City of New Orleans ( song ) - wikipedia City of New Orleans ( song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( April 2009 ) `` City of New Orleans '' Single by Steve Goodman from the album Steve Goodman B - side `` Would You Like to Learn to Dance ? '' Released 1971 Format 7 '' Recorded 1971 Genre Folk Length 3 : 52 Label Buddah Songwriter ( s ) Steve Goodman Producer ( s ) Kris Kristofferson, Norbert Putnam `` City of New Orleans '' is a folk song 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 Illinois Central line for a visit to his wife 's family. The song has been recorded by numerous artists both in the US and Europe, including two major hit versions : first by Arlo Guthrie in 1972, and later by Willie Nelson in 1984. An article in the September 2017 issue of Trains magazine chronicles the writing and recording of the song and includes a biographical sketch of Steve Goodman. Contents 1 Arlo Guthrie version 1.1 Chart performance 1.2 Weekly charts 1.3 Year - end charts 2 Willie Nelson version 2.1 Chart performance 3 Other versions 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Arlo Guthrie version `` The City of New Orleans '' Single by Arlo Guthrie from the album Hobo 's Lullaby B - side `` Days Are Short '' Released July 1972 Format 7 '' Recorded 1972 Genre Folk Length 4 : 31 Label Reprise Songwriter ( s ) Steve Goodman Producer ( s ) Lenny Waronker, John Pilla While at the Quiet Knight bar in Chicago, Goodman saw Arlo Guthrie, and asked to be allowed to play a song for him. Guthrie grudgingly agreed, on the condition that if Goodman bought him a beer, Guthrie would listen to him play for as long as it took to drink the beer. Goodman played `` City of New Orleans '', which Guthrie liked enough that he asked to record it. The song was a hit for Guthrie on his 1972 album Hobo 's Lullaby, reaching # 4 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart and # 18 on the Hot 100 chart ; it would prove to be Guthrie 's only top - 40 hit and one of only two he would have on the Hot 100 ( the other was a severely shortened and rearranged version of his magnum opus `` Alice 's Restaurant '', which hit # 97 ). Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1972 ) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles 11 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 14 US Billboard Hot 100 18 U.S. Billboard Easy Listening Year - end charts Chart ( 1972 ) Rank U.S. Billboard Hot 100 45 Willie Nelson version `` City of New Orleans '' Single by Willie Nelson from the album City of New Orleans B - side `` Why Are You Pickin ' on Me '' Released July 1984 Format 7 '' Recorded October 1983 Genre Country Length 4 : 47 Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Steve Goodman Producer ( s ) Chips Moman Willie Nelson singles chronology `` To All the Girls I 've Loved Before '' ( 1984 ) `` City of New Orleans '' ( 1984 ) `` Seven Spanish Angels '' ( 1985 ) Steve Goodman won a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Country Song at the 27th Grammy Awards in 1985 for Willie Nelson 's version, which was included on Nelson 's 1984 album City of New Orleans. It reached # 1 on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the United States and the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. Chart performance Chart ( 1984 ) Peak position US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) 30 Canadian RPM Country Tracks Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks Other versions Joe Dassin recorded a French cover, titled Salut les amoureux ( `` Hello, lovers '' ). The progressive bluegrass band The Seldom Scene recorded a version for their album Act I in 1972. Dutch singer Gerard Cox produced a version called ' t Is weer voorbij die mooie zomer ( The nice summer is over again ) in 1973. John Denver recorded a version on his album All Aboard ! Jimmy Buffett record two versions for his live album Live At Wrigley Field. In a Shining Time Station Season 2 episode, Jingle, Jingle, Jingle, The Jukebox Band sing this song to celebrate their promotion of winning the slogan contest. Israeli singer Yehoram Gaon recorded an Hebrew version, which was translated by Ilan Goldhirsch, titled Shalom lakh eretz nehederet. Punk rock supergroup cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes released a version as a single in 2017. Judy Collins In her album Judith See also List of train songs References Jump up ^ Sanders, Craig. `` Writing of ' City of New Orleans ' ''. Trains 77 ( 9 ) : 34 - 39. Jump up ^ Central, Spotlight ( 15 November 2016 ). `` '' Running Down the Road '' Arlo Guthrie LIVE ! at The Grunin Center ``. Medium. Retrieved 1 February 2018. Jump up ^ `` Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada ''. Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada ''. Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Arlo Guthrie Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2002 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 - 2001. Record Research. p. 109. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1972 / Top 100 Songs of 1972 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 17. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits : 1944 - 2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 245. Jump up ^ `` Willie Nelson Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Willie Nelson Chart History ( Adult Contemporary ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Track of the Day : ' Salut Les Amoureux ' by Joe Dassin ''. The Atlantic. 2016 - 10 - 22. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 30. External links Original lyrics at the Wayback Machine ( archived October 20, 2006 ) Arlo Guthrie cover lyric version at the Wayback Machine ( archived November 21, 2006 ) Classic Tracks : Arlo Guthrie 's `` City of New Orleans '' Arlo Guthrie Studio albums Alice 's Restaurant ( 1967 ) Running Down the Road ( 1969 ) Alice 's Restaurant Soundtrack ( 1969 ) Washington County ( 1970 ) Hobo 's Lullaby ( 1972 ) Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys ( 1973 ) Arlo Guthrie ( 1974 ) Amigo ( 1976 ) One Night ( 1978 ) Outlasting the Blues ( 1979 ) Power of Love ( 1981 ) Someday ( 1986 ) Son of the Wind ( 1992 ) Mystic Journey ( 1996 ) Woody 's 20 Grow Big Songs ( 2005 ) Live albums Arlo ( 1968 ) Alice 's Restaurant : The Massacree Revisited ( 1996 ) Arlo Guthrie - Live in Sydney ( 2005 ) In Times Like These ( 2007 ) With Pete Seeger Together In Concert ( 1975, live ) Precious Friend ( 1982 ) More Together Again, Vol. 1 ( 1994 ) More Together Again, Vol. 2 ( 1994 ) Compilations The Best of Arlo Guthrie ( 1976 ) All Over the World ( 1991 ) Important songs `` Alice 's Restaurant '' `` City of New Orleans '' `` Massachusetts '' Films acted in Alice 's Restaurant ( 1969 ) Renaldo and Clara ( 1978 ) The Weavers : Was n't That a Time ! ( 1982 ) Baby 's Storytime ( 1989 ) Roadside Prophets ( 1992 ) Films composed for Woodstock ( 1969 ) Related Discography Woody Guthrie Byrds of Paradise The Muppet Show Rising Son Records Alice Brock Willie Nelson singles discography 1950s and 1960s 1957 `` No Place for Me '' / `` Lumberjack '' 1959 `` Man With the Blues '' / `` The Storm Has Just Begun '' 1960 `` What a Way to Live '' / `` Misery Mansion '' `` Nite Life '' / `` Rainy Day Blues '' 1961 `` The Part Where I Cry '' / `` Mr. Record Man '' 1962 `` Willingly '' / `` Chain of Love '' `` Touch Me '' / `` Where My House Lives '' `` Wake Me When It 's Over '' / `` There 's Gonna Be Love In My House '' `` You Dream About Me '' / `` Is This My Destiny '' 1963 `` Half a Man '' / `` The Last Letter '' `` Take My Word '' / `` Feed it a Memory '' 1964 `` How Long is Forever '' / `` You Took My Happy Away '' `` Am I Blue '' / `` There 'll Be No Teardrops Tonight '' `` River Boy '' / `` Opportunity to Cry '' `` I Never Cared For You '' / `` You Left Me ( A Long Time Ago ) '' `` Pretty Paper '' / `` What A Merry Christmas This Could Be '' 1965 `` She 's Not For You '' / `` Permanently Lonely '' `` Healing Hands of Time '' / `` One Day at the Time '' `` I Just Ca n't Let You Say Goodbye '' / `` And So Will You, My Love '' 1966 `` One In A Row '' / `` San Antonio Rose '' `` Colombus Stockade Blues '' / `` He Sits at my Table '' `` I 'm Still Not Over You '' / `` I Love You Because '' 1967 `` The Party 's Over '' / `` Make Way for a Better Man '' `` Blackjack County Chain '' / `` Some Other World '' `` San Antonio '' / `` To Make a Long Story Short '' 1968 `` Little Things '' / `` Sweet Memories '' `` Good Times '' / `` Where Do You Stand '' `` Johnny One Time '' / `` She 's Still Gone '' 1969 `` Bring Me Sunshine '' / `` Do n't Say Love or Nothing '' `` I Hope So '' / `` Right or Wrong '' 1970s 1970 `` Once More With Feeling '' / `` Who Do I Know in Dallas '' `` Laying My Burdens Down '' / `` Truth Number One '' 1971 `` I 'm a Memory '' / `` Fire and Rain '' `` Yesterday 's Wine '' / `` Me and Paul '' 1972 `` Words Do n't Fit the Picture '' / `` A Moment '' 1973 `` Shotgun Willie '' ( mono ) / `` Sad Songs and Waltzes '' `` Stay All Night ( Stay a Little Longer ) '' / `` Devil in a Sleepin ' Bag '' `` I Still Ca n't Believe You 're Gone '' / `` Heaven and Hell '' `` Bloody Mary Morning '' / `` After the Fire is Gone '' ( with Tracy Nelson ) `` Sister 's Comin ' Home '' ( mono ) / `` Pick Up The Tempo '' `` Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain '' / `` Bandera '' 1976 `` Remember Me ( When the Candle Lights Are Gleaming ) '' / `` Time of the Preacher '' `` I 'd Have to Be Crazy '' ( mono ) / `` Amazing Grace '' `` If You 've Got the Money I 've Got the Time '' / `` The Sound in Your Mind '' 1977 `` Uncloudy Day '' / `` Precious Memories '' `` I Love You A Thousand Ways '' / `` Mom and Dad 's Waltz '' 1978 `` Georgia on My Mind '' / `` On The Sunny Side Of The Street '' `` Blue Skies '' / `` Moonlight in Vermont '' `` All of Me '' / `` Unchained Melody '' 1979 `` Whiskey River '' / `` Under the Double Eagle '' `` September Song '' / `` Do n't Get Around Much Anymore '' `` White Christmas '' / `` Blue Christmas '' 1980s 1980 `` Help Me Make It Through the Night '' / `` The Pilgrim, Chapter 33 '' `` My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys '' / `` Rising Stars '' `` Midnight Rider '' / `` So You Think You 're A Cowboy '' `` On the Road Again '' / `` Jumpin ' Cotton Eyed Joe '' ( performed by Johnny Gimble ) 1981 `` Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground '' / `` I Guess I 've Come to Live Here in Your Eyes '' `` Mona Lisa '' / `` Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star '' `` I 'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter '' / `` Over the Rainbow '' `` Heartaches of a Fool '' / `` Uncloudy Day '' 1982 `` Always on My Mind '' / `` The Party 's Over '' `` Let It Be Me '' / `` Permanently Lonely '' `` Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning '' / `` Old Fords and a Natural Stone '' `` Little Old Fashioned Karma '' / `` Beer Barrel Polka '' `` Why Do I Have to Choose '' / `` Would You Lay with Me ( In a Field of Stone ) '' `` Take It to the Limit '' / `` Till I Gain Control Again '' `` Without a Song '' 1984 `` City of New Orleans ( Unedited version ) '' / `` Why Are You Pickin ' On Me '' 1985 `` Forgiving You Was Easy '' / `` You Would n't Cross the Street '' `` Me and Paul '' / `` I Let My Mind Wander '' 1986 `` Living in the Promiseland '' / `` Bach Minuet in G '' `` I 'm Not Trying to Forget You '' / `` I 've Got the Craziest Feeling '' `` Partners After All '' / `` Home Away From Home '' `` Heart of Gold '' / `` So Much Like My Dad '' `` Island in the Sea '' / `` There Is No Easy Way '' `` Nobody There But Me '' / `` Wake Me When It 's Over '' `` Spanish Eyes '' ( with Julio Iglesias ) / `` Ole Buttermilk Sky '' `` Twilight Time '' / `` Ac - Cent - Tchu - Ate the Positive '' `` Nothing I Can Do About It Now '' / `` If I Were a Painting '' `` There You Are '' / `` Spirit '' `` Is The Better Part Over '' / `` Mr. Record Man '' 1990s `` The Highway '' / `` Spirit '' `` Ai n't Necessarily So '' / `` I Never Cared For You '' ( `` Ai n't Necessarily So '' also on CD Single ) 1991 `` The Piper Came Today '' / `` ( I Do n't Have a Reason ) To Go To California Anymore '' ( `` The Piper Came Today '' also on CD Single ) `` Ten With a Two '' / `` You Decide '' `` Graceland '' `` Still is Still Moving to Me '' / `` Valentine '' 1995 `` Turn Me Loose and Let Me Swing '' 1998 `` I Never Cared for You '' 2000s and 2010s 2002 `` Mendocino County Line '' ( with Lee Ann Womack ) / `` Maria ( Shut Up and Kiss Me ) '' ( Both single tracks released on CD and 7 '' record ) 2003 `` Wurlitzer Prize '' ( with Norah Jones ) `` Beer for My Horses '' ( with Toby Keith ) 2005 `` I 'm a Worried Man '' ( with Toots Hibbert ) `` The Harder They Come '' 2006 `` You Do n't Know Me '' `` Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other '' 2008 `` Gravedigger '' `` You Do n't Think I 'm Funny Anymore '' 2011 `` The Scientist '' 2012 `` Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die '' `` Just Breathe '' `` Come On Back Jesus '' 2013 `` From Here to the Moon and Back '' ( with Dolly Parton ) `` Grandma 's Hands '' ( with Mavis Staples ) `` It Wo n't Be Long '' ( with The Secret Sisters ) `` Somewhere Between '' ( with Loretta Lynn ) 2014 `` The Wall '' `` Bring It On '' `` Laws of Nature '' `` Who 'll Buy My Memories '' `` Summer of Roses '' / `` December Day '' 2015 `` It 's All Going to Pot '' `` Alice in Hulaland '' 2016 `` Lay Me Down '' 2017 `` Still Not Dead '' 2018 `` Last Man Standing '' `` Summer Wind '' `` Vote ' Em Out '' Book : Willie Nelson Category : Willie Nelson Joe Dassin Studio albums Joe Dassin à New York Les Deux Mondes de Joe Dassin Joe Dassin ( Les Champs - Élysées ) Joe Dassin ( La Fleur aux dents ) Joe Dassin ( Elle était... Oh ! ) Joe 13 chansons nouvelles Joe Dassin ( Si tu t'appelles Mélancolie ) Joe Dassin ( Le Costume blanc ) Le Jardin du Luxembourg Les Femmes de ma vie 15 ans déjà... Blue Country Home Made Ice Cream Compilations Le Meilleur de Joe Dassin ‎ Ses plus grands succès Songs `` Les Dalton '' `` Marie - Jeanne '' `` Siffler sur la colline '' `` Comment te dire '' `` Ma bonne étoile '' `` Le Petit Pain au chocolat '' `` Le Chemin de papa '' `` Les Champs - Élysées '' `` C'est la vie, Lily '' `` Billy le Bordelais '' `` L'Amérique '' `` Cécilia '' `` La Fleur aux dents '' `` L'Équipe à Jojo '' `` Taka takata ( La Femme du toréro ) '' `` La Complainte de l'heure de pointe '' `` Le Moustique '' `` Salut les amoureux '' `` Si tu t'appelles Mélancolie '' `` L'Été indien '' `` Ça va pas changer le monde '' `` Et si tu n'existais pas '' `` Salut '' `` Il était une fois nous deux '' `` Le Jardin du Luxembourg '' `` À toi '' `` Et l'amour s'en va '' `` Dans les yeux d'Émilie '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=City_of_New_Orleans_(song)&oldid=860496685 '' Categories : American folk songs Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles Buddah Records singles Columbia Records singles Reprise Records singles RPM Country Tracks number - one singles Song recordings produced by Chips Moman Song recordings produced by Lenny Waronker Songs about trains Songs written by Steve Goodman Arlo Guthrie songs Judy Collins songs Willie Nelson songs Joe Dassin songs 1971 songs 1971 singles 1972 singles 1984 singles Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from April 2009 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Singlechart usages for Billboardadultcontemporary All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018 Webarchive template wayback links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Nederlands Suomi Edit links This page was last edited on 21 September 2018, at 02 : 01 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the song the city of new orleans about
Answer: describing a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans on the Illinois Central Railroad's City of New Orleans in bittersweet and nostalgic terms