Meaning of 'City of New Orleans'

by Willie Nelson

Interpretation

In the song lyrics "City of New Orleans" by Willie Nelson, it is about a train journey from Chicago to New Orleans. The song describes the journey and the different people who are on the train.

At the beginning of the text, the train, the City of New Orleans, is introduced. It is mentioned that the train departs on Monday morning and there are many passengers and bags of mail. The train heads south and passes houses, farms, and fields. Other unnamed trains are also mentioned, as well as freight yards where old black men work and rusty cars are parked.

The chorus of the song goes: "Good morning, America, how are you? 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 five hundred miles when the day is done." This chorus illustrates the pride of the connection with America and the train journey.

In the next part of the song, it describes how the passengers interact on the train. They play cards and drink alcohol. It is also mentioned that the sons of Pullman porters and engineers are traveling on the train. The passengers are relaxed and enjoying the ride.

In the last part of the song, it describes the night on the train. The train makes a stop in Memphis and then continues towards New Orleans. The cities and people seem to fade away, and the song describes them as a bad dream. The lyrics also mention the conductor who sings his songs and asks the passengers to behave quietly. The song ends by stating that the train has the "fading railroad blues".

So, the lyrics of the song "City of New Orleans" by Willie Nelson describe a train journey from Chicago to New Orleans and the different people and impressions experienced during the trip. It also expresses a sense of connection with America.