorship credit. Pretty
damn flimsy, but at least it's something.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-__ __ /_ Jon Berger "If you push something hard enough,
//_// //_/ jo...@netcom.com it will fall over."
_/ --------- - Fudd's First Law of Opposition
John Hommel
are right. That is a pretty flimsy way to claim authorship. Alas, I, too
was a Denver fan, but the Denver that he projected sure wasn't the Denver
he turned out to be. There was a time in my life when he gave me a lot
of good entertainment, so I guess I should give him credit for that. I like
your logo. Fudd's law is right on,
John in Texas
Steven Sobel
Fornatele's "Mixed Bag", then on WNEW, New York), Goodman was asked if he
ever got tired of being asked to sing that song. He replied "Are you
kidding? That song is going to put my kids through college."
Steve Sobel
sidne...@gmail.com
But Goodman had indeed met with Denver who had expressed an interest in recording the song. More on that in a moment. Several months earlier, a Chicago folk club bar owner had introduced Steve to Arlo Guthrie following a concert by Guthrie, and insisted that Arlo sit and listen to Steve's song. Arlo loved it and took a cassette tape and a lead sheet but sat on it for many months without recording it.
Goodman had already been diagnosed with Leukemia and was anxious to make a mark on the world before he died. Though Goodman was loved by audiences for his stunning peformances and numerous songs he wrote (i.e. "Lincoln Park Pirates" and "Talk Backwards"), Goodman still hadn't had a big hit song. So when John Denver approached Goodman, he told Goodman he like the song but wanted to make some changes. Goodman was terribly torn, knowing that the changes weakened the song, but that here was this #1 recording artist (who had jsut hit it big with "Country Roads") who wanted to record one of his songs. So he told Denver to go ahead with it.
But, just before the Denver recording was released, thankfully, Arlo Guthrie finally got into the studio, recorded it, released it, and the song hit it BIG on the charts. The wonderful aspect of that is that had Denver released it first, Guthrie may have never released his version and thus the song would have never hit gold since though Denver is an amazing performer and songwriter in his own right, Denver's version of "City of New Orleans" is just bsically lame without quintessential lines such as "this train's got the disappearing railroad blues." Plus, Arlo's version, was not only 99% lyrically accurate, but it had this great piano track. Arlo's piano style and licks on the song were the perfect addition, thus enhancing the song's attraction and pull.
The rest is history. The song is eternal. CONO is one of the greatest, if not the greatest train songs ever written. By the way, another wonderful version is recorded by Willie Nelson.
kel...@gmail.com
m...@privacy.net
>John Denver states on the intro to the song
kel...@gmail.com
Larry Holder
The Catalog of Copyright Entries (Third Series, Volume 26, Part 5, Number 2, Section 1, July-December 1972) has the following on page 1807:
"CITY OF NEW ORLEANS; w, m & arr. Steve Goodman, additional lyric by John Denver. Kama Rippa Music. 5 p. Appl. author: Kama Rippa Music, Inc., employer for hire of John Denver. Appl. states prev. reg. 25May70, EU183832. © on arr. for voice with piano acc. & guitar chord symbols & additional lyric; Kama Rippa Music, Inc. & Turnpike Tom Music; 9Dec71; EP303952."
Another Google search turned up the previous (original) registration info mentioned above:
The Catalog of Copyright Entries (Third Series, Volume 24, Part 5, Number 1, Section 1, January-June 1970) has the following on page 108:
"CITY OF NEW ORLEANS; w & m Steve Goodman. 3 p. © Nuance Music Co.; 25May70; EU183832."
At the very least, this shows by official records in the Library of Congress that the original composition was solely authored by Steve Goodman. (Note also, "EU" means copyright registration of an unpublished work, while "EP" denotes registration of a published work).
Incidentally, an ASCAP ACE database search today turns up "City of New Orleans" (ISWC: T0700280267, Work ID: 330186848) with Steve Goodman (ASCAP IPI 63099373) as the sole author. It shows the current publisher solely as Sony/ATV Tunes LLC.
A search of the catalog at Sony/ATV shows City of New Orleans (Song ID 232489) with sole writer as Steve Goodman (ASCAP).
