Holy Trinity High School Class of `73

1969-1973

"Song of the Day"

July 18, 2025

"Somebody Else's Troubles" is the title song on Steve Goodman's
1972 album of the same name. Written by Goodman, Davis Bromberg
plays dobro and mandolin on the track while Bob Dylan contributes
piano and backing vocals on the song under the pseudonym of
Robert Milkwood Thomas.

Somebody Else's Troubles is the third studio album by singer/songwriter
Steve Goodman, released in 1972. The record received favorable reviews,
but failed to sell. The album's cover photo was taken at Goodman's
Chicago home on Aug. 7, 1972 and included good friend Jimmy Buffett
(to the left of Goodman’s wife Nancy and identified as Marvin Gardens
on the album cover); Earl Pionke, (far left) the larger than-life owner
of the Earl of Old Town folk music club; Goodman’s best friend
John Prine (to Earl’s right); brothers Fred Holstein (far right) and
Ed Holstein (right foreground), stalwarts of the Chicago folk music
scene. Steve Goodman is seated holding his daughter Jessie.

Steven Benjamin Goodman (July 25, 1948 – September 20, 1984) was an
American folk and country singer-songwriter from Chicago. He is most
remembered for his song "City of New Orleans," which was recorded by
Arlo Guthrie and many others including John Denver, Willie Nelson,
The Highwaymen, and Judy Collins. Goodman had a small but dedicated
group of fans for his albums and concerts during his lifetime.

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Somebody Else's Troubles - Steve Goodman (1972)

Yesterday I went downtown and saw an old-time picture show
And the hero got a pie in the face.
He didn't like that and he stormed around the screen,
But everybody else was laughin' in that place.

That's cause it ain't hard to get along with somebody else's troubles
And they don't make you lose any sleep at night
Just as long as fate is out there burstin' somebody else's bubbles.
Everything is gonna be alright.
And everything is gonna be alright.

Did you ever pay for something that you didn't do?
And did you ever figure out the reason why?
And when the doctor says this gonna hurt me a lot more than this hurts you,
Did you ever figure out that that's a lie?

He knows it ain't too hard to get along with somebody else's troubles
And they don't make you lose any sleep at night
Just as long as fate is out there burstin'somebody' else's bubbles.
Everything is gonna be alright.
And everything will be alright.

And I saw the boss come a-walkin' down along that factory line,
He said, "We all have to tighten up our belts."
But he didn't look any thinner than he did a year ago
And I wonder just how hungry that man felt.

He knows it ain't too hard to get along with somebody else's troubles,
They don't make you lose any sleep at night.
Just as long as fate is out there burstin'somebody' else's bubbles.
Everything is gonna be alright.
And everything is gonna be alright.

So I asked that undertaker what it took to make him laugh
When all he ever saw is people cryin'.
First he hands me a bunch of flowers that he'd received on my behalf
He said, "Steve, business just gets better all the time."

And it ain't too hard it to get along with somebody else's troubles,
They don't make you lose any sleep at night.
Just as long as fate is out there burstin' somebody else's bubbles
Everything is gonna be alright.
And everything is gonna alright.


Songwriters: Steve Goodman

A Playlist of all HT Class of '73 Songs of the Day is available by clicking below:

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