City of New Orleans

V-A: Ridin' on the City of New Orleans
     Illinois Central, Monday mornin' rail
     15 cars and 15 restless riders
     Three conductors, 25 sacks of mail

     C - - - / G - - - / C - - - /   / Am - - - / F - - - / C - - - / - - G - /
     C - - - / G - - - / C - - - /   / Am - - - / G - - - / C - - - /    //

V-B: All along the southbound odyssy the train pulls out of Kankakee
     Rolls along past houses, farms and fields
     Passin' trains that have no name, freight yards full of old Black men
     And the graveyards of rusted automobiles

     Am - - - /    / Em - - - /    / G - - - /    / D - - - /    / 
     Am - - - /    / Em - - - /    / G - - - /    / C - - - /    //

 C:  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

     F - - - / G - - - / C - - - /    / Am - - - / F - - - / C - - - / - - G - / 
     C - - - / G - - - / Am - - - / D - - - / Bb - F - / G - - - / C - - - /    //

V-A: Dealin' card games 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

V-B: And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers
     Ride their fathers' 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

 C:  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

V-A: Night time 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

V-B: 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 song again,
            "The passengers will please refrain"
     This train has got the disappearin' rail road blues

 C:  Goodnight 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


     1970, 1971 Turnpike Tom Music::  on his album (Buddah), on Arlo Guthrie "Hobo's Lullaby", on Judy Collins "Judith" and on
     John Denver "Aerie". Also on "Best of the 70's" and "Country Gentlemen" (Vanguard)