At the time of his death, Hartford was also working on the biography of the blind fiddler Ed Haley. Hartford's album Wild Hog in the Red Bush is a collection of Haley's tunes. Hartford also provided narration for several of Ken Burns' documentaries.
Hartford was given a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Hartford recorded more than 30 albums in his life, ranging across a broad spectrum of styles--from the traditional country of his early RCA recordings, to the new and experimental sound of his early newgrass recordings, to the traditional folk style to which he often returned later in his life. Hartford's albums also vary widely in formality, from the stately and orderly "Annual Waltz" to the rougher and less cut recordings that typified many of his later albums.
"Aereo-Plain" and "Morning Bugle" are often considered to be Hartford's most influential work, coming as they did at the very beginning of a period in which artists such as Hartford and the New Grass Revival, led by Sam Bush, would create a new form of country music, blending their country backgrounds with influences from another of other sources. His later years saw a number of live albums, as well as recordings that explored the repertoire of old-time folk music. He sketched the cover art for some of his mid-career albums, drawing with both hands simultaneously.
From the 1980s onwards, Hartford struggled with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On June 4, 2001 at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, at age 63, he died of the disease.
Hartford is remembered as an influential and pioneering artist. Never bound by the limitations of one genre, he recorded wherever his interests led him. Performing and recording until his illness rendered him incapable of continuing, Hartford contributed a vast and unique body of work to the library of American music.
Steam Powered Aereo Plane
John Hartford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I went and stayed and damn near didn't come back again.
Didn't go very fast on a steam powered aero plane,
Oh the wheel went around, up and down, and inside and then back again.
Sittin' in a 747 just watching them clouds roll by,
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain.
On a genuine old fashioned steam powered aero plane.
Well I'd like to be a pilot on a steam powered aero plane.
Well I'd pull that pilot wheel around and then back again.
Well, I'll wear a blue hat, yeah, that says Steam Powered Aero plane
With letters that go around the rim and then back again.
In John Hartford's song "Steam Powered Aereo Plane," the singer expresses a desire to travel by an old-fashioned steam-powered airplane. He explains that he has never actually flown on such a craft, but has stayed behind on the ground while others have taken off. He notes that the travel would not be very fast, with the wheels spinning around and up and down in a leisurely fashion. Despite the relative slowness of this mode of transportation, the singer longs to be aboard a steam-powered aero plane instead of in a modern-day commercial jet. He imagines himself sitting in a deck chair high above Kansas City, looking out at the passing scenery and feeling the gentle motion of the plane.
The song reflects an enduring fascination with the modes of transportation of a bygone era. The singer longs for the simple, almost quaint, method of travel represented by a steam-powered airplane, with its creaky wheels and leisurely pace. The contrast between this slower technology and the faster, more efficient means of travel that we now take for granted is central to the song's appeal. By expressing a longing for the older form of travel, the singer also taps into a sense of nostalgia and a fondness for the past. Overall, John Hartford's "Steam Powered Aereo Plane" provides a lyrical portrait of a simpler, more romantic era of air travel, as seen through the eyes of an admirer looking wistfully backward in time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I never went away on a Steam Powered Aero plane.
I have never flown on a steam-powered airplane.
Well I went and stayed and damn near didn't come back again.
I went on a trip and almost didn't make it home.
Didn't go very fast on a steam powered aero plane,
The steam-powered airplane was not very speedy.
Oh, the wheel went around, up and down, and inside and then back again.
The airplane's wheel moved in all directions.
Sittin' in a 747 just watching them clouds roll by,
Sitting in a commercial airplane watching the clouds.
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain.
It's hard to tell if it's sunny or rainy from the perspective of an airplane.
Rather be sittin' in a deck chair high above Kansas City,
I prefer to be in a comfortable chair on a steam-powered airplane over Kansas City.
On a genuine old fashioned steam powered aero plane.
I want to be on a real, vintage steam-powered airplane.
Well I'd like to be a pilot on a steam powered aero plane.
I dream of being a pilot on a steam-powered airplane.
Well I'd pull that pilot wheel around and then back again.
I would love to spin the pilot's wheel on a steam-powered airplane.
Well, I'll wear a blue hat, yeah, that says Steam Powered Aero plane
I would proudly wear a blue hat with the words Steam Powered Aero plane.
With letters that go around the rim and then back again.
The letters on the hat would be arranged in a circular fashion.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Grishanof
Well, I dreamt I went away
On a steam powered aereoplane
I went and I stayed and
I damm near didn't come back again
And I didn't go very fast
On a steam powered areoplane
Oh, the wheel went around and up and down
And inside and then back again
Sittin' on a 747 just a watchin' them clouds roll by
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain, rain, rain
Rather be a sittin' in a deck chair high up over Kansas City
On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
Well I'd like ot be a pilot
of that steam powered aereoplane
Well, I'd pull that pilot wheel around
and then back again
And I'd wear a blue hat, yeah
That says 'steam powered aereoplane'
In letters that go 'round the brim and then back again
Sittin' on a 747 just a watchin' them clouds roll by
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain, rain, rain
Rather be a sittin' in a deck chair high up over Kansas City
On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
@nuthineatholl6434
Well, I dreamt I went away on a steam-powered aereoplane
I went and I stayed and I damn near didn't come back again
I didn't go very fast on a steam-powered areoplane
Oh, the wheel went around and up and down and inside and then back again
Sittin' in a 747 just a watchin' them clouds roll by
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain, rain, rain
Rather be a-sittin' in a deck chair high up over Kansas City
On a genuine ol'-fashioned authentic steam-powered aereoplane
Well I'd like to be a pilot of a steam-powered aereoplane
Well, I'd pull that pilot wheel around and then back again
And I'd wear a blue hat, yeah! that says "steam-powered aereoplane"
In letters that go 'round the brim and then back again
Sittin' in a 747 just a watchin' them clouds roll by
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain, rain, rain
Rather be a-sittin' in a deck chair high up over Kansas City
On a genuine ol'-fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
------------------------------------------------------
Compare, just for fun:
Judee Sill - Enchanted sky machines
@tyler5972
Well, I dreamt I went away
On a steam powered aereoplane
I went and I stayed and
I damm near didn't come back again
And I didn't go very fast
On a steam powered areoplane
Oh, the wheel went around and up and down
And inside and then back again
Sittin' on a 747 just a watchin' them clouds roll by
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain, rain, rain
Rather be a sittin' in a deck chair high up over Kansas City
On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
Well I'd like ot be a pilot
Of that steam powered aereoplane
Well, I'd pull that pilot wheel around
And then back again
And I'd wear a blue hat, yeah
That says 'steam powered aereoplane'
In letters that go 'round the brim and then back again
Sittin' on a 747 just a watchin' them clouds roll by
Can't tell if it's sunshine or if it's rain, rain, rain
Rather be a sittin' in a deck chair high up over Kansas City
On a genuine ol' fashioned authentic steam powered aereoplane
@claudehill2
When I recorded and mixed this great song and album in 1971, I new it was new and different and since John's song "Gentle on My Mind" was paying all of us, it was a ton of fun. This album launched the entire "Newgrass" Revolution and the rebirth of traditional Bluegrass Music and Instrumentation. Claude Hill, Chief Engineer, Glaser Sound Studios Nashville 1970-1973.
@petenelson411
+Claude Hill Thank you! I was a Hartford lover as a kid, seeing him on Glen Campbell. Years later, my friends started the Big Top in Bayfield. John was a frequent guest. I got into the Newgrass people (my pop not only played it, but the old grass from WSM and WLW on the old radio), I got to meet Bill Monroe in 1992 after he had just playing on stage after breaking his hip. He was gracious, and played well. A great highlight of my life...!
@strewthtomusic
Do you know of Groves Grovenser? Been trying find his stuff since my father told me about him. I thought you might know where to find it. cheers Australia.
@petenelson411
There used to be a magazine, likely on-line, too, named Goldmine. It was national and international. They had tentacles to any and all music and musicians, in and out of print. If it's still out there, they would know about it, in terms of being in print or someone's collection. Let me know if you can find it! Good luck!
@strewthtomusic
+Pete Nelson Cheers mate. we got the same last name btw lol
@petenelson411
I am so glad you did! My favorite Hartford album... Who did his work with the Dillards, if you know?
@johnjriggsarchery2457
He must have been a really good guy: I wrote both him and Bill Monroe letters when I was a kid saying that I wanted to buy a barn when I grew up so I could start a little opry... Bill Monroe didn't write back to me but John did, encouraging me to follow my dreams. That was class, pure class.
@attilafitzpatrick6881
ya John was a minch give him a dose f cannabis he would play hours damn fine fellow
@Unkl_Bob
Very nice story . Thnx 4 sharing
@eric7922
doing the very thing brother...only place I feel content...