Riding on the city of new orleans
Illinios central, monday morning rail

15 cars and 15 restless riders

3 conductors and 25 sacks of mail

All along a southbound odyssey
The train pulls out of kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms and fields

Passing trains that have no name
Freight yards full of old black men
The graveyards of the rusted automobiles
Singing good morning america, how are you?

Saying, dont you know me Im your native son?

Im the train they call the city of new orleans

Ill be gone 500 miles when the day is done

Dealing cards with the old men in the club car

Penny a point, aint no one keeping score

Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle

Feel the wheels a rumbling neath the floor

And the sons of pullman porters
And the sons of engineers
Ride their fathers magic carpet made of steel
And mothers with their babes asleep
Rockin to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

Singing good morning america, how are you?

Saying dont you know me, Im your native son?

Im the train they call the city of new orleans

Ill be gone 500 miles when the day is done

Nighttime on the city of new orleans
Changing cars in memphis, tennessee

Halfway home and well be there by morning

Through the mississippi darkness rolling down to the sea

But all the towns and people seem

To fade into a bad dream

And the steel rails still aint heard the news
The conductor sings his song again
The passengers will please refrain
This train has got the disappearing railroad blues
Singing good morning america, how are you?
Saying dont you know me, Im your native son?
Im the train they call the city of new orleans
Ill be gone 500 miles when the day is done