The Ghost of Tom Joad

Bruce Springsteen

About The Ghost of Tom Joad

"The Ghost of Tom Joad" is a folk rock song written by Bruce Springsteen. It is the title track to his eleventh studio album, released in 1995. The character Tom Joad, from John Steinbeck's classic 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath, is mentioned in the title and narrative. Originally a quiet folk song, "The Ghost of Tom Joad" has also been recorded by Rage Against the Machine and Junip. Springsteen himself has performed the song in a variety of arrangements, including with the E Street Band, and a live recording featuring Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello as guest. In 2013, Springsteen re-recorded the track with Morello for his eighteenth studio album, High Hopes (2014). 


Year:
2016
5:45
86 
#2

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Men walking 'long the railroad tracks
Going someplace, there's no going back
Highway patrol choppers coming up over the ridge
Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge
Shelter line stretching 'round the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Families sleeping in the cars in the southwest
No home, no job, no peace, no rest

Well the highway is alive tonight
But nobody's kidding nobody about where it goes
I'm sitting down here in the campfire light
Searching for the ghost of Tom Joad

He pulls a prayer book out of his sleeping bag
Preacher lights up a butt and he takes a drag
Waiting for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last
In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass
You got a one-way ticket to the promised land
You got a hole in your belly and a gun in your hand
Sleeping on a pillow of solid rock
Bathing in the city's aqueduct

Go!

Well the highway is alive tonight
Where it's headed everybody knows
I'm sitting down here in the campfire light
Waiting on the ghost of Tom Joad

Now Tom said, "Mom, wherever there's a cop beating a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where there's a fight against the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me, Mom, I'll be there

Wherever somebody's fighting for a place to stand
Or a decent job or a helping hand
Wherever somebody's struggling to be free
Look in their eyes, Ma, and you'll see me"
Yeah!

The highway is alive tonight
Where it's headed everybody knows
I'm sitting down here in the campfire light
With the ghost of old Tom Joad

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Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who records and tours with the E Street Band. Springsteen is widely known for his brand of heartland rock, poetic lyrics, Americana sentiments centered on his native New Jersey and his lengthy and energetic stage performances, with concerts from the 1970s to the present decade running up to an uninterrupted 250 minutes in length. more »

22 fans

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.
Inspired by Literature and History
The 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.
Theme and Lyrics
Its 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.
Cover Versions
Aside 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.
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.
Grammy Winning Cover
Rage Against The Machine's version of the song won a Grammy award in 1998 for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.
Role of Junip
Junip, 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".
High Fidelity Series Appearance
Junip's cover was featured in an episode of the Hulu series "High Fidelity," further presenting the song to a new generation of listeners.
Morello and Springsteen Collaboration
Tom 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.
True to its Roots
Despite 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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