Johnny Cash 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 and 24 sacks of
mail



All along the southbound odyssey the train rolls out of
Kankakee

and moves along past houses, farms & fields

Passin' trains
that have no name, and switch yards full of old black men,

And graveyards
of rusted automobiles



Chorus: 

Good mornin' America, how are
you?

Say don't you know me? I'm your native son!

I'm a 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, and nobody's keepin' score

Hey now 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 daddys'
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



And 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