Ridin' on the City of New Orleans Illinois Central Monday morning rail
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Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
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Three conductors twenty-four sacks of mail
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All along the southbound odyssey the train rolls out of Kankakee
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Rolls along past houses farms and fields
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Passin' trains that have no names switchyards full of old black men
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Of graveyards full of rusted automobiles
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Good morning America how are you
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Said 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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I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done
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Playin' card games with an old man on the club car
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Many a point no one's keepin' score
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Pass that paper bag that holds the bottle
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Feel the wheels a rumblin' neath the floor
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And the sons of poor men porters and the sons of engineers
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Ride their father's magic carpet made of steel
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Mothers with their babes asleep rockin' to that gentle beat
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And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel
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Good morning America how are you...
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Well it's night time on the City of New Orleans
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Changin' cars in Memphis Tennessee
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Half way home I'll be there by morning
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Through the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea
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And all the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream
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And the steel rails still ain't heard the news
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The conductor sings his songs again the passengers will please refrain
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This train's got the disappearin' railroad blues
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Good night America how are you...
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City Of New Orleans
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| Henson Cargill |
