City of New Orleans
Willie Nelson Lyrics

Riding on the city of New Orleans
The singer is on board the City of New Orleans train, heading towards New Orleans.

Illinois Central, Monday morning rail
The singer is traveling on the Illinois Central train line on a Monday morning.

Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
There are 15 cars and 15 restless riders on the train.

Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail
There are 3 conductors on the train responsible for transporting 25 sacks of mail.

All along the southbound odyssey
The journey on the City of New Orleans train is a southbound odyssey.

The train pulled out at Kankakee
The train departed from Kankakee station.

And rolls along past houses, farms and fields
The train passes by houses, farms, and fields.

Passin' trains that have no names
The train passes by other trains that do not have names.

And freight yards full of old black men
The train also passes by freight yards where old black men work.

And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles
The train passes by graveyards filled with rusted automobiles

Good morning, America
The singer greets America.

How are you?
The singer asks how America is doing.

Say don't you know me? I'm your native son
The singer is personifying the train as America's son and asking if America recognizes him.

I'm the train they call the city of New Orleans
The singer reiterates that he is on the train named the City of New Orleans.

And I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done
The singer will have traveled 500 miles by the end of the day.

Dealin' card games with the old men in the club car
The singer is playing card games with the old men in the club car on the train.

Penny a point ain't no one keepin' score
They are playing for fun and no one is keeping score.

Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
The passengers are sharing a bottle of alcohol hidden in a paper bag.

Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor
The passengers can feel the wheels of the train rumbling beneath their feet.

And the sons of Pullman Porters
The sons of Pullman Porters are also on the train.

And the sons of engineers
The sons of engineers are also on the train.

Ride their father's magic carpet made of steel
They feel like they are riding on their father's magic carpet, which is the train made of steel.

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

Are rockin' to the gentle beat
They are gently rocking to the rhythm of the train.

And the rhythm of the rail is all they feel
The passengers are soothed by the rhythmic motion of the train.

Nighttime on the city of New Orleans
The train ride continues into the night.

Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee
The train changes cars in Memphis, Tennessee.

Half way home, we'll be there by morning
The singer is halfway through his journey and will reach his destination by morning.

Through the Mississippi darkness
The train is traveling through the darkness of the Mississippi region.

Rolling down to the sea
The train is moving towards the sea.

But all the towns and people seem
The singer observes that all the towns and people the train passes by begin to disappear.

To fade into a bad dream
The towns and people seem to fade away into the singer's imagination like a bad dream.

And the steel rails still ain't heard the news
The train rails continue to run through the land without acknowledging the news of the world around them.

The conductor sings his songs again
The conductor starts singing his songs again.

The passengers will please refrain
The conductor politely asks the passengers to refrain from talking so he can continue singing.

This train has got the disappearing railroad blues
The train ride and the fading towns and people evoke feelings of sadness for the passing of times gone by.