NPR: The Best Song In The World Today

The Best Song In The World Today

Filed under:

This is the only song I've ever heard that can make me laugh and cry in the span of five minutes. Steve Goodman is the great American songwriter who penned "City of New Orleans," made famous by Arlo Guthrie, and "You Never Even Call Me By My Name," made famous by David Allan Coe. Goodman died at age 36 of leukemia in 1984, and in the months before he passed away, he wrote and recorded two songs about his beloved Chicago Cubs.

When the Cubs were on the verge of a playoff berth eight days ago, I blogged about one of those songs, "Go Cubs Go." Sure it's cheesy and campy, but it captures the optimism that's an inherent part of sports fandom. Well today the Cubs' season is over, meaning it's now been 99 years since the team's last championship. So it's time for Goodman's other Cubs song: "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request." A Goodman autobiographer explains,

For all its exuberance, [Go Cubs Go] was merely the alter ego of "Dying Cub Fan." In its fatalism "Dying Cub Fan" was as devoted and affectionate as "Go Cubs Go" was in its blind faith.

The song contains Goodman's legendary humor, present in so many of his songs, but it's so poignant because he himself is that dying Cubs fan, and he knows it. Here he is performing the song, with Wrigley Field in the background, just months before his death:

As they say in Chicago, "Wait 'till next year..."

Dan Pashman

10:38 PM ET | 10- 6-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Has anyone ever shed a single tear over the Diamondbacks? The Rockies? Its easy to dump on the sun belt for lacking "tradition" but people -- there is right and there is wrong. And these newcomers with their focus grouped team colors and their stadiums with AMENITIES....amenities!?!? I consider an armrest an extravagance. Are you with me people??? Support a 20 year waiting period before an expansion team can win a world series. Tell your Congressman (not Tancredo) that you support the EXPANSION TEAM WAIT YOUR TURN ACT-or Danny Pashman's law. Troy Tulowitzki is a delicate flower who must not experience success too early. In your heart you know I'm right.

Sent by mike pesca | 12:47 AM ET | 10-10-2007

Send a Comment

Comments are reviewed and edited by NPR prior to display. All comments will be read, but not all will be posted.

NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its Web site or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.

E-mail this Page

Recipient's e-mail address:	» Up to twelve addresses, separated by commas.
Your e-mail address:
Your name:
Personal message (optional, 600 characters max):
Your NPR member station:
Are you a member of your local NPR station?	Yes No
Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes No
Please send me updates from NPR.	Yes No

(Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above. See NPR's privacy policy for more information.)

Host

Alison Stewart

Welcome to 'The Bryant Park Project'

This new radio show from NPR comes to you weekdays, straight out of New York City. You can find audio and video from us here and in our podcasts. Bryant Park is not a talk show, but it is a conversation. Intrigued? Read our frequently asked questions and discussion rules.