Digital Tradition Mirror

City of New Orleans

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

City of New Orleans
(Steve Goodman)

Ridin' on the City of New Orleans
Illinois Central, Monday mornin'  rail
15 cars & 15 restless riders
Three conductors, 25 sacks of mail

All along the southbound odyssey the train pulls out of Kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms & fields
Passin' towns that have no name, freight yards full of old gray men
And the graveyards of rusted automobiles

cho: Good mornin' America, how are you?
     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 500 miles when the day is done

Dealin' cards with the old men in the club car
Penny a point, ain't no one keepin' score
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
And feel the wheels grumblin' neath the floor

      And the sons of Pullman porters & the sons of engineers
      Ride their fathers' magic carpet made of steel
      Mothers with their babes asleep, rockin' to the gentle beat
      And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

cho:

Night time on the City of New Orleans
Changin' cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home & we'll be there by mornin'
Thru the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea

      But all the towns & people seem to fade into a bad dream
      And the steel rail still ain't heard the news
      The conductor sings his song again
      "The passengers will please refrain:
      This train has got the disappearin' RR blues

Goodnight America How are you? ...

Copyright Turnpike Tom Music
SS

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!