the city of new orleans
by steve goodman ( but based on arlo’s version )
i think this is how my dad usually plays it . some of the chords
might be a little off , because apart from the opening D chord i got
the rest entirely by ear . sounds great hybrid – or travis – picked .
on the lines ending with A ’d’ , you should alternate with Dsus2/4 ,
but for ease of reading i have not explicitly tabbed those out .
lyrics from
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D A D
riding on the city of new orleans ,
Bm G D A
illinois central monday morning rail
D A D
fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders ,
Bm A D
three conductors and twenty – five sacks of mail .
Bm
all along the southbound odyssey
F#m
the train pulls out at kankakee
A Em
rolls along past houses , farms and fields .
Bm
passin’ trains that have no names ,
F#m
freight yards full of old black men
A G D
and the graveyards of the rusted automobiles .
chorus :
G A D
good morning america how are you?
Bm G D A
don’t you know me i’m your native son ,
D A D
i’m the train they call the city of new orleans ,
C Em A D
i’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done .
dealin’ card games 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
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 .
mothers with their babes asleep ,
are rockin’ to the gentle beat
and the rhythm of the rails is all they feel .
chorus
nighttime 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 .
and all the towns and people seem
to fade into a bad dream
and the steel rails still ain’t heard the news .
the conductor sings his song again ,
the passengers will please refrain
this train’s got the disappearing railroad blues .
good night , 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 five hundred miles when the day is done .
1970 , 1971 emi u catalogue , inc and turnpike tom music ( ascap )
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