Griffe:

1. Strophe:
C                   G                 C
Riding on the "City of New Orleans",
Am                 F                        C   G7
Illinois Central Monday morning rail.
C                      G                   C
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders,
F                              G                           C
three conductors and twentyfive sacks of mail.
Am                                                    Em
All out on a south bound odyssey, the train pulls out of Kankakee
G                                              D
Rolls past the houses, farms and fields.
Am                                                  Em
Passin' towns that have no name and freight yards full of old black men,
             F                   G7                C
And the graveyards of rusted automobiles.

Refrain:
            F                       G                 C
Singing Good morning America, how are you?
Am                          F                      C   G7
Don't you know me, I’m your native son.
           C                         G                 C
I'm the train they call the "City of New Orleans"
                 F                        G7                            C
And I'll be gone fivehundred miles when the day is done.

2.  Strophe:
Dealin' cards to the old men in the club car.
Penny a point and no ons's keepin' score.
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle.
You can feel the wheels grumblin' neath the Floor.
The sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers
Ride their fathers' magic carpet made of steam.
And mothers with their babes asleep are rockin' to the gentle beat
The rhythm of the Rails is all they dream.
Refrain:

3.  Strophe:
Nighttime on the "City of New Orleans"
Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home and we'll be there by morning
Through the Mississippi darkness rollin' to the sea.
But all the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream
The steel rail hasn't heard The news.
The conductor sings his song again, its passengers will please refrain
This train's got the Disappearin' railroad blues.
Refrain:

Good night . . .