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