City Of New Orlens

Willie Nelson

Compositor: Willie Nelson

Tom: G

      G                   D                G
 Riding on the City of New Orleans,
     Em                     C                      G - D
    Illinois Central, Monday morning rail.
     G                       D                      G
    Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders, 
                   Em                  D                            G
    three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.
    Em                                                           
    All on a southbound odyssey,  
          Bm
    the train pulls out of Kentucky, 
      D                                         A
    rolls past horses, farms and fields.  
      Em                                                         
    Passing trains that have no name 
           Bm
    and freight yards full of old black men,
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    and the graveyards of rusted automobiles. Singing...
   C                         D               G
Good morning, America, how are you?
         Em                           C                      G - D
Hey, don`t you know me, I`m your native son.
              G                         D                Em
I`m the train they call the City of New Orleans,
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and I´ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
       G                           D                    G
2. Dealing cards to the old men in the club car,  
     Em                             C                            G - D
    penny a point, and no one`s keeping score.
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     Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle, 
                  Em                     D                             G
     you can feel the wheels grumbling `neath the floor. 
             Em                                                  Bm
    The sons of Pullman porters, and the sons of engineers
                      D                                                   A
    ride their father`s magic carpet made of steel.
             Em
    And mothers with their babies asleep,  
             Bm
    are rocking to the gentle beat,
             D            D7                     G            
    the rhythm of rails is all they feel.   + CHORUS
      G                       D                G                                          
3. Nighttime on the City of New Orleans,   
       Em                      C                          G - D
    changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee.
      G                           D                           G
    Halfway home, and we`ll be there by  morning, 
                        Em             D                          G
    through the Mississippi darkness rollin`  to sea.
         Em                                                      
   But all the towns and people 
                   Bm
    seem to fade into a bad dream,
             D                                         A
    the steel rail hasn`t heard the news.
                   Em                                               
    The conductor sings his song again,
              Bm
    it`s  Passengers will please refrain!
              D                      D7                                   G
    This train`s got the Disappearing Railway Blues. Singing.....