Guthrie, Arlo - City Of New Orleans Lyrics






Riding on the City of New Orleans
Illinois Central, Monday morning rail
15 cars and 15 restless riders
3 conductors, 25 sacks of mail

All along the southbound odyssey, the train pulls out of Kankakee
And rolls along past houses farms and fields
Passing trains that have no name, and freight yards full of old black men
And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles

Good morning America, how are you
Said 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 500 miles when the day is done

Dealing card games, with the old men in the club car
Penny a point ain't no one keeping 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 fathers' magic carpets, made of steel
And mothers with their babes asleep, are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

Good morning America, how are you
Said 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 500 miles when the day is done

Nighttime on the City of New Orleans
Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home, we'll be there by morning
Through the Mississippi darkness, rolling 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 songs again, the passengers will please refrain
This train got the disappearing railroad blues

Good night America, how are you
Said 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 500 miles when the day is done





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Guthrie, Arlo City Of New Orleans Comments
  1. c.... ....

    LOL, over a thousand morons down voted this amazing song. 🤪🙄

  2. J.... H....

    What a wonderful, wistful little song. There are still a few passenger trains out there, but most of us will never know just how accurate this song is at capturing that little piece of Americana.

  3. b.... p....

    This song hits in the solar plexus and you don't even know til you go "ooof".

  4. t.... 2....

    Thanks Micheland..😊 Thanks Paul Ryan et al?😊

  5. T.... O....

    If he got on a train in Ireland he would be sure it would brake down even money on that

  6. D.... B....

    I seem to have an inordinate supply of friends that like to hit trains. With their cars. Not lately but almost as if it were a phase and desperate to share it with me. For example, Dave, open the door, I hit a train. This is shit you don't want to be hearing at 3 A.M....or ever, really. If I ever write a book, this will be one of the chapters!

  7. j.... l....

    this is one of my favorits of all times. cheers.

  8. j.... l....

    I´m still dreaming of going across America by train. First I have to traverse the ocean.:-)
    Greetings to all american adventurer.

  9. r.... l....

    technologies are great, but the family spirit and fellowship of a occupation or trade shared across generations my be lost to expedient gains...

  10. P.... T....

    I used to live in New Orleans back in 1982 and I can still remember this song.

  11. A.... ....

    I was named after Arlo Guthrie and I grew up listening to him music. I love this song.

  12. D.... S....

    The Train whist in the distance at night so American

  13. D.... B....

    Just simply one of the best. The very best. "Rode their father's magic carpets, made of steel." Nobody wrote that. Couldn't have.

    D.... B....

    "...And the sons of Pullman porters, and the sons of engineers...."

  14. G.... E....

    One of the great train records. Love it.

  15. Z.... N....

    I ride trains like arlos daddy

    Z.... N....

    Because jail doesn't scare me

  16. n.... k....

    I really like this song, speaks to me...

  17. D.... L....

    And every German knows the melody today. There was a famous TV entertainer, Rudi Carell, who used the melody to sing "When will it be summer again" (In german, of course.)

  18. c.... ....

    I jumped a rail car way back in 83' i was 19 and all alone the rail car was an empty freight car. It was hot, heading to Iowa and West. I rode along sleeping some, somewhere in e. Iowa near Omaha the train slowed. Got punched, a guy said, get up, bumpers coming, get off! We fell off outside Omaha. Dirty , hot and dusty, we sat in the briars. Walked a ways, hopped a rail car, going West, fell asleep, woke in Wy. somewhere going too St lake city. ok whatever. gotta get up. I am now a writer. I look back on it, and proclaim, I am alive, WOW. I am alive..

  19. r.... f....

    my uncle was the manager of a small railroad company....5-6 cars...my other uncle worked on the same railroad cars....and they married sisters....my dad's sisters.......

  20. M.... O....

    I love singing 🎤 this song at Karaoke 🎤

  21. P.... S....

    We are getting off in Florida

  22. W.... ....

    Although I am 67, and remember the train rides I prefer flying. I guess that's because I have been an airplane pilot since 1971.

  23. T.... S....

    Isn’t this originally a Goodman / Prine song?

    T.... S....

    Yes... Written by Steve Goodman. Recorded in 71.
    Covered by Guthrie and then Willie Nelson

  24. D.... J....

    Ah the good old days glad I'm here and there

    D.... J....

    1972 (when this song came out) was arguably the last good year of the 1970s. Things were awful by 1974. Disco music, "pet rocks" , "mood rings" gas lines and inflation are what I remember.

  25. I.... O....

    1.6k thumbs down idiots.

  26. W.... ....

    I live in Memphis

  27. S.... P....

    Thank you for the story behind this song

  28. C.... P....

    What contemporary song can compare to this song.

  29. D.... C....

    More evidence of how bad music is circa 2020.

  30. E.... A....

    They do not make music like this anymore

  31. j.... ....

    When I hear America from a Guthrie I listen. Still sounds.

  32. w.... t....

    I WAS 12 YRS OLD WHEN MY FATHER STARTED ME WORKING ON THE RAILROAD BACK IN 1972. HE WAS A FOREMAN FOR A RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY THAT SERVICED TRACK, BUILT TRACK,AND REPLACED OLD LINES OF TRACK. WHEN I WAS EVENTUALLY OLD ENOUGH TO WORK ON THE MAIN LINES WITH THE REST OF THE CREW I REMEMBER HOW THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO WORK IN UNISON DRIVING SPIKES.
    IF YOU NEVER, EVER SEEN THIS IT WAS COMPLETELY AWSOME, ONE WOULD POSITION HIMSELF ON THE INSIDE OF THE TRACK WHILE THE OTHER WOULD BE POSITIONED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TRACK. THEN ONCE THE SPIKES WERE IN POSITION THEY WOULD START THEIR HAMMERING, THERE WAS A RHYTHM THAT THEY HAD , ONE WOULD HIT THE SPIKE THEN THE OTHER WOULD HIT THE SPIKE, HOWEVER, WHEN THE FIRST ONE FINISHED STRIKING THE SPIKE THE HAMMER WOULD ROLL OFF AND HE WOULD THEN SWING THE HAMMER BACK OVER HIS HEAD WHILE THE OTHER ONE DID THE SAME THING. THESE GUY'S COULD HAMMER 2-3 MILES OF TRACK A DAY, HOWEVER, MY FATHER DIDN'T SHOW NO FAVORITISM IF I WASN'T PULLING MY WEIGHT I HEARD ABOUT IT...."OH, BOY.."DID I HEAR ABOUT IT.
    MY FATHER SPENT OVER 40 YRS BUILDING TRACK AND I ADMIRED THE WAY THAT HE COULD LOOK AT A BLUE PRINT OF HOW THE TRACK WAS TO BE LAID OUT AND THEN LOOK AT THE LAY OF THE LAND AND WITH 99.999% COULD TELL YOU IF THAT TRACK WAS GOING TO WORK OR NOT. HE LOVED THE RAILROAD.

    THIS SONG REMINDS ME OF HIM AND OF THE WONDERFUL BUT HARD WORK I ENDURED OVER SUMMER MONTHS. R.I.P DAD

  33. C.... C....

    Don't you know me? I'm your native son.

  34. L.... C....

    GREAT STORY TELLER .

  35. R.... M....

    Who sung this song first Arlo or Willie?. I only first heard this song a couple days ago by accident and have fallen in love with it... 😀

    R.... M....

    Well actually Steve Goodman, who wrote this song, released it first on his debut album in 1971. Steve was from Chicago and one evening when Arlo was playing in Chicago, Steve asked if he could play a song for him. Arlo grudgingly agreed on one condition: Steve would have to buy him a beer and Arlo would listen for as long as it took him to drink that beer. The rest, as they say, is history. Arlo recorded the song and released it in July of 1972. From my perspective Mothman1967 is actually right because Steve Goodman released it first but in answering the question “who played it first” I interpret that as who popularized the song first and it was Arlo Guthrie.

  36. H.... ....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfgdtjciBbk

  37. R.... L....

    Saw Arlo at the Free State theater in Lawrence KS, and oh, my it was 1995. We got our tickets at the last moment, up in the very top back row, but almost my best possible concert ever.

  38. C.... B....

    Dagood...❤❤❤👣🕊🌎✨🌠💫🦅🗽

  39. 1.... ....

    I remember with great fondness driving several times on the "City of New Orleans", two or three day trips on the way Home.It was America at it's fineness back in the 70s. Does anyone else remember the Conductor with the raspy voice calling out all the stops?

  40. w.... d....

    The world needs more Arlo Guthrie's. The whole world.

    w.... d....

    Sorry just had to reply after seeing you name I had a uncle with the same name .

  41. N.... T....

    Steve Goodman penned this wonderful song...another big song for him was "You Don't Have To Call Me Darlin'" that became David Allan Coe's biggest hit...

  42. C.... H....

    This song brings back good memories but yet sad when I listen to it. Ah Good Morning America. I’ve been to all 50 states on purpose. Beautiful country we live in !!

  43. M.... A....

    Pre Amtrak Days of American Railroading

  44. P.... M....

    This was the train I took to college from Chicago to Champaign, U. of Illinois. Have some good laughs/memories from that train. Steve Goodman was a talented guy. He passed too soon.

  45. F.... H....

    THERE IS NOTHING TO COMPARE WITH TRAIN TRAVEL. WHEN IN COLLEGE, I USED TO RIDE THE TEXAS SPECIAL FROM TEXAS TO OKLA, AND BOY WAS IT FUN DURING THE HOLIDAYS. A ROLLING PARTY. I MISS T HE TRAINS. THEY HAD AN ELEGANCE THE AIRPLANES DON'T HAVE. I LOVED THE CLUB CAR WHERE ONE WAS TREATED LIKE A KING. . IN FACT I WAS INTRODUCED TO A "FINGER BOWL" THERE AFTER HAVING A SANDWICH. I LOOKED AT IT, AND THOUGHT "I DONT' THINK I'M SUPPOSED TO DRINK OUT OF IT.:" THEN I REMEMEBERED MY HOME EC CLASS, WHEN OUR HOME EC TEACHER TAUGHT US ABOUT WHICH FORK, KNIFE AND SPOON TO USE, AND HOW TO SET A TABLE LIKE THIS. AND THEN SHE TAUGHT US ABOUT HOW TO USE A FINGER BOWL. . I FELT SO UPTOWN. I DO LOVE THIS SONG, AND LEARNED TO PLAY IT ON THE GUITAR. IT HAS A GREAT HISTORY OF RAILROAD LORE. MY COUSIN WAS AN ENGINEER ON THE UNION PACIFIC, HAD MANY STORIES TO TELL. SOME RATHER SAD. I THINK IT TAKES A MILE OR TWO TO BRING THAT TRAIN TO A COMPLETE STOP. AND IF THE ENGINEER IS ABOUT TO EXCEED HIS ALLOTED MILES, THEY STOP THE TRAIN, CALL HEADQUARTERS AND SEND A FRESH ENGINEER. TO REPLACE THE ONE WHO'S REACHED HIS MILEAGE/ . .

  46. J.... M....

    MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!!

  47. G.... F....

    EVERYONE SHOULD RIDE A TRAIN,,,,

  48. R.... W....

    It reminds me of taking the train trips. From Chicago on City of New Orleans and City of Miami. Those were good years for me. Even taking the train from Chicago to Memphis.

  49. s.... ....

    I’m 16 and I’ll love this song till I die. I hope it never gets recovered to the rest of my generation who would use it as memes such as country roads. Good on Arlo. He did brilliant on this one

    s.... ....

    Lots of generalizing there

    s.... ....

    @Fishish What?

    s.... ....

    David Brown just the whole I hate my generation trope, not everyone in your generation is stupid, I know this is the YouTube comment section I just get tired of people being like IM THE onLy 16 yEAR olD WhO LiStEns tO thIs

    s.... ....

    This song was written by the brilliant Steve Goodman. You should research more of his music. It'll open your eyes to a new world of great music

  50. M.... P....

    I rode an Amtrak train from Connecticut to Florida back in 1992...wasn't bad....way better than a bus.

  51. D.... N....

    I bought a copy of this LP in 1977. I still have it. I love playing it.. and admiring at that iconic cover art...

  52. D.... S....

    If you dont like the music Suck my dogs boody snatch

  53. T.... Y....

    I love this song

  54. D.... D....

    This Arlo Guthrie arrangement is nearly as brilliant as the song itself, which is saying quite a lot considering it’s a masterpiece of writing.

    D.... D....

    It's quite a beautiful thing.

  55. J.... M....

    I never knew he did this song wow

    J.... M....

    He did this one first,Willie Nelson did the 2nd one,I think Willie did a better job...an opinion on my part🤗

  56. c.... ....

    Steve Goodman wrote one fine song..his talent is solely missed now adays.

  57. R.... C....

    ARLO WAS GIFTED HIS LEGACY FROM HIS DAD WOODY,WHOSE CARING HEART FOR THE PEOPLE, WAS HIS MANDATE, EXPLAINING THEIR SUFERRING...IN A SONG.

    R.... C....

    Funny how music has gone from this to mumble rap!

  58. C.... F....

    Yes, Steve Goodman wrote and performed it, Willie Nelson made it a hit, but to me this is THE authentic version.

    C.... F....

    Totally agree!

  59. b.... c....

    love this song used to play it on my guitar

    b.... c....

    Why would you ever stop?

  60. J.... T....

    This song has a clickety clack train rhythm.

  61. W.... W....

    🤗😚👍😵😭

  62. �.... �....

    My husband still talks about seeing Arlo at Alice's in Berkeley still laughs real people real times and even the police were groovin

  63. T.... L....

    Rode the "City of New Orleans" April 2019, from Chicago to New Orleans. I do not reccomend it. Had a berth, woke up like someone kicked the s--- out of me. The food was micro-waved, the waiters were surly and the only time I saw the attendent was when I tipped him, and then he would disappear!

  64. M.... E....

    2019 😍

  65. g.... c....

    I remember when this album came out. Damn where has my life gone? I worked in the corrupt corporate world, sold out.! Now as an old man I know what is important. Wish I had a redux...but no dice. Thank you. Greg

  66. J.... L....

    Good morning America how are you?....Greetings from Ireland

  67. M.... ....

    This song reminds me of the book I recently; "The Angola Horror of 1867"-50- passengers burned alive, after rear 2-cars Derail and fall off the Big Sister Creek Trestle embankment , in Angola, N.Y. John D. Rockefeller was to have been on that car that day but ran late and missed the train. His baggage made it on but he did not. This tradgedy transformed all the railroad safety, all across this great land.

  68. E.... M....

    I grew up I Louisville, Ky. I experienced the L&N( Louisville &Nashville) on an hourly basis. People used to take the train to the Ky Derby. Oh the nostalgia, the romance, the history...

  69. b.... d....

    I hooked up with his granddaughter....

  70. N.... T....

    This song was written by Steve Goodman, who also wrote "You Don't Have To Call Me Darlin' Darlin'" made famous by David Allan Coe...Goodman died of leukemia in September 1984.

  71. P.... M....

    Can't enjoy the present if you ignore the past.

  72. K.... l....

    saw him bottom line NYC super cool nice guy

  73. R.... M....

    Makes you think about how important the Railroad is to American History.

    R.... M....

    @Frank Roth Mercy. How sad. I'm so sorry. Boy do I personally know what you mean. I'm 56 and got that all my life. I'm only 5' but I did weigh 220lbs. Man I got hammered. But I lost it and I'm down to 120lbs. But hateful people used me and discriminated against me. I have friends that have told me how so and so used me and so on and so on. But I shouldn't be running my mouth like that. I apologize for all of what I said. It's nice to communicate with you.

    R.... M....

    @Rebecca Moss I love when I hear how people that may not have had the self esteem and or self worth and confidence in themselves, and set few if any boundaries, subjecting themselves to the other unhealthy people in the world that would seek to exploit those elements of another person. I'm very very happy and excited for you that you have come full circle and now truly love and understand your true value as a human being, I tip my hat to you, Congratulations on succeeding after investing a lot of hard work in yourself!

    R.... M....

    @Frank Roth Thank you. those were huge words but I did work so hard to lose that weight, no Gastric Bypass either and I'm amazed at how different people treat me. But I do really need to stop. I've kept you in this conversation to much already.

    R.... M....

    @Rebecca Moss No problem, you take care & Happy Holidays!!

    R.... M....

    @Frank Roth Thank you for taking the time to correspond with me and Happy Holiday and be safe this busy time of the year.

  74. D.... C....

    I love this song

  75. D.... F....

    Somebody owes me, I'm fucking coming for you!!! Not kidding!

  76. D.... F....

    Don't you know me I'm you Native son. Quite stealing my fucking car keys. Devil Sign!

  77. P.... T....

    Bon jour! amigos

  78. E.... M....

    This lovely song by our Arlo always brings me to tears...

    E.... M....

    Arlo Guthrie's original version or Wilie Nelson's version, nobody ever topped them

    E.... M....

    @Nancy Neville Right, Nancy...Arlo and Willie's songs are always true to our lives..when a teenager in Detroit, I heard Arlo's Dad, Woody, at a concert..I loved him then, and folk music....

  79. s.... ....

    Let's give props to Jim Dickinson, the piano player on this one! Such a nice accompaniment.

  80. m.... r....

    city of new orleans =a shit hole, destroyed by democrat communist scum

  81. R.... Z....

    Illinois Central out of Chicago to New Orleans. Sleeper, great ride, great memories.

  82. L.... C....

    Those past years that unfortunately we have ride the tires out at those sweet moment's we live as we really felt ! Yes my parents didn't have it easy ! But it was kept behind my mom and dad's eyes! They never fought am talking about money food paying the rent! Not like today where children are either brought into by parents! Either way! We Were Really Children!

  83. K.... S....

    I never get tired of listening to this song.

  84. E.... T....

    Love This

  85. a.... a....

    american history sang to you. its poetic, best ever whose listening in nov 2019

  86. S.... G....

    “I’m your native son...”

  87. M.... 6....

    My dad used to put this on in our old Montego, simpler times, when the world was worth something.

  88. B.... ....

    My FAVORITE Arlo Guthrie song, I NEVER get tired of hearing it.

    B.... ....

    Neither do I!

    B.... ....

    This one and willie's version

    B.... ....

    Written by the late, great Steve Goodman.

  89. S.... H....

    In 1983 I took the City of New Orleans to visit my sister who lived in Mississippi. Along the way some of the "sons of pullman porters" befriended us. My son was an infant at the time, and those other sons were totally fascinated by him. In recent years I wonder about them, wonder where they are now. Ir was an amazing journey.

    S.... H....

    good story....

  90. W.... F....

    The simple life, travel on!!!!

  91. W.... W....

    When's the new season of Byrds of paradise?

  92. m.... i....

    Back when folk music could tell a story every bit of Ken Burns.

  93. T.... F....

    The conductor sings his songs again, the passengers will please refrain
    This train got the disappearing railroad blues

  94. L.... N....

    You can sense in this song that America has lost its innocence, Vietnam changed us, the train is just a symbol
    .

  95. G.... C....

    For some reason this song makes me feel good about being an American .....Thanks Arlo...The power of music Never ceases to amaze me!

  96. C.... H....

    My Grandpa was a yard master for the Missouri Pacific RR and he taught me to love the rails and this song reminds me of his days of glory.

  97. C.... P....

    Just returned home from a trip from Chicago to Portland on the Empire Builder. Just before it got dark at Glacier Mountain National Park I put this song on my headphones and watched out the back window of the last sleeper as the world went dark.


    It was.... uniquely beautiful. Probably the best mixing of sight and sound ever.


    Then had dinner in the dining car, I highly recommend the crab cake/steak dinner. Delicious...

    C.... P....

    I did that exact same route with my mom 10 years ago for her 70th b-day. It was a wonderful experience!!!!