Lyrics Tom Joad (Live at EJ Thomas Performing Arts, Akron, OH - 9/25/1996) - Bruce Springsteen

Tom Joad he got out the old McAlester Pen
There he got his parole
After four long years on a man killing charge
Tom Joad came walkin' down the road, poor boy
Tom Joad came walkin' down the road

Well Tom Joad, he met a truck drivin' man
And there he caught him a ride
He said, "I just got loose from the McAlester Pen
On a charge called homicide
On a charge called homicide"

Well that truck rolled away in a cloud of dust
Tommy turned his face toward home
He met Preacher Casy
And they had a little drink
But they found that his family they were gone
They found that his family they were gone

Well he found his mother's old fashioned shoe
He found his daddy's hat
And he found little Muley, and Muley said
"They been tractored off by the cats, Tommy boy
They been tractored off by the cats"

Tom Joad walked down to the neighbor's farm
And he found his family
He took Preacher Casy and loaded up the car
And his mother said, "We've got to get away, Tommy Boy"
His mother said, "We've got to get away"

Now the twelve of the Joads, we'll they made heavy load
And Grampa Joad, he did cry
He picked up a handful of land in his hand
He said, "I'm stayin' with this farm 'til I die
I'm stayin' here Tommy, 'til I die"

They fed him short ribs and soothin' syrup
And Grampa Joad, he did die
They buried Grampa Joad by the side of the road
And Grandma on the California side
Grandma on the California side

Well they stood on a mountain and they looked west
And it looked like the Promised Land
That bright green valley with a river runnin' through
There was work for every single hand, they thought
"There'll be work for every single hand"

Well the Joads road away to the Jungle camp
Where they cook them a stew
And the hungry little kids of the Jungle said
"We'd like to have some, too
Hey, we'd like to have some, too"

Now, the Deputy Sheriff fired loose at a man
And he shot a woman in the back
Before he could take his aim again
Preacher Casy dropped him in his tracks
Preach Casy dropped him in his tracks

Well, they handcuffed Casy
And they took him to jail and then he got away
He met Tom Joad on the old River Bridge
And these few words he did say, poor boy
These few words he did say

"I preached for the Lord for a mighty long time
I preached about the rich and the poor
Us working folks gotta all get together
'Cause we ain't got a chance anymore, Tommy boy
We ain't got a chance anymore"

Well now the Deputies come
Tom and Casy, they did run
To the bridge where the river run down
But the vigilante thugs hit Casy with a club
They laid Preacher Casy on the ground
They laid Preacher Casy on the ground

Tom Joad, he grabbed that Deputy's club
And hit him over the head
Tom Joad took flight
In the dark, rainy night
And the deputy and the Preacher lay dead
Two men, the deputy and preacher, they lay dead

Well, Tom run back to where his mother was asleep
And he woke her up out of the bed
He kissed goodbye to the mother that he loved
And he said what Preacher Casy said
He said what Preacher Casy said

"Well, everybody might be just one big soul
Well it looks that way to me
Everywhere that you look, in the day or the night
That's where I'm gonna be, Ma
That's where I'm gonna be

"Wherever little children are hungry and cry
Wherever people ain't free
Whevever men are fightin' for their rights
That's where I wanna be, Ma
That's where I wanna be"