The Ghost of Tom Joad
The E Street Band, Tom Morello, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen
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Men walkin' 'long the railroad tracks Goin' someplace there's no goin' back Highway patrol choppers comin' up over the ridge Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge Shelter line stretchin' round the corner Welcome to the new world order Families sleepin' in their cars in the southwest No home no job no peace no rest [Chorus] The highway is alive tonight But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad He pulls prayer book out of his sleeping bag Preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag Waitin' for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass Got a one-way ticket to the promised land You got a hole in your belly and gun in your hand Sleeping on a pillow of solid rock Bathin' in the city aqueduct The highway is alive tonight But where it's headed everybody knows I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light Waitin' on the ghost of Tom Joad Now Tom said "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air Look for me Mom I'll be there Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand Or decent job or a helpin' hand Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me." [Chorus: x2] [Repeat: x3] 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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"The Ghost of Tom Joad Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 17 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/28762796/Bruce+Springsteen/The+Ghost+of+Tom+Joad>.
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