The Ghost of Tom Joad
Rage Against the Machine
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Man walks along the railroad track He's Goin' some place, there's no turnin' back The Highway Patrol chopper comin' up over the ridge Man sleeps by a campfire under the bridge The shelter line stretchin' around the corner Welcome to the new world order Families sleepin' in their cars out in the Southwest No job, no home, no peace, no rest, no rest! And The highway is alive tonight Nobody's foolin' nobody is to where it goes I'm sitting down here in the campfire light Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad He pulls his prayer book out of a sleepin' bag The preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag He's waitin' for the time when the last shall be first and the first shall be last In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass With a one way ticket to the promised land With a hole in your belly and a gun in your hand Lookin' for a pillow of solid rock Bathin' in the cities' aqueducts And The highway is alive tonight Nobody's foolin' nobody is to where it goes I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light With the ghost of old Tom Joad Now Tom said; "Ma, whenever ya see a cop beatin' 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 somebodies strugglin' for a place to stand For a decent job or a helpin' hand Wherever somebody is strugglin' to be free Look in their eyes ma, You'll see me! And the highway is alive tonight Nobody's foolin' nobody is to where it goes I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light With the Ghost of Tom Joad
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Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Original Creation"The Ghost of Tom Joad" is originally a song by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released as the title track on his eleventh studio album, "The Ghost of Tom Joad," in 1995.
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Inspired by Literature and HistoryThe song was inspired by "The Grapes of Wrath", a classic novel by John Steinbeck. The character Tom Joad, from who the song gets its title, is the book's protagonist.
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Theme and LyricsIts lyrics narrate the plight of the modern working-class American, much like the novel it draws inspiration from. Springsteen's lyrics often mirror Steinbeck's prose, reflecting on themes of economic inequality and social injustice.
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Cover VersionsAside from Bruce Springsteen, both "Junip" and "Rage Against the Machine" have covered "The Ghost of Tom Joad". Each interpretation brings something distinct to the song, reflecting the rock, punk, and electronic folk influences of these bands.
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Rage Against the Machine's rendition"Rage Against the Machine", featuring Tom Morello as the guitarist, provided a harder rock version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" on their 2000 covers album "Renegades". Morello and Springsteen later performed this version together at several live shows.
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Grammy Winning CoverRage Against The Machine's version of the song won a Grammy award in 1998 for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.
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Role of JunipJunip, a Swedish band including members Jose Gonzalez, Elias Araya, and Tobias Winterkorn, brought a relaxed folk-tronic sound to their cover of "The Ghost of Tom Joad".
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High Fidelity Series AppearanceJunip's cover was featured in an episode of the Hulu series "High Fidelity," further presenting the song to a new generation of listeners.
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Morello and Springsteen CollaborationTom Morello has not only covered "The Ghost of Tom Joad" with his band but also toured with Springsteen and the E Street Band as a featured guitarist from 2008 to 2015. This further connects the lineage of "The Ghost of Tom Joad” between its original performer and these series of high-profile covers.
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True to its RootsDespite the various interpretations, each version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" has retained the song's underlying themes of justice, poverty, and perseverance.
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Citation
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"The Ghost of Tom Joad Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/10010341/Rage+Against+the+Machine/The+Ghost+of+Tom+Joad>.
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