C G C
Ridin' on the City of New Orleans
Am F C
Illinois Central, Monday mornin' rail.
C G C
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders,
Am G C
Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.
Am Em
All along a southbound odyssey, the train pulls out of Kankakee,
G D
And rolls along past houses, farms, and fields.
Am Em
And passin' trains that have no names and freightyards filled with old black men:
G G7 C
And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles.
[Chorus]
F G C
Good mornin', America! How are you?
Am F C G
Say, Don't you know me? I'm your native son!
C G Am G D
I'm the train they call the City of New Or----leans;
Bb Dm G C
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done!
[Verse 2]
C G C
Dealin' cards with the old men in the club car;
Am F C
Penny a point, there ain't no one keepin score.
C G C
And pass the paper bag that holds the bottle;
Am G C
Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor.
Am Em
And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers
G D
Ride their fathers' magic carpet made of steel.
Am Em
And mothers with their babes asleep rockin' to the gentle beat,
G G7 C
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.
[Chorus]
F G C
Good mornin', America! How are you?
Am F C G
Say, Don't you know me? I'm your native son!
C G Am G D
I'm the train they call the City of New Or----leans;
Bb Dm G C
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done!
[Instrumental]
F G C
Am F C G
C G Am Am7 D
Bb F G C
[Verse 3]
C G C
Nighttime on the City of New Orleans;
Am F C
Changin' cars in Memphis, Tennessee.
C G C
Half-way home; we'll be there by mornin'
Am G C
Through the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea.
Am Em
But the towns and people seem to just fade into a bad dream,
G D
And the steel rails still ain't heard the news.
Am Em
Conductor sing your songs again, and passengers will please refrain;
G G7 C
This train has got the dissapearin' railroad blues.
[Chorus]
F G C
Good mornin', America! How are you?
Am F C G
Don't you know me? I'm your native son!
C G Am G D
I'm the train they call the City of New Or----leans;
Bb Dm G C
And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done!
Bb Dm G C
And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done!
Bb Dm G C
And I'll be gone five hundred mi----les when the da----y is done!
