City Of New Orleans lyrics

Written by: Steve Goodman

Ridin` on the City of New Orleans
Illinois Central, Monday mornin` rail
15 cars & 15 restless riders
Three conductors, 25 sacks of mail

All along the southbound odyssey the train pulls out of Kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms & fields
Passin` graves that have no name, freight yards full of old black men
And the graveyards of rusted automobiles

Chorus:
Good mornin` America, how are you?
Don`t you know me? I`m your native son!
I`m the train they call the City of New Orleans
I`ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done

Dealin` cards with the old men in the club car
Penny a point, ain`t no one keepin` score
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
And feel the wheels grumblin` neath the floor

And the sons of Pullman porters & the sons of engineers
Ride their fathers` magic carpet made of steel
Mothers with their babes asleep, rockin` to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

Repeat Chorus

Night time on the City of New Orleans
Changin` cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home, we`ll be there by mornin`
Thru the Mississippi darkness rollin` down to the sea

But all the towns & people seem to fade into a bad dream
And the steel rail still ain`t heard the news
The conductor sings his song again
`The passengers will please refrain:
This train has got the disappearin` railroad blues

Repeat Chorus
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