City Of New Orleans Lyrics
By Willie Nelson

Ridin' on the City of New Orleans ... Illinois Central, Monday mornin' rail
15 cars ... and 15 restless riders ... three conductors and 25 sacks of mail
All along the southbound odyssey ... the train pulls out of Kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms and 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 and 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?
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

BREAK

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 disappearing railroad blues

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