Every Friday around 11 a.m. Central, it’s time for Classic Americana on Radio Heartland. We pull a special track from the archives or from deep in the shelves to spotlight a particular artist or song.

It’s fair to venture a guess that there are thousands of people who may not know the name Steve Goodman — and may not even listen to folk music — yet they joyously sing a Steve Goodman song whenever they get the chance: When the Chicago Cubs win at home, Wrigley Field fills with the sound of fans belting out the chorus to “Go Cubs Go,” a song written by Steve Goodman.

But that’s not the only song Goodman is known for.

Steve Goodman was born in Chicago on July 25, 1948, and he graduated from Maine East High School in suburban Park Ridge, Ill., where one of his classmates was Hillary Rodham Clinton. Goodman dabbled with college, but he was always drawn to playing guitar. He decamped to New York’s Greenwich Village for a time, taking part in the folk scene there, before he returned to Chicago.

It was back in his hometown that Goodman’s career took flight. He worked for a time at the Park Ridge post office sorting mail while attending college classes and also participating in lessons and jams at Chicago’s legendary Old Town School of Folk Music; Goodman was also frequently performing at the various venues along North Wells Street in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood. It was during this time that Goodman befriended another Chicago-based musician (who incidentally also worked for the Postal Service), John Prine.

Goodman’s big break came when he opened for Kris Kristofferson at a venue in Chicago. Paul Anka happened to be at the show to hear Kristofferson and was enchanted by Goodman’s set. Kristofferson helped finance a recording session in New York for Goodman, and Anka helped get Goodman signed to a record label. (But none of that happened before Goodman tipped off Kristofferson to John Prine — resulting in Kristofferson helping kick-start Prine’s career, too.)

Steve Goodman released his self-titled debut album in 1971. One of the tracks on it was inspired by a train trip Goodman took with his wife; the resulting song, “City of New Orleans,” may be Goodman’s most enduring contribution to the folk canon. Although Goodman’s recording was critically lauded, the song proved a hit for Arlo Guthrie in 1972 and for Willie Nelson in 1984. Here’s Goodman’s version:

Although his albums were not big sellers, Goodman’s work as a songwriter helped sustain his music career. In addition to Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson, Goodman’s music has been covered by artists including David Allan Coe, Judy Collins, Johnny Cash and Jimmy Buffett, as well as by his good pal John Prine. Steve Goodman wrote commissioned pieces for NPR and other media outlets, and he gained a wider following in the late 1970s as the opening act for the actor, comedian and musician Steve Martin when Martin was still touring as a stand-up comic. 

In 1981, Steve Goodman wrote a lengthy ballad, “A Dying Cub Fan’s Last Request,” a song that laments what it was like to support the long-underperforming team.

The song rankled with Cubs’ management, but Goodman responded with the anthemic “Go Cubs Go” in 1984. The song became a favorite in Chicago that season — and the Cubs turned things around, winning the National League East Division Championship (the NL Central wasn’t created until 1994) and playing in their first postseason since 1945. But just four days before the Cubs’ clinching victory, Steve Goodman passed away at age 36 after a years-long battle with leukemia.

Although “Go Cubs Go” disappeared for about 20 years, it returned to Wrigley Field in 2007 and has remained a staple for Cubs fans, including during their World Series-winning 2016 season.

Classic Americana Playlist

External Links

“Steve Goodman & things that touch the soul” – article by Dave Hoekstra