i left my home in norfolk virginia california on my mind i straddled that greyhound and rode him into raleigh and on across caroline we stopped in charlotte we bypassed rock hill we never was a minute late we was 90 miles out of atlanta by sundown rollin out of georgia state we had motor trouble that turned into a struggle halfway across alabam and that 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 just help me get to houston town there are people there who care a little about me and they won t let the poor boy down sure as you re born they bought me a silk suit and 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 when the pilot told us in 13 minutes he would set us at the terminal gate swing low 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 4 1009 tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin and the poor boy s on the line