Arlo Guthrie is the son of American folk singer Woody Guthrie and like his father, is known for his common-man folk songs and songs against social injustice. He has both performed with and influenced artists like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Joan Baez, and has performed with his band Shenandoah.

His most famous work is Alice’s Restaurant Massacree, a talking blues song that last 18 minutes and a movie by its name.

First, we have a version of the City of New Orleans that he performs with his band Shenandoah.

Coming Into Los Angeles

http://djallyn.org/media/coming_into_los_angeles.flv

Coming in from London
From over the pole
Flying in a big airliner
Chickens flying everywhere around the plane
Could we ever feel much finer?

Coming into Los Angeles
Bringing in a couple of keys
Don’t touch my bags if you please
Mister Customs Man

There’s a guy with a ticket to Mexico
No, he couldn’t look much stranger
Walking in the hall with his things and all
Smiling, said he was the Lone Ranger

Coming into Los Angeles
Bringing in a couple of keys
Don’t touch my bags if you please
Mister Customs Man

Hip woman walking on a moving floor
Tripping on the escalator
There’s a man in the line
And she’s blowing his mind
Thinking that he’s already made her

Coming into Los Angeles
Bringing in a couple of keys
Don’t touch my bags if you please
Mister Customs Man

Coming in from London
From over the pole
Flying in a big airliner
Chickens flying everywhere around the plane
Could we ever feel much finer?

Coming into Los Angeles
Bringing in a couple of keys
Don’t touch my bags if you please
Mister Customs Man

(222)

Arlo Guthrie is the son of American folk singer Woody Guthrie and like his father, is known for his common-man folk songs and songs against social injustice. He has both performed with and influenced artists like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Joan Baez, and has performed with his band Shenandoah.

His most famous work is Alice’s Restaurant Massacree, a talking blues song that last 18 minutes and a movie by its name.

First, we have a version of the City of New Orleans that he performs with his band Shenandoah.

City of New Orleans

http://djallyn.org/media/city_of_new_orleans.flv

Ridin’ on the City of New Orleans
Illinois Central, Monday mornin’ rail
15 cars & 15 restless riders
Three conductors, 25 sacks of mail

All along the southbound odyssey the train pulls out of Kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms & fields
Passin’ graves that have no name, freight yards full of old black men
And the graveyards of rusted automobiles

Good mornin’ 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
I’ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done

Dealin’ cards with the old men in the club car
Penny a point, ain’t no one keepin’ score
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
And feel the wheels rumblin’ neath the floor

And the sons of Pullman porters & the sons of engineers
Ride their fathers’ magic carpets made of steel
Mothers with their babes asleep, rockin’ to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel

Good mornin’ 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.
I’ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done.

Night time on the City of New Orleans
Changin’ cars in Memphis, Tennessee
Halfway home, we’ll be there by mornin’
Thru the Mississippi darkness rollin’ down to the sea

But all the towns and people seem to fade into a bad dream
And the steel rail still ain’t heard the news
The conductor sings his songs again
“The passengers will please refrain:
This train got the disappea rin’ railroad blues

Good night 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.
I’ll be gone 500 miles when the day is done.

(176)