City Of New Orleans

This song appears on three albums, and was first released on the poems, prayers and promises album, is also available on the country roads collection album and has also been rerecorded on all ab

Album.





Riding on the city of new orleans

Illinios central, monday morning rail

15 cars and 15 restless riders

3 conductors and 25 sacks of mail

All along a southbound odyssey

The train pulls out of kankakee

Rolls along past houses, farms and fields

Passing trains that have no name

Freight yards full of old black men

The graveyards of the rusted automobiles



Singing good morning america, how are you?

Saying, 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



Dealing cards with the old men in the club car

Penny a point, ain't no one keeping score

Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle

Feel the wheels a rumbling 'neath the floor



And the sons of pullman porters

And the sons of engineers

Ride their fathers' magic carpet made of steel

And mothers with their babes asleep

Rockin' to the gentle beat

And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

Singing good morning america, how are you?

Saying 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



Nighttime on the city of new orleans

Changing cars in memphis, tennessee

Halfway home and we'll be there by morning

Through the mississippi darkness rolling down to the sea

But all the towns and people seem

To fade into a bad dream

And the steel rails still ain't heard the news

The conductor sings his song again

The passengers will please refrain

This train has got the disappearing railroad blues



Singing good morning america, how are you?

Saying 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



Words and music by steve goodman


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