I left my home in
Norfolk Virginia
California on my mind
Straddled that greyhound, rode him past
RaleighOn across
CarolineStopped in
Charlotte and bypassed rock hill
And we never was a minute late
We was ninety miles out of
Atlanta by sundown
Rollin' 'cross the
Georgia state
We had motor trouble it turned into a struggle
Half way 'cross
AlabamaAnd that 'hound broke down and left us all stranded
In downtown
Birmingham
Straight off,
I bought me a through train ticket
Ridin' 'cross
Mississippi clean
And I was on that midnight flier out of
Birmingham
Smoking into
New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of
LouisianaJust help me get to
Houston Town
There's people there who care a little 'bout me
And they won't let the poor boy down
Sure as you're born, they bought me a silk suit
Put luggage in my hands
And I woke up high over
Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land
Workin' on a
T-bone steak a la carte
Flying over to the golden state
Oh, when the pilot told me us in thirteen minutes
He was headin' at the terminal gate
Swing low sweet chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
Los Angeles give me
Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater four ten o nine
Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin'
And the poor boy's on the line