City Of New Orleans Lyrics - Singles - C.w. Mccall

(Steve Goodman) 

Ridin' on The City of New Orleans 

Illinois Central Monday morning rail 

Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders 

Two conductors and a-twenty-five sacks a' mail 

All along the southbound odyssey 

The train pulls out at Kankakee 

And moves on along past houses, farms and fields 

Passin' trains what ain't got no names 

Switch yards full a' old black men 

And the graveyards full of them rusted automobiles 

[Chorus] 

Good mornin' America, how are ya? 

Well, a don'tcha know me? I'm your native son 

I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans 

And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done 

A-dealin' cards with an old man down in the club car 

Just a penny a point ain't a-nobody keepin' score 

Say won't you pass that there paper bag that's a-wrappin' the bottle 

Feel them wheels rumblin' under that floor 

And the sons of Pullman porters 

And the sons of engineers 

Ride their daddy's magical carpet made out of steel 

Mamas with their babies asleepin' 

Are rockin' to the gentle beat 

And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel 

[Chorus] 

Good mornin' America, how are ya? 

Well, a don'tcha know me? I'm your native son 

I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans 

And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done 

Night-time on The City of New Orleans 

A-changin' cars a-down in Memphis, Tennessee 

Well, a half way home, and a we gonna be there by mornin' 

Through the Mississippi darkness 

Rollin' down to that sea 

Now all a' them towns and all the people seem 

To fade away into a bad ol' dream 

But the steel rail, well he still ain't heard that news 

Conductor's a-singin' that song again 

Sayin' "Passengers will please refrain 

"This train done got the disappearin' railroad blues" 

[Chorus] 

Good night America, how are ya? 

Well, a don'tcha know me? I'm your native son 

I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans 

And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done 

[Fade out.] 

Mamas with their babies asleepin' 

Are rockin' to the gentle beat 

And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel 

Mamas with their babies asleepin' 

Are rockin' to the gentle beat 

And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel 

Yeah.