Uploaded by nlimonge on Aug 17, 2007
City of New Orleans is a folk song written by Steve Goodman, describing a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans via the Illinois Central Railroad in bittersweet and nostalgic terms. Goodman got the idea while traveling on the eponymous train for a visit to his wife's family. He performed the song for Arlo Guthrie in the Quiet Knight, a bar in Chicago, and Guthrie agreed to add it to his repertoire. The song was a hit for Guthrie on his 1972 album Hobo's Lullaby, and is now more closely associated with him, although Goodman performed it until his death in 1984. The song has also been covered by Willie Nelson, John Denver, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Hank Snow, and others.
Willie Nelson version
Steve Goodman won a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1984 for Willie Nelson's version, which was included on his 1984 album of the same name. It reached #1 on both the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the United States[and the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.
The City of New Orleans - Lyrics
Ridin' on the City of New Orleans
Illinois Central, Monday mornin' rail
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail
All along the south-bound odyssey
The train pulls out at Kankakee
And rolls along past houses, farms and fields
Passin' trains that have no names
And freight yards full of old black men
And the grave-yards of the rusted automobiles
Good morning America, how are you?
Say don't you know me, I'm your native son
I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans
And I'll be gone five-hundred miles when the day is done
Dealin' cards 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 grumblin' 'neath the floor
And the sons of Pullman porters, and the sons of engineers
Ride their father's magic carpet made of steel
Mothers with their babes asleep, rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel
Night time on the City of New Orleans
Changin' cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home, we'll be there by mornin'
Thru the Mississippi darkness rollin' down to the sea
But 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 songs again
The passengers will please refrain
This train has got the disappearin' railroad blues.
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This is nice, but I prefer Arlo Guthrie's version.
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DAT
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KEEP TOKIN' THAT DANK WILLIE! NOLA 504 REP 4 LIFE WHO
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Pure
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Amen to that partner. But these days our country is being run by a bunch of god damn bureaucrats and favor all 'em foreigners God bless the south!
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@hawaiiankillahulua It seems that someone has seen what they thought was blink by the USA. An assult on Iran is now an assult on Moscow "which is a magor supplier of arms to Iran" and Japan has gone back on their word and are now supporting Irans' nuclear project. Which seems to me that two big boys are pushing the little boy into a fight with the USA due to their CHICKEN SHITNESS to do it them selves. Japan forgot and Russia will have to be taught!
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@brindymac I THOUGHT canada was in usa???? accent sounds similar!!
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RON PAUL 2012!!! DONT TREAD ON US!! GOD BLESS THE USA
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Fantastic!! If there is one thing that I would like to do before I die would be to ride this train, I guess I will have to get a move on, as being three score years and ten I haven't a huge lot of time left to do this. Also given that I live in England, I will have to hope that I win "The Big One" on the lottery.
Roll on America, God bless you.
1busybeekeeper 2 months ago 12
i love this song by willie. i never feel patriotic untill i hear this song....its like goin to ole time black gospel church right here in my living room. can this song please be our national anthem. love you willie....i love this country and all the wonderful people that live here. long live the good ole u.s.a.
oldhippiegrl 2 months ago 7