City of New Orleans — Steve Goodman
Chords and lyrics for City of New Orleans by Steve Goodman (key of C).
Verse 1
[G]Riding on the [D]City of New [G]Orleans,
[Em]Illinois Central, [C]Monday morning [G]rail,
There are [G]fifteen cars and [D]fifteen restless [G]riders,
[Em]Three conductors, and [D]twenty five sacks of [G]mail.
They're all [Em]out on the southbound odyssey,
And the [Bm]train pulls out of Kankakee,
[D] Rolls past the houses, farms and [A]fields.
[Em]Passing towns that have no name,
And [Bm]freight yards full of old black men,
And the [D]graveyards of rusted [G]automobiles.
Chorus
[C] Good morning [D]America, how [G]are you?
Say [Em] don't you know me,[C] I'm your native [G] son.
[D] I'm the [G] train they call the [D] City of New [Em] Orleans,
I'll be [F]gone five [C] hundred miles [D] when the day is [G] done.
Verse 2
[G]Dealin' cards with the [D]old men in the club [G]car
[Em]Penny a point, there ain't[C] no one keeping [G]score
[G]Pass the paper bag[D] that holds the [G]bottle
I can [Em]feel the wheels [D]a-rumbling through the [G]floor.
[Em]And the sons of Pullman porters and the [Bm]sons of engineers
Ride their [D]father's magic carpets made of [A]steel
[Em]Mother with her babes asleep [Bm]rocking to the gentle beat
And the [D]rhythm of the [D7]rails is all they [G]dream.
Chorus
[C] Good morning [D]America, how [G]are you?
Say [Em] don't you know me,[C] I'm your native [G] son.
[D] I'm the [G] train they call the [D] City of New [Em] Orleans,
I'll be [F]gone five [C] hundred miles [D] when the day is [G] done.
Verse 3
[G]Nightime on [D]the City of New[G] Orleans
[Em]Changing cars in [C]Memphis, [G]Tennessee[D]
[G]Half way there and [D]we'll be home by [G]morning
Through the[Em] Mississippi darkness[D] rolling down to the [G]sea.
But [Em]all the towns and people seem to [Bm]fade into a dark dream
And the [D]steel rail still ain't heard the [A]news
The [Em]conductor sings his song again, the [Bm]passengers will please refrain…
This [D]train got the [D]disappearing railroad [G]blues.
Chorus
[C] Goodnight [D]America, how [G]are you?
Say [Em] don't you know me,[C] I'm your native [G] son.
[D] I'm the [G] train they call the [D] City of New [Em] Orleans,
I'll be [F]gone five [C] hundred miles [D] when the day is [G] done.
Outro
[F] [C] [D] [G]
X