The Promised Land

I left my home in Norfolk, Virginia, California on my mind Strattled that greyhound and rode him into Releigh and on across Caroline Stopped in Charlotte we bypassed Blackhill, never was a minute late We were ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown, rollin' out of Georgia state Had motor trouble, it turned into a struggle, half way across Alabama And the hound broke down, and left us all stranded in downtown Birmingham Right away I bought me a through-train ticket, ridin' 'cross Mississippi clean And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham, smokin' into New Orleans Somebody help me get out of Louisiana, help me get to Houston town There's people there who care a little 'bout me, and they won't a-let the poor boy down Sure as you're born they bought me a silk suit, put luggage in my hand And I woke up high over Albuquerque on a jet to the Promised Land Workin' on a T-bone steak a La Carte, flyin' over to the golden state When the pilot told us that in thirteen minutes he would set us at the terminal gate Swing low chariot, come down easy, taxi to the terminal dome 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 Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin' and the poor boy's on the line