Tom Joad is the story of the Grapes of Wrath.
Maybe you remember seeing that moving picture.
The folks back around Oklahoma and Arkansas,
parts of Texas and Nebraska and Kansas
all got dusted out of their homes
back in the late 20s and early 30s,
and here's the story about it.
Tom Joad got out of the old McAllister pen,
it was there that he got his parole.
After four long years on a man-killin' charge,
Tom Joad come a-walkin' down the road,
bar boy, Tom Joad come a-walkin' down the road.
Tom Joad he met a truck-drivin' man,
it was there that he caught him a ride.
Said,
I just got loose from the McAllister pen on a charge called homicide,
on a charge called homicide.
Truck rolled away in a cloud of dust,
Tom he turned his face towards home,
met Preacher
Casey and they had a little drink and
he found that his family they was gone,
bar boy,
he
found that his family they was gone.
He found his mother's old-fashioned
shoe and he found his daddy's hat,
found little Muley and Muley said
they been tractored out by the cats,
Tom been
tractored out by the cats.
He went on down to the neighbor's farm and he found his family.
Took Preacher Casey and loaded in a car
and his mammy said we got to get away,
Tom his
mammy said we got to get away.
The twelve of the Joads made a mighty heavy load,
but
Grandpa Joad didn't cry.
He picked up a handful of land in his hand and said I'm
staking with my farm till I die,
I'm staying with the farm till I die.
Fed some
short ribs and coffee and soothing syrup,
but Grandpa Joad didn't die.
Buried Grandpa Joad on the side of the road,
buried Grandma on the California side,
buried Grandma on the California side.
Stood on a mountain and they looked to the
west and it looked like the promised land,
that big green valley with a river running through.
There was work for every single hand
they thought worked for every single hand.
The Joads rolled into a 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 and 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.
They
handcuffed Casey and they took him to jail
and then he got away and he met Tom Joad
by the old river bridge and these few words he did say,
Preacher Casey,
these few words
he did say,
I preached for the Lord a mighty long time,
preached about the rich and the poor,
us working folks has got to get
together cause ain't any chance anymore,
God knows we ain't got
a chance anymore.
Then the deputies come and Tom and Casey
run to the bridge where the water run
down and the vigilante thugs hit Casey with
a club and they laid Preacher Casey on the
ground,
poor Casey,
they laid Preacher Casey on the ground.
Then Tom picked up that deputy's
club and hit him over the head.
Then Tom Joad took flight and the dark rainy night left
a deputy and a preacher lying dead,
two men and a preacher and a deputy lying dead.
Tom run back where his mother was asleep and he
woke her up out of bed and 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,
well it looks that way to me.
So 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,
wherever men are
fighting for their rights,
that's where I'm gonna be,
Ma,
that's where I'm gonna be.