City Of New Orleans (Henson Cargill)

Ridin' on the City of New Orleans Illinois Central Monday morning rail Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders Three conductors twenty-four sacks of mail All along the southbound odyssey the train rolls out of Kankakee Rolls along past houses farms and fields Passin' trains that have no names switchyards full of old black men Of graveyards full of rusted automobiles Good morning America how are you Said 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 five hundred miles when the day is done Playin' card games with an old man on the club car Many a point no one's keepin' score Pass that paper bag that holds the bottle Feel the wheels a rumblin' neath the floor And the sons of poor men porters and the sons of engineers Ride their father's magic carpet made of steel Mothers with their babes asleep rockin' to that gentle beat And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel Good morning America how are you... Well it's night time on the City of New Orleans Changin' cars in Memphis Tennessee Half way home I'll be there by morning Through the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea And all the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream And the steel rails still ain't heard the news The conductor sings his songs again the passengers will please refrain This train's got the disappearin' railroad blues Good night America how are you...