Letra de Tom Joad (Live at EJ Thomas Performing Arts, Akron, OH - 9/25/1996)
Tom Joad he got out the old McAlester Pen There he got his parole After four long years on a man killing charge Tom Joad came walkin' down the road, poor boy Tom Joad came walkin' down the roadWell Tom Joad, he met a truck drivin' man And there he caught him a ride He 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 But they found that his family they were gone They found that his family they were goneWell he found his mother's old fashioned shoe He found his daddy's hat And he found little Muley, and Muley said "They been tractored off by the cats, Tommy boy They been tractored off by the cats"Tom Joad walked down to the neighbor's farm And he found his family He took Preacher Casy and loaded up the car And his mother said, "We've got to get away, Tommy Boy" His mother said, "We've got to get away"Now the twelve of the Joads, we'll they made 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 'til I die I'm stayin' here Tommy, 'til I die"They fed him short ribs and soothin' syrup And Grampa Joad, he did die They buried Grampa Joad by the side of the road And Grandma on the California side Grandma on the California sideWell they stood on a mountain and they looked west And it looked like the Promised Land That bright green valley with a river runnin' through There was work for every single hand, they thought "There'll be work for every single hand"Well the Joads road away to the Jungle camp Where they cook them a stew And the hungry little kids of the Jungle said "We'd like to have some, too Hey, 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 tracksWell, they handcuffed Casy And they took him to jail and then he got away 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 for a mighty long time I preached about the rich and the poor Us working folks gotta all get together 'Cause we ain't got a chance anymore, Tommy boy We ain't got a chance anymore"Well now the Deputies come Tom and Casy, they did run To the bridge where the river run down But the vigilante thugs hit Casy with a club They laid Preacher Casy on the ground They laid Preacher Casy on the groundTom Joad, he grabbed that Deputy's club And hit him over the head Tom Joad took flight In the dark, rainy night And the deputy and the Preacher lay dead Two men, the deputy and preacher, they lay deadWell, Tom run back to where his mother was asleep And he woke her up out of the bed He kissed goodbye to the mother that he loved And he said what Preacher Casy said He said what Preacher Casy said"Well, everybody might be just one big soul Well it looks that way to me Everywhere that 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 Whevever men are fightin' for their rights That's where I wanna be, Ma That's where I wanna be"