Tom Joad

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 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