I left my home

In

Norfolk Virginia

California

On my mind

Straddled

That Greyhound

Rode him

Past Raleigh

On across

Caroline



Stopped

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 Alabama

And 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

Flyer out

Of Birmingham

Smoking into

New Orleans



Somebody

Help me get

Out of Louisiana

Just 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

The pilot told me

In thirteen minutes

We'd be headin'

In the terminal gate



Swing low

Sweet chariot

Come down easy

Taxi

To the terminal zone

Cut your engines

Cool your wings

And let me make it

To the telephone



Los Angeles

Ggive 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