Ridin' on the City of New Orleans<br />
Illinois Central, Monday mornin' rail<br />
15 cars & 15 restless riders<br />
Three conductors, 25 sacks of mail<br />
<br />
All along the southbound odyssey the train pulls out of Kankakee<br />
Rolls along past houses, farms & fields<br />
Passin' graves that have no name, freight yards full of old black men<br />
And the graveyards of rusted automobiles<br />
<br />
Chorus: <br />
Good mornin' America, how are you?<br />
Don't you know me? I'm your native son!<br />
I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans<br />
I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done<br />
<br />
Dealin' cards with the old men in the club car<br />
Penny a point, ain't no one keepin' score<br />
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle<br />
And feel the wheels grumblin' neath the floor<br />
<br />
And the sons of Pullman porters & the sons of engineers<br />
Ride their fathers' magic carpet made of steel<br />
Mothers with their babes asleep, rockin' to the gentle beat<br />
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel<br />
<br />
Repeat Chorus<br />
<br />
Night time on the City of New Orleans<br />
Changin' cars in Memphis, Tennessee<br />
Halfway home, we'll be there by mornin'<br />
Thru the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea<br />
<br />
But all the towns & people seem to fade into a bad dream<br />
And the steel rail still ain't heard the news<br />
The conductor sings his song again<br />
"The passengers will please refrain:<br />
This train has got the disappearin' railroad blues<br />
<br />
Repeat Chorus
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/johnny+cash/city+of+new+orleans_20178733.html ]