The Chicago-born singer-songwriter, was discovered by Kris Kristofferson. He collaborated with close friend John Prine throughout his career. His superb guitar ability (honed at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music) and creative songwriting ability led him to success in the 1970s folk scene. Often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, always unpredictable, Steve Goodman was the consummate performer whether in a small Chicago venue, Austin City Limits, or opening for Steve Martin (and often stealing the show!). Steve is probably best known for his song "City of New Orleans", which was later covered by Arlo Guthrie among others. He has also been covered by Jimmy Buffett and many others. Steve was the ultimate suffering Chicago Cub fan, writing the songs "Go, Cubs, Go" and the unfortunately very true "A Dying Cub Fans Last Request".
Steve's life was cut short in 1984 by leukemia, but fortunately an extensive catalog remains, including the recently released, "Live at the Earl" as well as the DVD "Steve Goodman Live at Austin City Limits and More."
Watchin' Joey Glow
Steve Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mom put up her peach preserves, Pa's got a book to read.
Sister knits some bandages, and we turn the lights down low
And play some Scrabble, watching Joey glow.
At breakfast Mom hands Joe the bread, and he turns it into toast.
Last night he hugged a leg of lamb, and soon we had a roast.
You should see him heat the coffee up when he stirs it with his toe.
You have to wear dark glasses if you stare at him a while,
Or he'll fry your little eyes out with his incandescent smile.
At Chistmastime, it sure felt strange, but it was great to see
The way we decorated Joe as if he was our tree,
And his star was shining brightly underneath the mistletoe,
So we blew him kisses, watching Joey glow.
I hope the world's not over, for my sake and for his.
I'd love for everyone to know how brilliant Joey is.
We've been down here for six months now, and we're proud to be alive.
We owe it to America to sit here and survive.
So we listen for the static on the short wave radio
And count the shock waves, watching Joey glow.
In Steve Goodman's song "Watchin' Joey Glow," the singer describes life in a shelter where his family is trying to survive. They have everything they need, including food, entertainment, and Joe, whose glowing presence illuminates the otherwise dark space. Joe has the power to turn bread into toast, a leg of lamb into a roast, and even heat up coffee with his toes. The family watches Joey's radiant glow while they play Scrabble or decorate him as a Christmas tree. They count the shock waves and listen to short wave radio, hoping that they'll survive the disaster that has driven them into this shelter.
The song is a satire of the American Cold War-era obsession with survivalism and nuclear war preparedness, as evidenced by the mention of counting shock waves and listening for static on a short wave radio. Steve Goodman uses humor to comment on the absurdity of the situation, as well as the human capacity for resilience in the face of devastation.
Line by Line Meaning
Down here in the shelter, we've got everything we need.
Despite being in a shelter, we have all the essentials we need to survive.
Mom put up her peach preserves, Pa's got a book to read.
Our mother has preserved peach jam for us and our father is keeping himself busy with reading materials.
Sister knits some bandages, and we turn the lights down low
My sister is making bandages for us and we lower the lights in the shelter to create a calming environment.
And play some Scrabble, watching Joey glow.
We play the game Scrabble while admiring Joey's brilliant light.
At breakfast Mom hands Joe the bread, and he turns it into toast.
Joey has the power to turn simple bread into toasted bread.
Last night he hugged a leg of lamb, and soon we had a roast.
Joey's light is powerful enough to cook the lamb.
You should see him heat the coffee up when he stirs it with his toe.
Joey has the ability to heat up coffee simply by stirring it with his toe.
We all get hungry, watching Joey glow.
As we admire Joey's bright light, we all become hungry.
You have to wear dark glasses if you stare at him a while,
Joey's light is so powerful that staring at it too long can harm your eyesight.
Or he'll fry your little eyes out with his incandescent smile.
Joey's smile is so bright and powerful that it can harm one's eyesight.
At Chistmastime, it sure felt strange, but it was great to see
During Christmas, it was odd to have Joey as a replacement for a tree, but it was still enjoyable.
The way we decorated Joe as if he was our tree,
We adorned Joey with ornaments as if he was a Christmas tree.
And his star was shining brightly underneath the mistletoe,
Joey's brightness served as a star under the mistletoe.
So we blew him kisses, watching Joey glow.
While admiring Joey's light, we sent him kisses.
I hope the world's not over, for my sake and for his.
I hope the world is not destroyed as it would mean the end for both me and Joey.
I'd love for everyone to know how brilliant Joey is.
I wish others could experience Joey's brilliance and power.
We've been down here for six months now, and we're proud to be alive.
We have been in the shelter for half a year, and we feel proud to have survived.
We owe it to America to sit here and survive.
We feel responsible to our country for surviving and being prepared for whatever may come.
So we listen for the static on the short wave radio
We remain alert by listening for static on the short wave radio.
And count the shock waves, watching Joey glow.
We keep track of shock waves while admiring Joey's light.
Contributed by Elena A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.