City Of New Orleans Lyrics - Singles - Iris Dement

Ridin' on the city of New Orleans 

Illinois Central Monday mornin' rail 

Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders 

Three conductors, twenty-five sacks of mail 

Out on the southbound odyssey 

The train pulls out of Kakakee 

And it rolls along past houses, farms and fields 

Passin' towns that have no name 

Freight yards full of old black men 

And the graveyards of rusted automobiles 

Good morning, 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 five hundred miles when the day is done 

Dealin' card games with the old men in the club car 

Penny a point ain't nobody keepin' score 

Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle 

Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor 

And the sons of pullman porters 

And the sons of engineers 

Ride their daddy's magic carpet make of steel 

Mothers with their babes asleep 

Are rockin' to the gentle beat 

And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel 

Good morning, 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 five hundred miles when the day is done 

Nighttime on the city of New Orleans 

Changin' cars in Memphis, Tennessee 

Halfway home and 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 that song again 

The passengers will please refrain 

This train's got the disappearin' railroad blues 

Good morning, 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 five hundred miles when the day is done