(steve goodman)



Ridin' on the city of new orleans

Illinois central monday morning rail

Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders

Two conductors and a-twenty-five sacks a' mail

All along the southbound odyssey

The train pulls out at kankakee

And moves on along past housesfarms and fields

Passin' trains what ain't got no names

Switch yards full a' old black men

And the graveyards full of them rusted automobiles



[chorus]

Good mornin' americahow are ya? 

Wella don'tcha know me? I'm your native son

I'm the train they call the city of new orleans

And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done



A-dealin' cards with an old man down in the club car

Just a penny a point ain't a-nobody keepin' score

Say won't you pass that there paper bag that's a-wrappin' the bottle

Feel them wheels rumblin' under that floor

And the sons of pullman porters

And the sons of engineers

Ride their daddy's magical carpet made out of steel

Mamas with their babies asleepin'

Are rockin' to the gentle beat

And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel



[chorus]

Good mornin' americahow are ya? 

Wella don'tcha know me? I'm your native son

I'm the train they call the city of new orleans

And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done



Night-time on the city of new orleans

A-changin' cars a-down in memphistennessee

Wella half way homeand a we gonna be there by mornin'

Through the mississippi darkness

Rollin' down to that sea

Now all a' them towns and all the people seem

To fade away into a bad ol' dream

But the steel railwell he still ain't heard that news

Conductor's a-singin' that song again

Sayin' "passengers will please refrain

"this train done got the disappearin' railroad blues"



[chorus]

Good night americahow are ya? 

Wella don'tcha know me? I'm your native son

I'm the train they call the city of new orleans

And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done



[fade out.]

Mamas with their babies asleepin'

Are rockin' to the gentle beat

And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel



Mamas with their babies asleepin'

Are rockin' to the gentle beat

And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel



Yeah.