Chords for Johnny Cash - City of New Orleans (Riding the Rails, 1974)

_ _ _ _ [D] _ _ When [F] was it that the trains began [Ebm] to lose their glamour?
[Eb] Well, I guess it was when the diesels [Bbm] came along.
Of course the diesels had to come, you know,
they're cheaper to run, [D] but somehow they didn't have that awesome fire-breathing [Dm] presence that the old steam locomotives had.
[G] We changed too, you know.
After World [Ebm] War II, we entered the air age and airplane pilots became our new heroes.
[Bbm] And now a whole [Gb] network of interstates cuts across [F] the land and we've begun to forget about the train.
_ All the coaches [B] still run, but somehow
[F] they're just not quite the same anymore. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [E] Riding on the city of New Orleans,
_ Illinois Central,
Monday morning rail,
15 cars and 15 restless riders, _
three [Gb] conductors,
24 sacks of mail. _
All [Gm] along the southbound Odyssey,
the train pulls out of [F] Kankakee and moves along past houses, [C] farms and fields. _ _
[Gm] Passing trains that have no name,
switchyards full of old black [F] men and
graveyards full of rusted [Bb] automobiles. _ _ _
[Eb] Good [F] morning, America, [Bb] how are you?
[Gm] Say don't you [Eb] know me?
I'm your [Bb] native son.
I am a train they [F] call the city [Gm] of New Orleans.
[Bb] _
[Ab] I'll be gone
[F] 500 miles when the [Bb] day is done. _
It's nighttime [F] on the city [Bb] of New Orleans. _ _
[Gm] Changing [Eb] cars in Memphis, [Bb] Tennessee. _ _
Halfway [F] home and we'll be [Bb] there by _ [Gm] morning.
[Bb] Through the Mississippi [F] darkness rolling [Bb] down to the sea. _
[Gm] And all the towns and the people seem to fade right into a bad dream.
[F] And the steel rails still ain't [C] heard the news. _
[Gm] The conductor sings his song again.
The passengers will please refrain.
[F] This train's got to disappear in [Bb] railroad blue.
_ Got me [Eb] singing, good [F] morning America, [Bb] how are you? _
[Gm] Hey now don't you know [Eb] me?
I'm your native [Bb] son.
I am a train they call [F] the city of [Gm] New Orleans.
[Bb] _
[Ab] I'll be gone
500 [F] miles when the [Bb] day is done. _
I'll be gone 500 [F] miles when the [Bb] day is done. _
_ _ [Fm] _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [B] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bb] _ _ [Ab] _ _ [Gb] _ _ [Dbm] But [F] Americans ignore the cry of the [N] disappearing railroad.
Of course, the freight trains continue to roll, full of goods for people all over the land.
but the passenger stations, you know they're getting to be awfully lonesome.
_ _ The trains