1.City Of New Orleans
(steve goodman)
Ridin' on the city of new orleans
Illinois central monday morning rail
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders
Two conductors and a-twenty-five sacks a' mail
All along the southbound odyssey
The train pulls out at kankakee
And moves on along past houses, farms and fields
Passin' trains what ain't got no names
Switch yards full a' old black men
And the graveyards full of them rusted automobiles
Good mornin' america, how are ya？
Well, a don'tcha 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
A-dealin' cards with an old man down in the club car
Just a penny a point ain't a-nobody keepin' score
Say won't you pass that there paper bag that's a-wrappin' the
bottle
Feel them wheels rumblin' under that floor
And the sons of pullman porters
And the sons of engineers
Ride their daddy's magical carpet made out of steel
Mamas with their babies asleepin'
Are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel
Good mornin' america, how are ya？
Well, a don'tcha 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
Night-time on the city of new orleans
A-changin' cars a-down in memphis, tennessee
Well, a half way home, and a we gonna be there by mornin'
Through the mississippi darkness
Rollin' down to that sea
Now all a' them towns and all the people seem
To fade away into a bad ol' dream
But the steel rail, well he still ain't heard that news
Conductor's a-singin' that song again
Sayin' 'passengers will please refrain
'this train done got the disappearin' railroad blues'
Good night america, how are ya？
Well, a don'tcha 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
Mamas with their babies asleepin'
Are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel
Mamas with their babies asleepin'
Are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rockin' rails is all they feel
Yeah.
2.The Cowboy
(ron agnew)
The cowboy will never get married to you, girl
It's the fightin' that he just can't bear
But when there's women and whisky and beer-drinkin' brawls
The cowboy will always be there
He'll sing you sad songs, girl, 'cause that's all he knows
And soon you'll be listenin' to
Solutions to problems you don't even have
As he unloads his wisdoms on you
He'll have you believin' he's one-of-a-kind
And that his kind knows what livin's for
He's a dreamer by nature, a liar, and soon
He'll have you believin' he's more
He'll say he's a loner, to cover the truth
Some sympathy might see him through
Just a hand on his shoulder and a bottle of that booze
Then all he'll be needin' is you
He'll drink all your whisky, to clear out his head
Of the drinkin' he's already known
And with a little persuasion, he'll lie in your bed
And when you wake up, you're alone
Now you're feelin' sorry, and the cowboy is gone
He just a-has ta be a-movin' along
But honey when you get lonesome, turn your radio on
And the cowboy will sing you a song
3.Flowers On The Wall
Well, now, i been hearin' you're concerned about my happiness
But all a' that thought you're a-givin' me is conscience, i
guess
If i was walkin' in your shoes i wouldn't worry none
So you and your friends don't worry 'bout me, i'm havin' lots of
fun
Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire 'til dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' captain kangaroo
Now don't tell me i've a-nothin' to do
Last night i dressed in tails pretendin' i was on the town
As long as i can dream it's hard to slow this cowboy down
So please don't give a thought to me i'm really doin' fine
And you can always find me here and havin' quite a time
Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire 'til dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' captain kangaroo
Now don't tell me i've a-nothin' to do
Well, it's good to see you, i must go, i know i look a fright
Well, any ol' way my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my boots are not accustomed to this kind a' street
So i must go back to my room and make my day complete
Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire 'til dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' captain kangaroo
Now don't tell me i've a-nothin' to do
A-don't tell me i've a-nothin' to do
4.Hobo's Lullaby
(goebel reeves)
Go to sleep, you weary hobo
Let the towns drift slowly by
Can't you hear the steel rail hummin'？
That's a hobo's lullaby
Do not think about tomorrow
Let tomorrow come and go
Tonight you're in a nice warm boxcar
Safe from the all the wind and snow
I know your clothes are torn and ragged
And your hair is turnin' gray
Lift your head and smile at trouble
You'll find happiness someday
5.I Wish There Was More That I Could Give
(walt meskell, tim martin)
I found her settin' on a sioux city park bench, on a late
november afternoon. me, i was just driftin' through. she said
she was fourteen, and runnin' away from home. and no, she
wouldn't mind so
Mpany. so i sat down and smoked my last cigarette; she pulled
out a candy bar. and we started talkin' about the hows and the
whys, and we watched the first snow start to fall.
I said, 'hey, little girl. i know the rest of the world looks a
lot better to you now. but you know, you gotta hold onto your
home. 'cause home is what's gonna keep you warm. so if you gott
Someplace, run on outta this here park, and back home. now, i
don't have no money to help get you there, but here： take my
coat. i can't let you go cold.'
I wish there was more that i could give you
Though i know it's your own life to live
But you're so alone
And far away from home
I wish there was more that i could give
Standin' out at the edge a' town, leanin' on the route 20 sign,
snow blowin' all around, i thought about my home, and how far
away it was. and then as night come on and the wind picked up, i
sta
Thinkin' about the cold, and the blizzard i might be spendin'
the night with. and i realized i didn't have a coat anymore. i
was alone. and somewhere, so was that little girl.
Well, along about midnight i was ready to say my prayers, 'cause
the road was gone and i wasn't far behind. and then i saw some
lights, whirlin' and flashin', and a patrolman helped me into a
wa
R. and there inside was my little runaway friend; and she
wrapped my coat around me. well, all i could say was 'thank you
both, for savin' my life.' but the patrolman looked me in the
Nd said, 'thank you, for sendin' my little girl back home to
me.'
I wish there was more that i could give you
Though i know it's your own life to live
But you're so alone
And far away from home
I wish there was more that i could give
6.The Little Things In Life
(bill fries, chip davis)
How long has it been
Since you got up on the early side a' mornin'？
And saw the sun a-risin'
Bright an' shiny on the eastern side a' day？
And long will it be
'til you listen to the sound of evenin' thunder？
And go runnin' through the raindrops
And stop to smell the flowers on the way
How long has it been
Since you heard the leaves a-rustlin' in november？
And felt the autumn wind
Blowin' soft across a sky of sil'vry gray？
And how long will it be
'til you walk along the riverside together？
And take the time to skip a stone
And stop to watch the ripples fade away
But we're so busy tryin' to make it
Workin' mornin', noon and night
That we never see the sunlight
And anytime we started lookin'
For the little things in life that make it livin'
How long has it been
Since you held your woman in your arms and kissed her？
And told her that you'd love her
'til the day that heaven takes you both away？
And how long will it be
'til you wake up late at night and turn to whisper,
'hon, i promise you tomorrow ain't a-gonna be just another day.'
But we're so busy tryin' to make it
Workin' mornin', noon and night
That we never feel the lovelight
And anytime we started hearin'
All them quiet words that come from up above
We're so busy tryin' to fight it
Drivin' hard to beat the stoplight
That we never see the starlight
And anytime we started lookin'
For the little things in life that make it love
Yeah, the little things in life that make it livin'
Are the little things in life that make it love
7.Milton
Now, i'll tell ya a tale that'll bust yer heart
That only a few people knew, ta start
It all took place when our concert tour was booked at the seatac
hilton？
I'll guarantee ev'ry word's the gospel truth
Got witnesses ta prove it, too,
'cause we all toured with a fella by the name a' milton
Now milton was o-fficial tour director,
Electrical piano-playin' plug connector
An' the slave-drivin'-est travel conductor
That we ever seen in our lives
He'd say 'whaddya mean, ya need more rest？
'the world don't care whether ya look yer best!
'simply show up promptly at six a.m. with your instruments
...and your wives!'
Shall we gather at the airport？
He'd always arrive in the nick a' time
A good five minutes ahead a' flight time
A-lookin' like he'd been drug through a needle's eye
He'd stand there, stoned and about ta choke
On his egg mcmuffin an' his giant coke
An' then he'd throw all the tickets on the counter and say
'check the bags and let's fly!'
'well, whaddya mean, this is too much weight？
'we only got forty-six pieces a' freight!
'and if it don't go, who's gonna explain it to our fan club in
tacoma？'
We'd all get embarassed an' head for the plane
While milton stood there, bein' profane
But somehow he always managed ta get on board ...in sort of a
coma
When the drinks were served up yonder...
Well, we deplaned at th' other end
All the trouble seemed to commence again
Though milton had ordered three station wagons, a pickup truck
and a limo
And though he'd phoned ahead to that number two
Cussin' an' fussin' an' turnin' blue
We'd always end up with two datsoons and a pinto
Now milton took all a' that stuff in stride
Laid on the floor, an' kicked an' cried
But we always looked up to him for hope and salvation
But we'd sink to the bottom a' trav'lers hell
When he'd check us in a remote motel
And he'd grab the clerk by his shirt an' tie an' say
'whaddya mean, ¿no reservacies？'
Milton's getting bolder...
He'd shut himself in room one-oh-four
Let nobody in 'til he swept the floor
Adjusted the lampshade, aligned the tv, fixed the faucet, called
the promoter
'well, whaddya mean we're the warmup show？
'you're puttin' me on! we're stars, ya know!
'and this ain't the way we was treated last summer at six flags
over dakota!
'now we gotta have a hunnert percent top billing,
'two-thirds in advance, a' course, you silly!
'i'm sure we prefer a chauffered limosine and two
air-conditioned dressing rooms, please.
'i'm what？ well, so's your wife! she's not？ well, to each his
own.
'beg pardon, stick it in my what？ well, really, merle who？'
William morris, keep us working...
Now, milton was a real good friend a' mine
An' we'd stuck together on down that line
But there was one or two points over which we just had to
dee-bate
Like
takin'-your-clothes-off-an'-hangin'-from-a-cross-in-front-a'-the-tri-county-fairgrounds
Is not necessarily an assurance that the crowd ain't gonna start
throwin' tomatas
An' when ya arrive at four for a five o'clock show
An' the stage ain't built an' there's no electricity
About all ya could do is sit on yer butt an' cut bait
However, you give ol' milton four strong bodies, a nine-foot
grand, a beer and a cigarette
An' you just knew that show was gonna be ...outta state
Bringing in the bread
Bringing in the bread...
Now one night up there in washington
We didn't get paid for a show we'd done
An' poor ol' milton couldn't live with that; his brain just
shorted out.
Well, he locked himself in the bathroom
An' then when he didn't come out for an hour an' a half
We figgered that somethin' was wrong, but we had to remove all
doubt
We stood transfixed in shock and horror
When we busted down that there bathroom door
And i hope i never see a sight like that again; no, i don't
There was nothin' to do but close our eyes, an' bow our heads,
an' vocalize
With a silent five-part acapella hymn, for him
What a friend we had in milton...
Now we're gettin' ready, come next december
To put another concert tour together
And i'm sad to say ol' milton ain't a-gonna be with us
No, it ain't gonna be exactly the same
When they introduce us without his name
So milton, wherever you are, we hope you miss us!
See, milton has moved on down the road
Over the rainbow, lookin' for gold
Yeah, he's up there where the stage lights is always on
But we can't forget that curly hair
When last we saw him a-settin' there
Holdin' his tambourine, suckin' his thumb, an' sound asleep on
the john
8.Outlaws And Lone Star Beer
(bob duncan, jeff durrill)
Well, they're rompin' down in austin
And they call it 'western swing'
They even wrote a song that says
'bob wills is still the king'
Well that i can agree with
But this much i declare
There's more to country music
Than outlaws and lone star beer
From tennessee to texas,
They say it's all the same
Well, there's no 't' in nashville,
But we've got our claim to fame
It's called the house that hank built
And it's sacred, lord, i swear
There's more to country music
Than outlaws and lone star beer
Well, there's more to country music
Than the hurtin' side a' life
Like takin' pride in fam'ly
And a good, warm, lovin' wife
There's more to country music
Than to leave somebody cryin'
And the cheatin'
And the lyin'
Now brothers, understand me
I don't put nobody down
'cause we all know with what you do
Well you're the best around
But as i stand to cheer you
I'll make my feelin's clear：
There's more to country music
Than outlaws and lone star beer
Yeah, there's more to country music
Than outlaws and lone star beer
9.Silver Cloud Breakdown
Instrumental
10.Wheels Of Fortune
(terry skinner, j.l. wallace)
(gotta keep these wheels)
Wheels of fortune rollin'
It don't matter where we're goin'
East or west or south to tennessee
(gotta keep these wheels)
Wheels of fortune movin'
Keep on truckin', keep on movin'
Gotta stay ahead of the finance company
Well, i was down-and-out until this friend a' mine
He said, 'i got somethin' here, guaranteed ta change yer luck.
'with just a few thousand dollars you can get on time,
'i can put you in a brand-new diesel truck.'
He says, 'you can make a fortune in a year or two
'it's easy; all ya haveta do is drive.'
Well, i signed my name and i took the keys and then i knew：
I was gonna be the richest man alive!
(gotta keep these wheels)
Wheels of fortune rollin'
It don't matter where we're goin'
East or west or south to tennessee
(gotta keep these wheels)
Wheels of fortune movin'
Keep on truckin', keep on movin'
Gotta stay ahead of the finance company
Now, i ain't seen my lady in a month or two
This old rig may cost me my family
'cause when i truck on home, you know just what they do？
They treat me just like i was company
Now i'm lost and lonely on this interstate
My cb's broke and i ain't got a dime
I got a payment due and the finance comp'ny just won't wait
I gotta keep this rig a-movin' all the time
(gotta keep these wheels)
Wheels of fortune rollin'
It don't matter where we're goin'
East or west or south to tennessee
(gotta keep these wheels)
Wheels of fortune movin'
Keep on truckin', keep on movin'
Gotta stay ahead of the finance company
Gotta stay ahead of the finance company
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