The City of New Orleans
by Steve Goodman (but based on Arlo's version)

I think this is how my dad usually plays it.  Some of the chords
might be a little off, because apart from the opening D chord I got
the rest entirely by ear.  Sounds great hybrid- or Travis-picked.

On the lines ending with a 'D', you should alternate with Dsus2/4,
but for ease of reading I have not explicitly tabbed those out.

Lyrics from 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

D (xx0232@1)           A (x02220@1)         DRiding (xx0232@1)on the City of New Orleans,

Bm (x24432@1)             G (320003@1)            D (xx0232@1)       AIllinois (x02220@1)Central Monday morning rail

D (xx0232@1)              A (x02220@1)              DFifteen (xx0232@1)cars and fifteen restless riders,

Bm (x24432@1)                 A (x02220@1)                  DThree (xx0232@1)conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.

    BmAll (x24432@1)along the southbound odyssey

    GbmThe (244222@1)train pulls out at Kankakee

A (x02220@1)                                EmRolls (022000@1)along past houses, farms and fields.

BmPassin' (x24432@1)trains that have no names,

GbmFreight (244222@1)yards full of old black men

        A (x02220@1)               G (320003@1)        DAnd (xx0232@1)the graveyards of the rusted automobiles.


CHORUS:

G (320003@1)          A (x02220@1)         DGood (xx0232@1)morning America how are you?

Bm (x24432@1)              G (320003@1)             D (xx0232@1)       ADon't (x02220@1)you know me I'm your native son,

        D (xx0232@1)                 A (x02220@1)         DI'm (xx0232@1)the train they call The City of New Orleans,

        C (x32010@1)       Em (022000@1)    A (x02220@1)                   DI'll (xx0232@1)be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.


Dealin' card games 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 rumblin' 'neath the floor.
And the sons of pullman porters
And the sons of engineers
Ride their father's magic carpets made of steel.
Mothers with their babes asleep,
Are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.

CHORUS

Nighttime on The City of New Orleans,
Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee.
Half way home, we'll be there by morning
Through the Mississippi darkness
Rolling down to the sea.
And 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 song again,
The passengers will please refrain
This train's got the disappearing railroad blues.

Good night, America, how are you?
Don't you know me I'm your native son,
I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.

?1970, 1971 EMI U Catalogue, Inc and Turnpike Tom Music (ASCAP)
Show more