v.1
^GRidin' on the ^DCity of New ^GOrleans
^EmIllinois central ^CMonday mornin ^Grail
^GFifteen cars ^Dfifteen restless ^Griders
3 con^Emductors ^D25 sacks of ^Gmail

All ^Emalong the southbound odyssey the ^Bmtrain rolls out of Kankakee
^DRolls along past houses farms and ^Afields
^EmPassin trains that have no names ^Bmfreightyards full of old black men
And the ^Dgraveyards full of ^Crusted automo^Gbiles

Chorus
^CGood mornin' [alt: night] A^Dmerica how ^Gare ya
Said ^Emdon't you know me ^CI'm your native ^Gson
^DI'm the ^Gtrain they call the ^DCity of New ^EmOrleans^A
I'll be ^Fgone five ^Chundred ^Dmiles when the day is ^Gdone
v.2
Dealin' card games with the old man 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 carpet made of steel
Mothers with their babes asleep rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rythm of the rails is all they feel

Rpt Ch
v.3
Night time on the City of New Orleans
Changin' cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home we'll be there by mornin'
Through the Mississippi darkness rollin down to the sea

But all the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream
And the steel rail still ain't heard the news
The conductor sings his song again the passengers will please refrain
This train's got the disappearin' railroad blues
Rpt Ch [alt] to end