Rise Against
Lyric guide

The Ghost Of Tom Joad

Read The Ghost Of Tom Joad lyrics by Rise Against on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

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Page type: lyric reference Artist: Rise Against Canonical path: /rise-against/the-ghost-of-tom-joad Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

The Ghost Of Tom Joad

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Man walks along the railroad track

And he's going some place, there's no going back

The highway patrol chopper coming up over the ridge

Man sleeps by a campfire under the bridge

The shelter line stretching around the corner

Welcome to the new world order

Families sleeping in their cars in the southwest

No home, no job, no peace, no rest

And the highway is alive tonight

Nobody's fooling nobody is to where it goes

I'm sitting down here in the campfire light

Searching for the ghost of tom joad

He pulls his prayer book out of a sleeping bag

The preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag

He's waiting for the time when the last shall be first and the first shall be last

In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass

He's gotta one way ticket to the promised land

He's gotta hole in your belly and a gun in your hand

Sleeping on a pillow of solid rock

Bathing in the cities' aqueducts

And the highway is alive tonight

Nobody's fooling nobody is to where it goes

I'm sitting down here in the campfire light

With the ghost of old tom joad

Now tom said; "ma, whenever ya see a cop beating a guy

Wherever a hungry new born baby cries

Wherever there's a fight against the blood and hatred in the air

Look for me ma' I'll be there

Wherever somebody is looking for a place to stand

For a decent job or a helping hand

Wherever somebody is struggling to be free

Look in their eyes ma, you'll see me!"

And the highway is alive tonight

Nobody's fooling nobody is to where it goes

I'm sitting down here in the campfire light

With the ghost of tom joad

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Who performs "The Ghost Of Tom Joad"?

Rise Against performs "The Ghost Of Tom Joad", and this lyric page sits inside the Rise Against catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "The Ghost Of Tom Joad"?

Yes. The related section below points to Give It All and Re-Education (Through Labor) with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Rise Against?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Rise Against's lyric pages.

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