City of New Orleans (song)

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This article is about a folk song. For the Amtrak train, see City of New Orleans. For the City, see New Orleans, Louisiana.

“City of New Orleans”

Single by Steve Goodman
Released	1972
Format	45
Genre	folk music
Writer(s)	Steve Goodman

City of New Orleans is a folk song written by Steve Goodman, which describes a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans in bittersweet and nostalgic terms. Goodman got the idea while traveling on the eponymous train on a visit to his wife's family's house. He performed the song for Arlo Guthrie in the Quiet Knight, a bar in Chicago, and Guthrie agreed to add it to his repertoire. The song proved a hit for Guthrie in 1972, and is now more closely associated with him, although Goodman continued to perform it until his death in 1984. The song has also been covered by Willie Nelson, John Denver, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, The Seldom Scene, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, David Hasselhoff, Back Porch Mary, and others.

In 1972, the music of the song was taken to build a French adaptation known as "Salut les amoureux" by Joe Dassin. It was a huge success.

In the 1970's the melody was used for the Hebrew song "Shalom Lach Eretz Nehederet" ("Goodbye, you wonderful country" or "Peace to you, lovely country"), written by Israeli songwriter Ilan Goldhirsch and popularized by singer Yehoram Gaon.^[1]

In 1973 the Dutch singer/actor Gerard Cox scored a hit with the translation of this song, called "Het is weer voorbij die mooie zomer"(transl. "The summer is gone again"). In 1975 the Dutch entertainer Rudi Carrell used this translation of Gerard Cox for the German top 10 hit single "Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer"

"City of New Orleans" won Steve Goodman a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1984 for Willie Nelson's version.

In September 2005, Jimmy Buffett performed the song at Wrigley Field as a tribute to Hurricane Katrina victims. The concert was the first concert played at Wrigley Field which was not tied to a baseball game. In October 2006, guitarist John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed the song during the band's set at the Voodoo Music Festival in New Orleans.

Preceded by "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)" by Alabama	Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single by Willie Nelson November 3, 1984	Succeeded by "I've Been Around Enough To Know" by John Schneider