I guess it just shows you where my mind is at, but when I saw your question about Kankakee, I immediately thought of Groucho singing "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady": "For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree or Washington crossing the Delaware".

I'm surprised that you didn't get any answers related to the "other" song referencing Kankakee, that being 'Lydia the Tattooed Lady.' Lydia, sung by Groucho Marx in the 1939 movie, "At the Circus," was written by Harold Arlen, and words by E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. Groucho, or Capt. Spaulding, as he enumerates her tattoos, sings "...you can see Kankakee or Paree...", rhyming the Illinois city with both see and Paree, the French capital.

Anyway, "At the Circus" is well remembered by some of us, and will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of its release in 2014. I guess it was a bit overshadowed at the time, because "Gone With the Wind", was also released in 1939, and it had both color and Clark Gable not giving "a damn", but I don't remember him singing anything.

The City of New Orleans just passed my condo. 10:46... A minute late!

The song could have just as easily been named "The Disappearing Railroad Blues." But I like "City of New Orleans" better. I've only been to Nawlin's twice, but had a great time. Maybe I should take the train. I'll wave to you (or moon you), depending on how many times we pass the bottle beforehand...