City of New Orleans - Live Acoustic Version

Well, I think we had to do one from The Bleachers, what do you think?

Alright

This, uh, brings back a lot of memories to me

Because it's the first place I sat and watched a Cub game

With Steve Goodman back in 1970 something

And, uh, I think this is a final circle to, uh, bring together

The great fun we had tonight with the great care we feel

For our people down on the Gulf Coast

The City of New Orleans runs there every day

And I hope it starts up again soon

Riding on the city of New Orleans

Illinois Central, Monday morning train

15 cars and 15 restless riders

Three conductors and 25 sacks of mail

All along the southbound odyssey, the train pulls out from Kankakee

Heading over highways, farms and fields

Passing trains that have no names, freight yards full of old black men

And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles

Singing, "Good morning 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

And I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done"

Dealing cards with the old men in the club car

A penny a point, ain't no one keeping score

Won't you pass the paper bag that holds the bottle

And feel the wheels rumblin' through 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 are rockin' to the gentle beat

And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

Singing, "Good morning America, how are you?

Oh, don't you know me? I'm your native son

I'm the train they call the city of New Orleans

And I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done"

Alright, Mr McAnally

Well, it's 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 to the sea

And all the towns and the people seem to feed into this bad dream

And the steel rail, they ain't heard the news

Conductor sings the song again, passengers will please refrain

'Cause this train's got the disappearing railroad blues

And it's, "Good morning America, how are you?

I say, don't you know me? I'm your native son

I'm the train they call the city of New Orleans

And I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done

I'm the train they call the city of New Orleans

And I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done, yeah

And I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done"

Goodnight, America, we'll see ya tomorrow