C
Ridin' on the 
G
City of New 
C
Orleans, 

Am
Illinois Central, 
F
Monday mornin' 
C
rail
G

 
C
Fifteen cars and 
G
fifteen restless 
C
riders, 

Am
three conductors, 
G
twenty-five sacks of 
C
mail

All a
Am
long the southbound 

odyssey the 
Em
train pulls out of 

Kankakee 
G
Rolls along past 

houses, farms & 
D
fields

 
Am
Passin' towns that 

have no name, 
Em
freight yards full of 

old black men and the 
G
graveyards of 
F
rusted automo
C
biles

	
F
Good mornin' Am
G
erica, how 
C
are you? 

Am
Don't you know me? 
F
I'm your native 
C
son! 
G
I’m the

	
C
train they call the 
G
City of New 
Am
Orleans. ...
D7
... I'll be 
F
gone 500 
G
miles when the day is 
C
done
G

Dealin' 
C
cards with the 
G
old men in the 
C
club car. 

Am
A penny a point, ain't 
F
no one keepin' 
C
score.
G

And it’s 
C
pass the paper 
G
bag that holds the 
C
bottle, and 

Am
feel the wheels 
G
rumblin' neath the 
C
floor.

And the 
Am
sons of Pullman 

porters & the 
Em
sons of engineers

Ride their 
G
fathers' magic 

carpets made of 
D
steel

 
Am
Mothers rock their 

babes  to sleep, with the
Em
rockin' of the 

gentle beat, and the 
G
rhythm of the 
F
rails is all they 
C
feel

repeat chorus

Well it’s 
C
night time on the 
G
City of New 
C
Orleans 

Am
changin' cars in 
F
Memphis, Tennes
C
see
G

 
C
Halfway home, 
G
we'll be there by 
C
mornin', 

thru the 
Am
Mississippi darkness 
G
rollin' down to the 
C
sea

But 
Am
all the towns and 

people seem to 
Em
fade into a 

bad dream and the 
G
steel rail 

still ain't heard the 
D
news

The con
Am
ductor sings his 

songs again and it's 
Em
passengers would you 

please refrain 
G
this train's got the 
F
disappearin' railroad 
C
blues

	
F
Good night Am
G
erica, how 
C
are you? 

Am
Don't you know me? 
F
I'm your native 
C
son! 
G
I’m the

	
C
train they call the 
G
City of New 
Am
Orleans. ...
D7
... I'll be 
F
gone 500 
G
miles when the day is 
C
done