Tom Joad

Tom Joad got out of that old McAlester pen

'Twas there that he got his parole

After four long years on a man killing charge

Tom Joad came a-walking down the road, poor boy,

Tom Joad came a-walking down the road.

It was there that he found him a truck driving man,

It was there that he caught him a ride.

He said, "I just got loose from McAlester pen

On a charge called homicide, great God,

A charge called homicide."

The truck rolled away in a big cloud of dust

And Tommy turned his face towards home.

He met Preacher Casey and they had a little drink

And he found out his family they was gone, Tom Joad,

He found out his family they was gone.

He found his mother's old-fashioned shoes

He found his daddy's hat

He found little Muley and little Muley said,

"They've been tractored out by the cats, Tom,

They've been tractored out by the cats."

Then Tom he walked to the neighboring farm,

He found his family.

They took Preacher Casey and they loaded in the car

And his mama said, "We got to get away, Tom."

His mama said, "We got to get away".

The twelve of the Joads made a mighty heavy load

And grandpa Joad, he cried.

He picked up a handful of land in his hand,

He said, "I'm sticking with my farm until I die."

He said, "I'm sticking with my farm until I die."

They fed him spare ribs and coffee and soothing syrup

And grandpa Joad, he died.

We buried grandpa Joad on the Oklahoma road

And grandma on the California side

And grandma on the California side.

We stood on a mountain and we looked to the West,

It looked like the Promised Land.

Was a big green valley with a river running through

And there was work for every single hand, we thought,

Work for every single hand.

The Joads rolled in to the Jungle Camp,

It was there that they cooked them a stew

And the hungry little kids in the Jungle Camp

Said, "We'd like to have some, too,

Yes, we'd like to have some, too."

A deputy sheriff fired loose at a man,

He shot a woman in the back,

But before he could take his aim again

It was Preacher Casey dropped him in his tracks,

Good boy, Preacher Casey dropped him in his tracks.

Well, they handcuffed Casey and they took him to jail

And then he got away.

He met Tom Joad by the old river bridge

And these few words he did say, Preacher Casey,

These few words he did say:

"Well, I preached for the Lord a mighty long time,

I preached about the rich and the poor,

But us workin' folks has got to stick together

Or we ain't got a chance anymore, God knows,

We ain't got a chance anymore."

Then the deputies come and Tom and Casey run

To the place where the water run down

And the vigilante bug hit Casey with a club

And he laid Preacher Casey on the ground

And he laid Preacher Casey on the ground.

Tom Joad he grabbed the deputy's club,

He banged it down on his head

When Tommy took flight in that dark and rainy night

Was a preacher and a deputy lying dead, two men,

A preacher and a deputy lying dead.

Tommy went back to where his mama was asleep,

He woke her up out of bed.

He kissed goodbye to the mother that he loved

And he said what Preacher Casey said, Tom Joad,

He said what Preacher Casey said.

Everybody might be just one big soul

It looks that-a way to me

So everywhere you look in the day or night

That's where I'm gonna be, Ma,

That's where I'm gonna be.

Wherever little kids are hungry and cry,

Wherever people ain't free,

Wherever men are fighting for their rights

That's where I'm gonna be, Ma,

That's where I'm gonna be.