City of New Orleans

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 Pa*sin' 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 pa*s 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 pa*sengers will please refrain: This train has got the disappearin' railroad blues" Repeat Chorus