Tom Joad

[Part 1]

Tom Joad got out from the old McAlester Pen
It's there he got his parole
After four long years on a man killing charge
Tom Joad came a-walkin' down the road
Tom Joad came a-walkin' down the road

Tom Joad, he met with a truck driving man
And there he took a little ride
He said, "I just got loose from McAlester's Pen
On a charge called homicide
On a charge called homicide"

That truck rode away in a cloud of dust
And Tommy set his face towards home
And he met Preacher Casey, and they had a little drink
And they found that his family, they was gone
And they found that his family was gone

They found his mother's old-fashioned shoe
And they found his daddy's hat
And they found little Muley, and Muley did say
"They've been tractored out by the cats
They've been tractored out by the cats"

Tom Joad went down to a neighbor's farm
And he found his family
And they took Preacher Casey and they loaded up a car
And his mother said, "We've got to get away"
And his mother said, "We've got to get away"

Now, the twelve of the Joads made a mighty heavy load
And Grandpa Joad, he did cry
Then he picked up a handful of earth in his hand
He said: "I'm stayin' with my farm until I die
He said: "I'm stayin' with my farm until I die"

They fed him short ribs and coffee and soothing syrup
But Grandpa Joad, he did die
Well, they buried Grandpa Joad by the side of the road
Buried Grandma on the California side
They buried Grandma on the California side

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

[Part 2]

The Joads rolled away to the jungle camp
Then there they cooked them up a stew
And the hungry little children of the jungle camp
They said: "We'd like to have some, too"
They said: "We'd like to have some, too"

Then a deputy sheriff fired loose at a man
And he shot a woman in the back
But before he could take his aim once again
Preacher Casey dropped him in his tracks
Preacher Casey dropped him dead in his tracks

They handcuffed Casey and they took him to jail
But then he got away
And he met Tom Joad by the side of the road
And these few words he did say
And these few words he did say

"I've preached for the Lord for a mighty long time
I've preached about the rich and the poor
But us working people got to all stand together
Or we ain't got a chance anymore
Or we ain't got a chance anymore"

Then the deputies come, and Tom and Casey did run
To the bridge where the river runs down
But a deputy sheriff got Casey with a club
And he laid Preacher Casey in the ground
And he laid Preacher Casey in the ground

Tom Joad, he grabbed that deputy's club
And he hit him over the head
Tom Joad took flight in the dark and rainy night
With a preacher and a deputy lying dead
With a preacher and a deputy lying dead

Tom Joad, he run where his mother lay asleep
And he woke her out of her bed
An' he kissed goodbye to the mother that he loved
An' he told her what Preacher Casey said
An' he told her what Preacher Casey said

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

Wherever little children go hungry and cry
Wherever people aren't free
Where working people are fighting for their rights
That's where I'm gonna be, Ma
Well, that's where I'm gonna be"