Lyrics City of New Orleans (Live) - Willie Nelson

Riding on the city of New Orleans
Illinois Central Monday morning rail
15 cars and 15 restless riders
Three conductors and 25 sacks of mail

All along the southbound odyssey, the train pulls out at Kankakee
And rolls along past houses, farms and fields
And passin′ trains that have no names
And freight yards, full of old black men
And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles

Good morning America, how are you?
See, don't you know me, I′m your native son
I'm the train they call the city of New Orleans
And I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done

Dealin′ card games with the old men in the club car
Penny a point, there ain′t no one keepin' score
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
Feel the wheels rumblin′ 'neath the floor

And the sons of pullman porters and the sons of engineers
Ride their father′s magic carpets made of steel
And mothers with their babes asleep, rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

Good morning America, how are you?
See, don′t you know me, I'm your native son
I'm the train they call the city of New Orleans
And I′ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done

Night-time on the city of New Orleans
Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Half way home, we′ll be there by morning
Through the Mississippi darkness rolling down to the sea

But the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream
And the steel rails, still ain't heard the news
The conductor sings your song again, the passengers will please refrain
This train has got the disappearing railroad blues

Good morning America, how are you?
See, don′t you know me, I'm your native son
I′m the train they call the city of New Orleans
And I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done
And I′ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done
And I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done