G D G
Riding on the City of New Orleans,
Em C G - D
Illinois Central, Monday morning rail.
G D G
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders,
Em D G
three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.
Em
All on a southbound odyssey,
Bm
the train pulls out of Kentucky,
D A
rolls past horses, farms and fields.
Em
Passing trains that have no name
Bm
and freight yards full of old black men,
D D7 G
and the graveyards of rusted automobiles. Singing...
C D G
Good morning, America, how are you?
Em C G - D
Hey, don`t you know me, I`m your native son.
G D Em
I`m the train they call the City of New Orleans,
F C D7 G
and I´ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
G D G
2. Dealing cards to the old men in the club car,
Em C G - D
penny a point, and no one`s keeping score.
G D G
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle,
Em D G
you can feel the wheels grumbling `neath the floor.
Em Bm
The sons of Pullman porters, and the sons of engineers
D A
ride their father`s magic carpet made of steel.
Em
And mothers with their babes asleep,
Bm
are rocking to the gentle beat,
D D7 G
the rhythm of rails is all they feel. + Chorus
G D G
3. Nighttime on the City of New Orleans,
Em C G - D
changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee.
G D G
Halfway home, and we`ll be there by morning,
Em D G
through the Mississippi darkness rollin` to sea.
Em
But all the towns and people
Bm
seem to fade into a bad dream,
D A
the steel rail hasn`t heard the news.
Em
The conductor sings his song again,
Bm
it`s “Passengers will please refrain!“
D7 G
This train`s got the Disappearing Railway Blues. Singing.....