Tag Archives: chicago

Chicago Song, Listen

Song Post: The Talkin’ CTA Blues

Audio 3 Comments

Songs from Someone Else’s Perspective Week

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Here’s a song I wrote a few years back. It’s a true story. So true that when I play this song out I usually tell people it happened to me. It felt like it happened to me. Here’s what actually happened.

But, then again, you could just search for “CTA Blue Line Crash” and you’d come up with a thousand different examples, the most recent being this: http://www.wgntv.com/wgntv-blue-line-smoke-aug28,0,5246199.story

Anyway. It’s a funny song about a sad thing. It’s almost as funny as this article: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=155614

Finally, Chicago is tops in something.

So I took the point of view of someone on the train. But, really, we were all on that train because we all ride every train and if you haven’t yet been in a CTA accident then you surely will soon.

The Talkin’ CTA Blues is also on my new album “It’s Chicago!” that just came out on August 10. You can buy and download either just this one song or the entire album, which is all about Chicago, at CDBaby.com or through iTunes.

Or, you can always come out and see a live show and I’ll have real, touchable CD albums.

Hope ya like it.

Chicago Song, Listen

The Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues

Audio 2 Comments

Mass Media Week

Here’s a song I wrote about the great CTA bus system back in the wintertime of 2009. I jotted it down after reading this newspaper article.

Now, I first read it in the Chicago Tribune, that great Mass Media Establishment of Reputable Degree, and I just kinda had to write a song. This one wasn’t a struggle at all. I think I remember I wrote it all in about 5 minutes and probably didn’t go back and edit it at all, except for a line or two.

You have to read it online, though, cause all the old papers have been burned up, so I couldn’t scan in the original.

A CTA bus running a red light. Yippee!
It’s perfectly okay for a CTA bus to run a red light.

I think I only played the Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues out once, maybe twice. The one time I definitely remember was right after I joined the Barehand Jugband and I played a quick “break set” in-between our multiple sets back when we had a regular show at the Horseshoe. Anyway, probably 3 people heard it that night. And the band doesn’t play at the Horseshoe anymore, at all, ever.

So, read that article and listen to the song and leave me comment if you’re feelin friendly.