The City of New Orleans

Arlo Guthrie

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1. Riding on the City of New Orleans, Illinois Central Monday morning rail

2. Dealin' card games with the old men in the club car. Penny a point no one keepin' score.

3. Nighttime on The City of New Orleans, Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee.

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1. Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders, Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.

2. Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor.

3. Half way home, we'll be there by morning Thru the Miss. darkness Rolling down to the sea.

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1. All along the southbound odyssey The train pulls out at Kankakee

2. And the sons of pullman porters And the sons of engineers

3. And all the towns and people seem To fade into a bad dream

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1. Rolls along past houses, farms and fields.

2. Ride their father's magic carpets made of steel.

3. And the steel rails still ain't heard the news

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1. Passin' trains that have no names, Freight yards full of old black men

2. Mothers with their babes asleep, Are rockin' to the gentle beat

3. The conductor sings his song again, The passengers will please refrain

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1. And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles.

2. And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.

3. This train's got the disappearing railroad blues.

CHORUS:

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Good morning America how are ya?

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Don't you know me I'm your native son,

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I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,

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And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.