Song title: Tom Joad
(Woody Guthrie) by Woody Guthrie
Tom Joad - Bruce version
Tom Joad got out of the old McAlester Pen
There he got his parole
After four long years on a man killing charge
Tom Joad come a walking down the road, poor boy
Tom Joad come a walking down the road
Tom Joad he met a truck driving man
There he caught him a ride
He said: “I just got loose from McAlester’s Pen
On a charge called Homicide, a charge called Homicide.”
That truck rolled away in a cloud of dust,
Tommy turned his face toward home,
He met Preacher Casey and they had a little drink,
But they found that his family they was gone,
He found that his family they was gone.
He found his mother’s old fashion shoe
Found his daddy’s hat.
And he found little Muley and Muley said:
“They’ve been tractored out by the cats,
They’ve been tractored out by the cats.”
Tom Joad walked down to the neighbors farm
Found his family.
They took Preacher Casey and loaded in a car
And his mother said “We got to git away.”
His mother said “We got to get away”
Now the twelve of the Joads made a mighty heavy load
But Grandpa Joad did cry.
He picked up a handful of land in his hand
Said: “I’m stayin’ with the farm till I die.
Yes, I’m stayin’ with my farm till I die”
They fed him short ribs and coffee and soothing syrup
And Grandpa Joad did die.
They buried Grandpa Joad by the side of the road,
Buried Grandma on the California side,
They buried Grandma on the California side.
They stood on a Mountain and they looked to the West
And it looked like the promised land.
That bright green valley with a river running through,
There was work for every single hand, they thought,
There was work for every single hand.
The Joads rolled away to Jungle Camp, There they cooked a stew.
And the hungry little kids of the Jungle Camp Said:
“We’d like to have some too.” Said: “We’d like to have some too.”
Now a Deputy Sheriff fired loose at a man
Shot a woman in the back.
Before he could take his aim again
Preacher Casey dropped him in his track.
Preacher Casey dropped him in his track.
They handcuffed Casey and they took him to Jail
And then he got away.
And 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 a mighty long time
Preached about the rich and the poor.
Us workin’ folks got to all get together,
Cause we ain’t got a chance anymore.
We ain’t got a chance anymore.”
The Deputies come and Tom and Casey run
To the bridge where the water run down.
But the vigilante they hit Casey with a club,
They laid Preacher Casey on the ground.
They laid Preacher Casey on the ground.
Tom Joad he grabbed that Deputy’s club
Hit him over the head.
Tom Joad took flight in the dark rainy night
A Deputy and a Preacher lying dead, two men,
A Deputy and a Preacher lying dead.
Tom run back where his mother was asleep
He woke her up out of bed.
Then he kissed goodbye to the mother that he loved
Said what Preacher Casey said, Tom Joad,
He said what Preacher Casey said.
“Ever’body might be just one big soul
Well it looks that a way to me.
Everywhere that you look in the day or 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.
Wherever men are fightin’ for their rights
That’s where I’m gonna be, Ma.
That’s where I’m a gonna be.
Tom Joad - Guthrie version
Tom Joad he got out the old McAlester Pen
He got his parole
After four long years on a man killing charge
Tom Joad come walkin' down the road, poor boy
Tom Joad come walkin' down the road.
Tom Joad, he met a truck drivin' man,
And he caught him a ride
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.
They found that his family was gone,
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 said,
"They been tractored off by the cats, Tommy boy.
They been tractored off by the cats."
Tom Joad, he walked down to the neighbor's farm,
And he found his family.
He took Preacher Casy
And he loaded up the car,
And his mother said, "We got to get away, Tommy Boy."
His mother said, "we got to get away."
Now the twelve of the Joads, they made mighty 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 till I die.
I'm stayin' here till I die."
They fed him short ribs and coffee and syrup.
And Grampa Joad, he did die.
They buried Grampa Joad by the side of the road,
Buried Grandma on the California side.
Buried Grandma on the California side.
They stood on a mountain and they looked to the west,
And it looked like the Promised Land.
That bright green valley with a river runnin' through
Held work for every single hand. They thought,
"There'll be work for every single hand."
The Joads road away to the Jungle camp
And there they cook them some stew.
And the hungry little kids said,
"We'd like to have some, too, please.
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 with Tom Joad on the old River Bride.
And these few words he did say, poor boy.
These few words he did say:
"Well, I preached for Lord for a mighty long time,
Preached about the rich and the poor.
Us working folks gotta get together,
Cause we ain't got a chance anymore, Tommy boy.
We ain't got a chance anymore."
Well, the Deputies come,
And Tom and Casy, they did run
To the bridge where the water run down.
But the vigilante they hit Casy with a club,
And 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 and rainy night,
A deputy and Preacher lying dead,
A deputy and preacher lying dead.
Well, Tom run back to where his mama was asleep.
And he woke her up out of the bed.
And he kissed goodbye
To the mother that he loved.
And he said what Preacher Casy said, Tom Joad
He said what Preacher Casy said.
"Well, everybody might be just one big soul,
Or it looks that way to me.
Everywhere 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,
Whenever men and women are fightin' for their rights,
That's where I'm gonna be, Ma.
That's where I'm gonna be."
This song has never been published on any official release.
Very few performances of this songs are known (to me, at least!):
- 25/09/1996 University of Akron, Thomas Hall, Akron,OH ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 26/09/1996 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,MI ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 29/09/1996 Severance Hall, Cleveland,OH ,USA
- 01/10/1996 Braden Auditorium, Normal,IL ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 02/10/1996 Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee,WI ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 03/10/1996 Northrup Auditorium, Minneapolis,MN ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 15/10/1996 Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City,UT ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 16/10/1996 Paramount Theatre, Denver,CO ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 21/10/1996 Gammage Auditorium, Tempe,AZ ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 22/10/1996 Civic Theatre, San Diego,CA ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 23/10/1996 Saroyan Theatre, Fresno,CA ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 25/10/1996 Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara,CA ,USA during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 12/02/1997 Capitol Theatre, Sydney ,Australia during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
- 17/02/1997 The Palais, Melbourne ,Australia during the The Ghost of Tom Joad
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database
First known live performance: 25/09/1996 University of Akron, Thomas Hall, Akron,OH ,USA
Last known live performance: 17/02/1997 The Palais, Melbourne ,Australia
Song 'history':
Played during the Ghost of Tom Joad tour (13 times)
The song was also played in informal happenings or off-tour appearances
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database