Single:
The City of New Orleans entered the Australian singles chart* on 20 November 1972 and peaked at #58.
Album:
The song is on Arlo’s 1972 album Hobo’s Lullaby.
Songwriter:
Steve Goodman
Producer:
Lenny Waronker, John Pilla
Record label of Australian release:
Reprise
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Wikipedia:
City of New Orleans was written by Steve Goodman (and first recorded for Goodman’s self-titled 1971 album), describing a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans on the Illinois Central Railroad’s City of New Orleans in bittersweet and nostalgic terms.
Goodman got the idea while traveling on the line for a visit to his wife’s family. The song has been recorded by numerous artists, including two major hit versions: first by Arlo Guthrie in 1972, and later by Willie Nelson in 1984.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_New_Orleans_(song)
Lyrics:
Ridin’ on the City of New Orleans
Illinois Central, Monday morning rail
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail
All along the southbound odyssey
The train pulls out at Kankakee
And rolls along past houses, farms and fields
Passin’ trains that have no name
And freight yards full of old black men
And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles
Click for full lyrics
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