The Cubs' Victory Song

For most of his life, Steve Goodman was a musical cult figure. He is best known for being the author of Arlo Guthrie's 1972 hit "City of New Orleans," which was later covered in country music by Willie Nelson, and for writing the very tongue-in-cheek "perfect country song" "You Never Even Called Me By My Name," the most successful hit of David Allen Coe's career. While many others recorded his songs (Jimmy Buffett's albums were dotted with Goodman songs such as "California Promises," "Banana Republics," and "This Hotel Room"), Goodman was mainly a "songwriter's songwriter" -- loved by his peers but virtually ignored by the masses.

Raised in a Jewish home in Chicago, Goodman learned his love of music from listening to the cantors in the synagogue. He became a frequent face in the Chicago folk scene in the late 1960s, hooking up with fellow folk singer John Prine. (Prine co-wrote "You Never Even Called Me By My Name," but never accepted songwriter credit or royalties for the song, choosing to let all the glory and money go to his friend Goodman.)

Before he could record his first album, however, Goodman was hit with devastating news: he was diagnosed with leukemia. Undaunted, he married, raised a family, and concentrated on his songwriting, all the time with one eye on the fatal clock ticking against him.

In 1971, Goodman was hired to be the local opening act for singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson. Kristofferson was so impressed with Goodman's songs, which could be heartbreaking one moment and hilarious the next, that he helped get Goodman signed to Buddah Records. While critics and fellow songwriters were thoroughly impressed with Goodman, his albums sold poorly at best. Still, thanks to the commercial success of "City of New Orleans" and "You Never Even Called Me By My Name," Goodman was able to make his music on his own terms instead of being forced to compromise for commercial success.

Goodman enjoyed many years of remission from his leukemia. He never hid the fact from the public, and he never used his illness as a means of generating sympathy. With the same humor that caused him to write "This Hotel Room," Goodman referred to himself by such self-effacing titles as "Cool Hand Leuk" and "Chicago Shorty." He toured and recorded eight albums, all the while building a loyal, if small, fan base.

In the 1980s Goodman penned songs dealing with his favorite team, the Chicago Cubs. "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request" looked at the years of last-place finishes, when they were (as Goodman put it) "the doormat of the National League." However, as the Cubs put together their winning season in 1984, Goodman wrote a more optimistic outlook on the team: "Go Cubs Go." The song was originally written to be played after the radio broadcasts of Cubs games on WGN radio. "You can catch it all on WGN," Goodman put in the song. That year, the Cubs finished in first place with a record of 96-65 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1945.

Sadly, Goodman did not live to see the 1984 playoffs (where the Cubs would lose the pennant to the San Diego Padres in five games). His leukemia no longer in remission, Goodman underwent a bone marrow transplant operation on August 31. Complications set in, his kidneys failed, and he died on September 20th at the young age of 36. In 1985, he would be awarded a posthumous Grammy award for writing "City of New Orleans," named "Best Country Song" on the strength of Willie Nelson's version.

Goodman's legacy would have been confined to his fans and fellow songwriters who remember him lovingly had it not been for Wrigley Field digging out the 23-year-old "Go Cubs Go" song. Beginning in 2007, the song has been played, in its nearly three-minute entirety, after every Cubs victory. While the fans can be heard robustly singing the chorus ("Go Cubs go, go Cubs go, hey Chicago, what do you say, the Cubs are gonna win today"), most loyal fans know the lyrics to the entire song. During the Cubs' playoff push in 2007, October 5 was declared "Steve Goodman Day" in Illinois.

If the Cubs were to win the World Series, without question part of the victory must be dedicated to the diminutive songwriter whose ashes are buried at Wrigley Field. While Goodman might be happy to finally have a big hit, he would no doubt get more satisfaction in having his words "the Cubs are gonna win today" come true.