Henson Cargill City Of New Orleans Lyrics

City Of New Orleans Lyrics

Ridin' on the City of New Orleans Illinois Central Monday morning rail



Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders



Three conductors twenty-four sacks of mail



All along the southbound odyssey the train rolls out of Kankakee



Rolls along past houses farms and fields



Passin' trains that have no names switchyards full of old black men



Of graveyards full of rusted automobiles



Good morning America how are you



Said 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 five hundred miles when the day is done







Playin' card games with an old man on the club car



Many a point no one's keepin' score



Pass that paper bag that holds the bottle



Feel the wheels a rumblin' neath the floor



And the sons of poor men porters and the sons of engineers



Ride their father's magic carpet made of steel



Mothers with their babes asleep rockin' to that gentle beat



And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel



Good morning America how are you...







Well it's night time on the City of New Orleans



Changin' cars in Memphis Tennessee



Half way home I'll be there by morning



Through the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea



And 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 songs again the passengers will please refrain



This train's got the disappearin' railroad blues



Good night America how are you...