City of New Orleans

Words & Music by Steve Goodman & John Denver
from Aerie (1971)


 G              D          G
Riding on the "City of New Orleans"
Em                C              G   D
Illinois Central Monday Morning Rail
      G                D                G
Less fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
   Em                  D                   G
Three conductors and twenty five sacks of mails
            Em                                   Bm
They're out on the south-bound odissey and the train pulls out of Kankoke
 D                              A
Rolling past houses, farms and fields
         Em                            Bm 
Passing towns that have no names and freightyards full of old black men
          D                             G
And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles

              C         D           G        
Singing Good Morning A-merica.  How are you?
        C                 D                G    D
Saying don't you know me, I'm your native son?
          G                   D          G       
I'm the train they call     "City of New Orleans".
         Em                D                      G     
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the days is done

       G                     D                G
I was dealing cards with the old man in the club car
  Em                          C              G     D
Plenty of points there ain't no one keeping score 
               G              D                  G
Say won't you pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
     Em              D                     G
And feel the wheels rumbling through the floor
         Em                               Bm
And the sons of foregone porters and the sons of engineers
            D                              A
Ride their father's magic carpet made of steel
         Em                                   Bm
And the days were full of restless and their dreams were full of memories
           D                                 G
And the echos of the freight train whistles clear

              C         D           G         
Singing Good Morning A-merica.  How are you?
        C                 D                G    D
Saying don't you know me, I'm your native son?
              G            D                 G       
Yes I'm the train they call     "City of New Orleans".
         Em                D                      G     
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the days is done

           C              D          G
But it's twilight on the city of New Orleans
 C            D               G
Talk about a pocket full of friends
 Em            D                 G
Halfway home, we'll be there by morning
      A           A7                 D
With no tomorrow waiting 'round of then
          C        D          G         
Singing goodbye A-merica.  I love you
        C                 D                G    D
Saying don't you know me, I'm your native son?
          G                   D          G       
I'm the train they call     "City of New Orleans".
         Em                D                      G     
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the days is done
              C         D           G        
Singing Good Morning A-merica.  How are you?
        C                 D                G    D
Saying don't you know me, I'm your native son?
              G                   D          G       
Yes I'm the train they call the "City of New Orleans".
         Em                D                      G     
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the days is done