City of New Orleans Ukulele Chords

City of New Orleans Ukulele Chords – Steve Goodman. This song uses the chords: C, Amin, F, G, D, Bb. You can change the key for free, as needed.

City of New Orleans Ukulele Chords – Steve Goodman

G A B (single notes)

VERSE 1:

CRiding on the GCity of New COrleansAminIllinois Central FMonday morning CrailThere are C15 cars and G15 restless CridersAminThree conductors and G25 sacks of Cmail

They’re all Aminout on southbound odysseyThe Emintrain pulls out at KankakeeG Rolls along past houses, farms and Dfields

AminPassing towns that have no namesAnd Eminfreight yards full of old black menAnd the Ggraveyards of the rusted automoCbiles

CHORUS 1:

Singin’ FGood morning, America, how Care you?Say, Amindon’t you know me? FI‘m your native CsonG Yes I am the Ctrain they call the GCity of New COrleansAnd I’ll be Amingone F500 Gmiles when day is Cdone

VERSE 2:

And I was Cdealin’ card games with the Gold men in the Cclub carAnd it’s pAminenny a point there ain’t Gno one keepin’ CscoreG Won’t you Cpass the paper Gbag that holds that CbottleYou can Aminfeel the wheels Grumblin’ through the Cfloor

And the Aminsons of Pullman portersThe Eminsons of engineersThey ride their Gfather’s magic carpets made of Dsteel

AminMothers with their babes asleepGo Eminrockin’ to the gentle beatThe Grhythm of the rails is all they Cdream

CHORUS 2:

Amin F G C

VERSE 3:

CNighttime on the GCity of New COrleansAminChanging cars in GMemphis, TennessCeeG It’s Chalfway home and Gwe’ll be there by CmorningThrough the AminMississippi, darkness Grolling down to the Csea

And Aminall the towns and people seem to Eminfade into a bad dreamThe Gold steel rail still ain’t heard the Dnews

The conAminductor sings his songs againIt’s Eminpassengers will please refrainThis Gtrain got the disappearing railroad Cblues

CHORUS 3:

Just to singin’ FGood night, America, how Care you?Say, Amindon’t you know me? FI‘m your native CsonG And I’m the Ctrain they call the GCity of New COrleansAnd I’ll be Amingone F500 Gmiles when the day is CdoneC7

Just to singin’ FGood night, America, how Care you?Singin’ Amindon’t you know me? FI‘m your native CsonG And I’m the Ctrain they call the GCity of New COrleansAnd I’ll be Amingone Flong long Gtime when the day is BbdooAminoooooFooonCe G C

City of New Orleans Ukulele Chords - Steve Goodmanå

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“City of New Orleans” History:

🎵 Basic facts

Song: “City of New Orleans”
Writer: Steve Goodman
Released: 1971
Genre: Folk / country-folk
First recording: Goodman’s self-titled debut album

🚆 What the song is about

At its core, the song is a travelogue—a poetic description of a long-distance train ride on the Illinois Central line from Chicago to New Orleans.

But it’s more than just a journey. It captures:

The people on board (workers, card players, travelers)
The passing American landscape
A sense of movement through time as well as space

There’s a reflective, almost wistful tone—like watching America roll by from a window.

💡 Inspiration

Goodman got the idea while actually riding that train to visit family. As he observed the passengers and scenery, he began writing down images that became the song.

That’s why the lyrics feel so vivid—they come straight from real-life observation.

🎯 Deeper meaning

On the surface, it’s about a train. Underneath, it’s often interpreted as:

1. A portrait of America

The song shows a cross-section of everyday people—workers, old men, kids—suggesting a shared national experience.

2. Nostalgia and change

There’s a subtle sadness, often read as:

The decline of passenger rail travel
A fading version of America

Some listeners even see the train as a metaphor for something nearing the end of its run.

3. Passage of time

The rhythm of the train mirrors the passage of life—steady, inevitable, moving forward.

📈 Famous versions

Although Goodman wrote it, others made it widely known:

Arlo Guthrie (1972)
- First major hit version (Top 20 in the U.S.)
Willie Nelson (1984)
- Reached #1 on the country charts
- Won Goodman a posthumous Grammy for Best Country Song

Many others—like Johnny Cash and Judy Collins—have also recorded it.

🏆 Legacy

“City of New Orleans” is considered:

A modern American folk standard
One of the finest “train songs” ever written
A songwriting triumph that outshined Goodman’s own commercial success

It’s the kind of song that feels simple—but the longer you sit with it, the more it opens up.

🎧 Why it endures

The magic of this song is that it works on two levels:

You can enjoy it as a beautiful story about a train ride
Or hear it as something deeper—a meditation on America, memory, and time

City of New Orleans by Steve Goodman – Ukulele Chords