Left my home in norfolk, virginia   California on my mind   Straddled that greyhound   And rode it into raleigh   And on across caroline   We stopped in charlotte   But we bypassed rockhill   We never was a minute late   We were ninety miles out of atlanta by sundown   Rolling out of georgia state      Had some motor trouble   That turned into a struggle   Half way 'cross alabam   That hound broke and left us   All stranded in downtown birmingham      So right away I bought me a through train ticket   Right across mississippi clean   And I was on that special flyer   Out of birmingham   Smoking into new orleans      Someone's got to help me get out of louisiana   Just to help me get to houston town   There's an uncle there who cares a little about me   And he won't let the poor boy down      Sure as you're born   He bought me a silk suit   Put some luggage in my hand   And I woke up high over albuquerque   On a jet to the promised land      Working on a t-bone steak   A la carte   Flying over to the golden state   When the pilot told us that in thirteen minutes   He would have us at the terminal gate      Swing down 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 calling   And the poor boy is on the line