Arlo Guthrie City Of New Orleans Lyrics

City Of New Orleans Lyrics

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 



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 rumblin'
neath the floor 



And the sons of Pullman porters & the sons of
engineers 

Ride their fathers' magic carpets made of steel 

Mothers
with their babes asleep, rockin' to the gentle beat 

And the rhythm of the
rails is all they feel 



Good mornin' America, how are you? 

Say
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.



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 and
people seem to fade into a bad dream 

And the steel rail still ain't heard
the news 

The conductor sings his songs again 

"The passengers will
please refrain: 

This train got the disappea rin' railroad
blues



Good night America, how are you? 

Say 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.