Tom Joadpart I - Woody Guthrie

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-walkin' down the road, poor boy

Tom Joad come a-walkin' 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 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 neighbor’s farm

Found his family

They took Preacher Casey and loaded in a car

And his mother said, «We've got to get away»

His mother said, «We've 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 the 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

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

(Part 2)

The Joads rolled away to the 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, poor boy

Preacher Casey dropped him in his track

They handcuffed Casey and they took him in 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' folkses, all get together

Cause we ain’t got a chance anymore

We ain’t got a chance anymore»

Now, the deputies come, and Tom and Casey run

To the bridge where the water run down

But the vigilante thugs hit Casey with a club

They laid Preacher Casey on the ground, poor Casey

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

And 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

An' 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 a-gonna be, Ma

That’s where I’m a-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 a-gonna be, Ma

That’s where I’m a-gonna be"