City of New Orleans
Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger Lyrics

Riding on the City of New Orleans,
Boarding The City of New Orleans train.

Illinois Central Monday morning rail
The train is operated by Illinois Central on Monday morning.

Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders,
The train carries fifteen cars and fifteen passengers who are traveling restlessly.

Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.
There are three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail on the train.

All along the southbound odyssey
The journey southbound on the train is being referred to as an odyssey here.

The train pulls out at Kankakee
The train starts its journey from Kankakee.

Rolls along past houses, farms and fields.
The train passes by various rural areas like houses, farms, and fields.

Passin' trains that have no names,
The train passes by other trains that are not named.

Freight yards full of old black men
The train passes by freight yards that are full of old black men.

And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles.
The train passes by graveyards where rusted automobiles are laid to rest.

Good morning America how are you?
The singer greets America and asks how it's doing.

Don't you know me I'm your native son,
The singer introduces himself as America's native son.

I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
The singer states that he is the train named The City of New Orleans.

I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
The train will travel five hundred miles by the end of the day.

Dealin' cards with the old men in the club car.
The singer describes playing card games with the old men in the club car of the train.

Penny a point ain't no one keepin' score.
The card games offer no significant reward, and no one is keeping score.

Won't you pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
The singer asks someone to pass the bottle that's hidden in a paper bag.

Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor.
The singer feels the train's wheels rumbling beneath the floor.

And the sons of Pullman porters
The sons of Pullman porters are also on the train, carrying on the tradition of their fathers.

And the sons of engineers
The sons of engineers are also on the train, carrying on the tradition of their fathers.

Ride their father's magic carpets made of steam.
The sons ride the steam-powered trains their fathers used to operate, and they see them as magical.

Mothers with their babes asleep,
Mothers with their sleeping infants are also on the train.

Are rockin' to the gentle beat
The train's movement creates a gentle rocking motion that lulls the babies to sleep.

And the rhythm of the rails is all they dream.
The constant sound of the train's wheels on the rails is all they hear, and it's all they dream about.

Nighttime on The City of New Orleans,
The singer describes the night-time experience on The City of New Orleans train.

Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee.
The passengers change trains in Memphis, Tennessee.

Half way home, we'll be there by morning
They're halfway through their journey and are expected to reach their destination by morning.

Through the Mississippi darkness
The train passes through the darkness surrounding the Mississippi river.

Rolling down to the sea.
The train continues rolling towards the sea.

And all the towns and people seem
As they get further from their starting point, the towns and people they pass seem to fade away.

To fade into a bad dream
It feels as though the towns and people they pass are fading into a nightmare.

And the steel rails still ain't heard the news.
The train tracks aren't aware of what's happening outside of the train.

The conductor sings his song again,
The train conductor sings a song again.

The passengers will please refrain
The conductor asks the passengers to stop talking and listen to his song.

This train's got the disappearing railroad blues.
The singer laments how railroads have become less common and the world has changed around them.

Good night, America, how are you?
The singer says goodbye to America and asks how it's doing.

Don't you know me I'm your native son,
The singer reminds America that he's still its native son.

I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
The singer reiterates that he's The City of New Orleans train.

I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
The train will have covered five hundred miles by the end of the day and will be gone.